Open Fire Cooking - Free Risk Assessment Template PDF
This free Open Fire Cooking risk assessment template is designed for forest schools settings. It outlines typical hazards and suggests control measures, helping you tailor the document to your organization. Use it as a starting point, customise in our online wizard and download a professional PDF in moments.
Activity Summary
Students participate in supervised open-fire cooking activities, involving food preparation, fire lighting and maintenance, and cooking simple dishes outdoors.
Purpose of Activity
To safely teach students practical cooking skills over an open fire, developing responsibility, cooperation, and understanding of fire safety and food preparation.
Benefits of Activity
- Builds survival skills and confidence by teaching safe fire-starting techniques using natural materials and tools.
- Develops teamwork as children take turns managing cooking stations or food items.
- Encourages responsibility for cleanliness, hygiene, and preparation of ingredients.
- Engages all five senses in a rich, real-world context.
- Promotes healthy relationships with food through shared meal experiences.
- Supports self-management of health and peer support.
- Builds competence in safe water heating and teamwork.
- Develops safe testing techniques and self-awareness.
- Teaches personal responsibility and risk-preventive habits.
- Reinforces critical hygiene and sequencing of tasks.
- Encourages responsive fire management and situational control.
- Reinforces environmental awareness and proactive safety.
- Supports real-world understanding of food safety.
- Promotes independence and practical life skills.
- Encourages shared responsibility for closing down safely.
- Supports gradual mastery and confidence in outdoor cooking.
- Promotes physical control and safe body awareness.
- Empowers children with emergency response knowledge.
- Balances safety with space for independence and learning.
- Builds terrain assessment skills and ownership of safety setup.
- Teaches self-monitoring and adaptive response to discomfort.
- Reinforces critical observation and appropriate reaction.
- Teaches adaptability and environmental responsibility.
- Improves coordination and awareness of personal space.
- Reinforces rule-following and group safety cooperation.
- Enhances identification skills and natural material safety.
- Encourages engagement and shared responsibility.
- Supports self-management of health and peer support.
- Builds competence in safe water heating and teamwork.
- Develops safe testing techniques and self-awareness.
- Teaches personal responsibility and risk-preventive habits.
- Reinforces critical hygiene and sequencing of tasks.
- Encourages responsive fire management and situational control.
- Reinforces environmental awareness and proactive safety.
- Supports real-world understanding of food safety.
- Promotes independence and practical life skills.
- Encourages shared responsibility for closing down safely.
- Supports gradual mastery and confidence in outdoor cooking.
- Promotes physical control and safe body awareness.
- Empowers children with emergency response knowledge.
- Balances safety with space for independence and learning.
- Builds terrain assessment skills and ownership of safety setup.
- Teaches self-monitoring and adaptive response to discomfort.
- Reinforces critical observation and appropriate reaction.
- Teaches adaptability and environmental responsibility.
- Improves coordination and awareness of personal space.
- Reinforces rule-following and group safety cooperation.
- Enhances identification skills and natural material safety.
- Encourages engagement and shared responsibility.
Hazards and Control Measures
| Hazard | Control Measures |
|---|---|
| Asthma triggered by smoke | Children with asthma are aware of their triggers and sit accordingly. Inhalers are carried or nearby. Smoke direction is monitored and children are supported if affected. |
| Boiling water or kettle scalds | Children are shown how to use a Kelly kettle or pan safely. They wear gloves, pour slowly with two hands, and use a buddy to steady. Kettles are placed low to avoid lifting above others. |
| Burns from hot skewers or sticks | Skewers are placed to cool before eating. Children test temperature with hand or back of wrist and only eat when advised it’s safe. |
| Clothing catching fire | Children wear fire-safe clothing: sleeves rolled up, scarves off, hair tied back. Before cooking, a visual check is done in pairs. |
| Cross contamination | Children use colour-coded boards or plates and separate tools for raw and cooked food. They wash hands between tasks and are guided to avoid touching shared items. |
| Excessive flame height | Children observe how much fuel creates different flame sizes. They add small amounts and adjust based on cooking needs. If flames rise too high, cooking pauses. |
| Fire spreading to surroundings | Fire is contained in a bowl or small pit with a 2m cleared zone. Children are involved in site setup so they understand containment. Buckets of water and blankets are close at hand. |
| Food poisoning | Children are taught to store, prep, and cook food hygienically. Cold food is kept chilled, hands are washed before handling, and a thermometer is used to check safe cooking temps. |
| Hot cooking utensils or pans | Children use gloves or cloths to handle cooking tools. Pots are positioned securely on grills or tripods. They are shown how to test heat and use two hands. Adults to assist when needed or using heavy pans. |
| Hot embers left after cooking | Children are involved in fire dousing: stirring, checking steam, and confirming with an adult before leaving. |
| Inexperience using cooking tools | Tools are introduced one at a time. Children practice with adult supervision and reflect on technique. Skills are built progressively with positive feedback. |
| Kneeling instability while cooking | Children are taught stable kneeling postures and to avoid leaning forward. If working with others, they take turns. Logs or knee pads provide extra support. |
| Lack of first aid for burns | Children know where the first aid kit and burn gel are kept. Staff model first-response procedures so children know what to do if needed. |
| Low adult-to-child supervision | Staff-to-student ratios are maintained at all times, with experienced leaders ensuring close supervision and appropriate support based on the activity and group needs. |
