Practical risk assessment guidance for Scout and outdoor activities, helping leaders identify hazards, assess risks and plan sensible control measures.
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Emergency procedures, leadership, communication, headcounts, search planning, risk assessment A lost-person situation should be treated as an emergency that needs an organised response, not as an excuse for everyone to immediately spread out and search. The first priorities are…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Decision-making, navigation, emergency planning, situational awareness, risk assessment When something goes wrong outdoors, one of the most important decisions is whether to stay where you are or move to somewhere else. Moving may take you towards safety, help, shelter…
Activity Overview Difficulty: AdvancedTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Indoors for planning, followed by a suitable mountain or hill environmentBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Weather awareness, route planning, navigation, risk assessment, decision-making Mountain weather can change quickly, so a good plan considers what the forecast says, how conditions may change with height and exposure, and what you will…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Woodlands, fields, hedgerows and other suitable outdoor areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Observation, plant identification, outdoor awareness, responsible countryside access and risk management Wild plants can be useful and interesting to learn about, but never eat, touch or use an unfamiliar plant simply because…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 15–30 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and outdoor campsBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Observation, campcraft, organisation, hazard awareness and teamwork A camp inspection is a planned check of the campsite, tents, equipment and general organisation. For a Scout camp, inspections help make sure that tents are properly pitched,…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–60 minutes to learn and practiseLocation: Campsites, activity centres and outdoor campsBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders, adult volunteers, campers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Emergency response, communication, first aid awareness, evacuation, hazard management and decision-making Campsite emergency procedures are the agreed actions taken when something happens that could threaten people, equipment…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 20–40 minutesLocation: Scout hut, campsite, outdoors or before an activityBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult volunteersSkills: Planning, adaptability, decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership Contingency planning means deciding what you will do if your original plan can’t happen as expected. A contingency plan isn’t the same as an emergency…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 30–60 minutes to prepare; review regularlyLocation: Scout hut, campsite, outdoor activity area or before an expeditionBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult volunteersSkills: Planning, communication, navigation, leadership, decision-making and emergency response Emergency planning means deciding what you will do if something goes wrong before the activity starts. A useful…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–30 minutesLocation: Scout hut, campsite, woodland, field or activity areaBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult volunteersSkills: Observation, risk awareness, planning, problem-solving and decision-making Quick Answer Hazard identification is the process of looking for things that could cause harm before an activity starts. A hazard could be something obvious,…
Risk assessment is an important part of planning safe Scout and outdoor activities. For leaders, it doesn’t need to be a complicated paperwork exercise. A useful risk assessment is simply a structured way of thinking about what could go wrong, who could be affected, what controls are already in place and whether anything else needs…
