TITLE:
Natural art (including clay)
RA NUMBER:
ASSESSED BY:
Becky Shenton
DATE OF ASSESSMENT:
February 2015
LOCATION:
Panshanger Park
SIGNED (ASSESSOR):
DESCRIPTION OF TASK
Children create art work using natural
materials found in the woodland. Can vary in
scale from small individual sculptures to large
scale ‘art attack’ type artwork. Can also
involve mud and clay sculptures.
APPROVED BY:
DATE
SIGNED (APPROVER)
NEXT ASSESSMENT DUE DATE:
Hazard
Risk
S
L
Sharp / prickly scavenged
materials
Injury from materials
scavenged (Cuts / scratches
from handling sharp/prickly
materials)
2
3
R
(SxL)
6
Poisonous berries, fungi,
plants etc. Stinging /
irritating plants
Ingesting poisonous
materials – sickness or in
rare cases death
5
2
10
Skin irritation from plants
2
4
8
Injuring back from lifting
heavy log
1
3
3
Injury to feet from dropping
log
2
2
4
Moving logs
February 2016
Controls
S
L
Warning not to pick up any litter or sharp materials.
Advise not to use sharp/prickly plants. Advise to
use natural materials only (not animal faeces).
Forest School area checked before visit to remove
any obvious, removable, hazardous material.
Advise adults to supervise.
Advised not to pick any fungi. If applicable, advise
which berries are safe to pick. Warn not to put
anything in mouth. Close adult supervision. Check
area for poisonous plants before activity. Hands
washed before snack time and at end of session.
If the leader is aware of any plants on site that may
cause a severe skin irritation this area will not be
used and the activity changed to an alternative
location. If it is necessary for children to walk past
said plant they will be shown how to identify the
plant and advised not to touch, or collect, it.
Collecting activities will not take place close by to
said plant. Children advised not to collect nettles.
Children will be shown how to identify nettles and
advised not to touch them. Large areas of nettles
will be avoided if possible.
Demonstrate how to roll logs rather than lift. If a
log is heavy tell children to ask a friend or adult for
help. If it is too heavy, don’t attempt to move.
Tell children to roll, not lift, logs. This will eliminate
logs being dropped from height onto feet.
2
2
R
(SxL)
4
5
1
5
2
3
6
1
2
2
2
1
2
Moving long sticks
Clay
Mud - Microbiological
hazards / organisms
Children hitting one another
with long sticks (when
moving them around)
Irritation from contact with
skin or eyes
2
3
6
2
2
4
Staff and participants at risk
of contraction of Diseases
and Ticks: E-Coli, Tetanus,
Lymes, Leptospirosis and
Toxicara
5
2
10
Demonstrate how to drag stick behind them rather
than carry them. Demonstrate how to carry long
sticks using two people. Adult supervision.
Children warned not to rub their eyes when they
are using clay. Adults will watch for any adverse
skin reactions. Medical information contacting
allergy information will be gathered before activities
commence, if necessary activity will be changed.
- Before specific activity involving mud commences
reiterate not to put mud in mouth and to keep
hands away from face.
- Advise participants to cover any cuts.
- Advise no hand to mouth contact (except at snack
break)
- All participants will wash their hands before snack
break, this will be supervised by visiting school
staff.
- all participants will wash their hands before
boarding the minibus on the return journey, this will
be supervised by visiting school staff.
- children will be wearing all in one waterproofs,
therefore covering most exposed areas of skin.
2
2
4
2
1
2
5
1
5
SEVERITY
Rating
Likelihood
Severity
1 in 100000
1
Improbable
Minor injury
1 in 10000
2
Unlikely
1st aid required
Definitions of likelihood
LIKELIHOOD
So unlikely that probability is close
to zero
Unlikely to occur, though
conceivable
1
2
3
4
5
Improbable
1
1
2
3
4
5
Unlikely
2
2
4
6
8
10
Possible
Could occur some time
1 in 1000
3
Possible
3
3
6
9
12
15
Probable
Not surprising, will occur several
times
1 in 100
4
Probable
4
4
8
12
16
20
Likely
Occurs repeatedly, even expected
1 in 10
5
Likely
5
5
10
15
20
25
Overall risk
1-5 Low
Serious, requires hospital
or walk-in centre
Major, severe and lasting
impact
Fatal
6-10 Medium
12-25 High