School Library Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Windows, glazing and restrictors — Keep furniture away from sills, retain child-safe restrictors and test them termly, ensure safety glazing or film is fitted and marked for visibility, and manage blind cords with tension devices or cordless designs.
• ICT misuse and online safety — Enforce filtered, logged access, supervise use, display the acceptable use policy, require personal logins, provide privacy screens where appropriate, and route concerns quickly to safeguarding with evidence preserved.
• Guillotines, trimmers and laminators — Site a staffed prep area where guillotines have guarded blades locked when idle and laminators have stable, heat-resistant surfaces with cool-down space. Restrict use to trained adults, provide cut-resistant gloves, and keep pupils beyond a marked boundary at all times.
• Electrical safety at ICT areas — PAT-test devices annually, fit RCD protection, ban daisy-chained extensions, isolate and tag any unit with heat, smell or arcing, keep sockets accessible for quick isolation, and site equipment clear of sinks and damp flooring.
• Theft and personal security — Offer supervised bag zones or lockers, patrol discreetly, signpost “take valuables with you,” position CCTV where lawful, and coordinate with reception on lost-property logging and swift reunification to deter opportunistic theft.