Walking Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Low light and visibility — Prefer daylight; if dusk is possible, increase adult spacing to cover sightlines, add high-visibility for leaders, carry torches for decision points, avoid unlit cut-throughs, and postpone when lux levels are too low for safe group control or hazard detection.
• Weather exposure (heat, cold, wind, lightning) — Check the forecast and heat index on the day, adjust clothing and load water, shorten or reroute in high winds, use shelters during showers, and suspend the walk if thunder is heard, resuming only when conditions and supervision are clearly within safe limits.
• Hydration — Require each pupil to start with a filled bottle, schedule defined water stops away from kerbs and traffic, moderate pace on exposed sections, provide shaded pauses, monitor for headache, dizziness or cramps, carry spare water for refills, and note any welfare checks in the trip log.
• Personal security and valuables — Advise minimal valuables, keep phones zipped away while moving, vary meeting points if crowds are dense, use visible gathering spots, and close ranks on a discreet signal if unwanted attention occurs, moving to staffed premises if necessary.
• Road crossings and junctions — Cross only at controlled points or safe desire lines chosen in planning, face the group to traffic, require full stops and leader instructions, send across in compact waves with an adult on each side, and abandon any crossing with poor sightlines or driver non-compliance.