Risk Assessments

Scroll down for links to individual risk assessments.

Wardens are responsible for the health and safety of volunteers and visitors attending events organized by the Forum on our sites. To aid them in this task the Forum provides generic risk assessments and safety plans. Wardens should use generic risk assessments as a basis on which to generate specific risk assessments and safety plans for individual sites and specific dates. Wardens are then responsible for making sure that volunteers and visitors are aware of the risks and the practices to be observed to minimize these. However, this task should not be timeconsuming given that:

  • Any site-specific modification of the risk assessments and safety plans is likely to be valid for a maintained period. Wardens should simply note that the completed risk assessment and safety plan is valid until further notice. However, they should regularly review the risk assessment and safety plan to confirm to themselves that no change is necessary.
  • Most volunteers are known to our wardens and return to workdays repeatedly. Wardens need only once confirm that volunteers are familiar with, and follow, the protocols laid out in the risk assessments and safety plans. However, they should keep an eye on volunteers to confirm that they are continuing to observe good practise, and instruct volunteers in safe practise when beginning a task to them.
1. General safety on site for conservation activities

2. Use of volunteers aged 16-17 years

3. Children aged under 16 years at working parties

4. Collecting and returning tools to store at Stanmore Common

5. Tree felling and scrub cutting (not including power tools)

6. Pollarding (not using power tools)

7. Use of ladders

8. Tree climbing

9. Use of strimmers

10. Use of D R Trimmers and other enclosed trimming systems

11. Use of battery powered brush cutters

12. Use of petrol driven hedge trimmers

13. Use of battery hedge trimmers

14. Tree and other planting

15. Hedgelaying

16. Fencing

17. Construction of footpath furniture

18. Footpath drainage

19. Clearance of ponds, rivers and streams

20. Work in grassland and heathland

21. Fires on site

22. Safety with wild animals and livestock

23. Guided walks

24. Manning stands at shows

25. Pond dipping with children

26 Use of the Old Dairy at Wood Farm

27. Outdoor workshops for children

28. Litter clearance

29. Use of weed slashers

30. Removing saplings with tree poppers and garden forks

31. Pruning scrub, including prickly bushes, using secateurs and loppers

32. Sapling and bush felling

33. Digging up bramble plants

34. Building leaky dams in shallow streams

35. Use of the BCS Two Wheel Tractor (2WT)

36. Use of the Einhell compressor and air hose

37. Riverfly monitoring

38. Chainsaw use