Museum/Educational Visit Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• 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.
• Inadequate briefing / behaviour expectations — Provide pre-visit briefing in class and a refresher on arrival. Emphasise respect for exhibits, staff, and other visitors. Display clear signage in galleries and place staff at points of interest to manage excitement and volume levels.
• Food-related allergies or hygiene — Designate a separate, allergen-safe eating area. Ensure all packed lunches are clearly labelled. Provide wipes, encourage handwashing before/after meals, and pre-notify museum catering of any allergy information.
• 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.
• 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.