Public Transport Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Platform-edge proximity — Mark a firm stand-back line one body length from the edge, place adults at carriage markers and tactile paving ends, face the group toward incoming vehicles, forbid bag stacking near the edge, and step forward only on the leader’s clear call to board.
• Boarding and alighting gaps — Board and alight only at doors aligned with the group, direct pupils to mind the step and gap, wait for passengers to clear first, pass bags in rather than dragging, and re-form just beyond the doorway before moving to seats or standing areas.
• Medical emergencies in transit — Carry first aid, inhalers and auto-injectors with a named adult, seat vulnerable pupils near exits, identify AED locations on arrival, and agree a drill to stop, treat, and either continue or hand over to responders without leaving anyone unsupervised.
• Power doors and entrapment — Teach pupils to clear thresholds quickly, keep straps and clothing away from seals, never force closing doors, move well into carriages once aboard, and assign an adult to the last door to halt boarding if any entrapment or obstruction risk appears.
• Wet floors and spills — Reduce pace in tiled concourses, steer around metal thresholds and glossy patches, require suitable footwear, report spills to station staff, choose stairs over steep wet ramps, and regroup off the main flow until the route can be traversed safely.