School Parade or March Risk Assessment

Typical hazards & measures

• Dehydration and medical welfare — Schedule water and rest breaks, assign a first-aid lead with AED and mobile kit, position ambulance access routes free of barriers, screen for heat or illness signs during movement, log any treatment, and communicate with families after notable incidents.
• Manual handling of banners and instruments — Teach neutral posture and hand positions, size loads to age and strength, swap carriers at planned intervals, use harnesses or slings where suitable, and pre-position heavier items at staging points so long carries and awkward turns are avoided.
• Communication failure during movement — Equip sector leads with radios and agreed hand signals, carry spare batteries and a whistle or air horn for “stop/evacuate,” set a designated tail, and brief a fallback regroup point so the procession can be re-formed quickly if mobiles or radios fail.
• Safeguarding and public interactions — Keep pupils within stewarded cordons, place staff along the parade edges, brief on declining gifts or unscheduled photos, require identifiable staff lanyards, and escalate any concerning approach to a supervisor while recording time, location and description.
• Low light and visibility — Prefer daylight timings, equip lead and tail groups with high-visibility vests and baton lights, install temporary lighting at staging points, require reflective elements on costumes, and cancel or reroute if lux levels fall below safe movement thresholds.