Museum/Educational Visit Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Ingestion or contamination from touch-tables or interactives — Provide hand sanitiser at entry/exit of galleries, disinfect touchscreens hourly, and brief pupils to clean hands before snacks. Museum staff to keep cleaning logs and ensure waste bins are accessible.
• Poor air quality or ventilation in enclosed galleries — Schedule breaks between gallery visits, limit time in enclosed spaces, and seat groups in ventilated areas for briefings. Coordinate with museum to check HVAC maintenance logs before large group arrivals.
• Sharp or fragile exhibit hazards — Place physical barriers around delicate displays. Train staff to supervise interactive exhibits, use "look, don’t touch" signage, and provide padded tables or trays in handling sessions. Conduct handling only with dedicated staff oversight.
• Uneven outdoor paths if grounds included — Inspect and photograph outdoor routes before visit. Rope off unsafe areas, mark steep gradients, and instruct pupils to stay on marked trails. Bring first-aid kits and allocate adults to watch outdoor movement closely.
• Hazardous or toxic materials in exhibits — Liaise with curators to confirm all handling collections are safe. Keep any hazardous objects sealed. Only allow supervised handling of replicas; prohibit student access to behind-the-scenes storage. Log all collections risk assessments.