| Sloped or uneven ground | Children help choose a level cooking site and remove rocks or branches. If seated, they check that logs are stable and spaced safely from the fire. |
| Smoke inhalation | Children are encouraged to notice wind shifts and move if smoke drifts toward them. “White rabbit” breathing trick is taught to manage mild smoke exposure. Activity is paused if persistent. |
| Spitting sparks from wood | Children learn to add wood gently, avoiding pitchy or damp sticks. They watch how wood behaves in flames and move away if excessive sparks are seen. |
| Sudden weather change | Children help check the forecast and discuss safe vs. unsafe fire weather. If weather changes, cooking stops and children help safely extinguish and pack away. |
| Tripping around fire | Logs or mats provide stable, evenly spaced seating. Children are taught to walk, not run, and always step out and around the circle. Cooking is done one at a time to reduce crowding. |
| Unsafe entry into fire zone | Fire circle rules are practiced: children enter only when cooking, stay low, and leave immediately after. Observers sit behind the boundary until it's their turn. |
| Using toxic wood types | Children help collect firewood and are shown how to identify safe species. They learn to reject green, wet, or unknown wood types. Only approved sticks are added to the fire. |
| Wandering away from cooking area | Group stays within a defined boundary. Children are given roles (e.g. wood collector, cook, helper) to keep engaged. Regular check-ins ensure all are present. |
| Asthma triggered by smoke | Children with asthma are aware of their triggers and sit accordingly. Inhalers are carried or nearby. Smoke direction is monitored and children are supported if affected. |
| Boiling water or kettle scalds | Children are shown how to use a Kelly kettle or pan safely. They wear gloves, pour slowly with two hands, and use a buddy to steady. Kettles are placed low to avoid lifting above others. |
| Burns from hot skewers or sticks | Skewers are placed to cool before eating. Children test temperature with hand or back of wrist and only eat when advised it’s safe. |
| Clothing catching fire | Children wear fire-safe clothing: sleeves rolled up, scarves off, hair tied back. Before cooking, a visual check is done in pairs. |
| Cross contamination | Children use colour-coded boards or plates and separate tools for raw and cooked food. They wash hands between tasks and are guided to avoid touching shared items. |
| Excessive flame height | Children observe how much fuel creates different flame sizes. They add small amounts and adjust based on cooking needs. If flames rise too high, cooking pauses. |
| Fire spreading to surroundings | Fire is contained in a bowl or small pit with a 2m cleared zone. Children are involved in site setup so they understand containment. Buckets of water and blankets are close at hand. |
| Food poisoning | Children are taught to store, prep, and cook food hygienically. Cold food is kept chilled, hands are washed before handling, and a thermometer is used to check safe cooking temps. |
| Hot cooking utensils or pans | Children use gloves or cloths to handle cooking tools. Pots are positioned securely on grills or tripods. They are shown how to test heat and use two hands. Adults to assist when needed or using heavy pans. |
| Hot embers left after cooking | Children are involved in fire dousing: stirring, checking steam, and confirming with an adult before leaving. |
| Inexperience using cooking tools | Tools are introduced one at a time. Children practice with adult supervision and reflect on technique. Skills are built progressively with positive feedback. |
| Kneeling instability while cooking | Children are taught stable kneeling postures and to avoid leaning forward. If working with others, they take turns. Logs or knee pads provide extra support. |
| Lack of first aid for burns | Children know where the first aid kit and burn gel are kept. Staff model first-response procedures so children know what to do if needed. |
| Low adult-to-child supervision | Staff-to-student ratios are maintained at all times, with experienced leaders ensuring close supervision and appropriate support based on the activity and group needs. |
| Sloped or uneven ground | Children help choose a level cooking site and remove rocks or branches. If seated, they check that logs are stable and spaced safely from the fire. |
| Smoke inhalation | Children are encouraged to notice wind shifts and move if smoke drifts toward them. “White rabbit” breathing trick is taught to manage mild smoke exposure. Activity is paused if persistent. |
| Spitting sparks from wood | Children learn to add wood gently, avoiding pitchy or damp sticks. They watch how wood behaves in flames and move away if excessive sparks are seen. |
| Sudden weather change | Children help check the forecast and discuss safe vs. unsafe fire weather. If weather changes, cooking stops and children help safely extinguish and pack away. |
| Tripping around fire | Logs or mats provide stable, evenly spaced seating. Children are taught to walk, not run, and always step out and around the circle. Cooking is done one at a time to reduce crowding. |
| Unsafe entry into fire zone | Fire circle rules are practiced: children enter only when cooking, stay low, and leave immediately after. Observers sit behind the boundary until it's their turn. |
| Using toxic wood types | Children help collect firewood and are shown how to identify safe species. They learn to reject green, wet, or unknown wood types. Only approved sticks are added to the fire. |
| Wandering away from cooking area | Group stays within a defined boundary. Children are given roles (e.g. wood collector, cook, helper) to keep engaged. Regular check-ins ensure all are present. |
Related Risk Assessment Template Downloads
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- Generic Forest School Site
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- Nature Walk Through Woodland
- Open Fire Cooking
- Shelter Building
FAQ
How do I use this template?
Click “Edit Using Wizard” to customise the assessment for your organization, then download a PDF.
Can I edit the hazards and controls?
Yes, all sections can be adjusted in the wizard before exporting your final document.
