Author: The Exult Team
Writing a Risk Management Plan can sound like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be.
A Risk Management Plan is simply the process of identifying potential risks and putting in place measures to reduce or remove them altogether. When preparing your Risk Management Plan, make sure you:
- Clearly define the event, project, programme or location the risk assessment and management plan refers to.
- Refer to any previous risk assessments that were carried out for your specific project and note how successful the management plans have worked in the past.
- Identify existing physical risks such as stairs, waterways, electric fences, animals, cliff faces or uneven terrain.
- Identify potential hazards that could result due to weather, emergency or natural disaster. For example, what happens to a particular surface when it rains? How would emergency vehicles get access if there was a fire or accident? Are items secure in case of an earthquake?
- Identify potential hazards that could result due to the extra needs of people attending your programme or event. For example, will there be people with disabilities present or large numbers of children? Will there be a large crowd of people who could potentially need crowd control?
- List the ways that you will remove or minimise any of the identified risks. For example, will you put up warning signs? Will you put up temporary fences? Will you provide a safety briefing to participants before the event?
- Note where your first aid kit / facilities are located and what is available.
- Have an emergency plan in place for worst case scenarios such as fire, medical emergencies, natural disasters or threatening behaviour.
- Consider how you will provide your event or programme team with suitable training so that they can manage any health and safety issues that occur. Be clear about who has the authority to make decisions or take specific actions.
- Note how your staff and volunteers will be identified at the programme or event, so that they can adequately assist in any emergencies.
- Note how your staff and volunteers will be able to contact you (or the event / programme manager) in the case of an emergency.
