Fire Lighting Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Smoke inhalation — Instruct participants to stay upwind of the fire and avoid leaning directly over it. Keep fires small to reduce smoke output and provide brief instruction on the dangers of inhaling smoke. If someone is affected, move them to fresh air immediately.
• Uncontained fire spreading — Use fire pits, clear the area around the fire of flammable materials, and keep fire small. Have a fire blanket and extinguishing tools such as water or sand nearby, and ensure participants understand how to contain a fire.
• Falling into the fire — Create a barrier or marked boundary around the fire, and ensure participants know to stay a safe distance away. Continuous supervision is required, and leaders should intervene if a participant is acting unsafely near the fire. Participants should be sat down when lightning and maintaining the fire.
• Failure to extinguish fire properly — Always extinguish fires completely with water or sand, and ensure no embers remain. Leaders must inspect the fire site before leaving, and participants should learn how to safely put out a fire as part of the activity.
• Cold weather exposure during fire lighting — Ensure participants are dressed appropriately for the weather, provide hand warmers if necessary, and plan breaks near the fire to warm up. Monitor for signs of cold stress like shivering or confusion.