School Bus Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Communication and tracking failure — Equip drivers with hands-free radio/phone for stops only, maintain a control room contact, carry paper registers and route cards, and default to the nearest safe stop and muster if comms fail, resuming only when contact is re-established.
• Windows, doors and emergency exits — Keep hammers and exits accessible, test alarms and releases during inspections, forbid leaning or limbs outside windows, and isolate any faulty latch or pane immediately with a spare bus dispatched if required.
• Crossing near the bus — Teach pupils never to cross behind, to wait for the driver’s signal before crossing in front, to make eye contact, and to cross only when the road is fully visible and clear, suspending the stop if sightlines are compromised.
• Adverse weather and road conditions — Check forecasts and road reports, reduce speeds, widen following distances, reroute from flooded/icy sections, fit chains or winter tyres where used, and cancel non-essential legs when traction or visibility falls below safe limits.
• Child left on vehicle after route — Require a front-to-back sweep at every end-point, verify with a tamper-evident child-check tag at the rear exit, reconcile the manifest with school attendance, and escalate any mismatch to control before securing the bus or releasing the driver.