Some clubs have sought advice on whether walk leaders should carry out and record formal risk assessments in advance of club walks. We are all aware of the potential hazards associated with hill walking, but it is also true that there are hazards associated with walking on cliff paths, forests, roads or near open water. The bottom line is that walking just about anywhere in the countryside can be hazardous if sensible precautions are not taken.
There is not one standard approach to risk assessments amongst our clubs. That is not surprising given the diversity of UFRC membership and the fact that some of our clubs engage in walks that are clearly more challenging than others.
The Executive Committee has considered this and concluded that we did not want to dictate to clubs what they should do regarding assessing risk. That said, we strongly recommend that walk leaders carry out a recce of the walk before the club walk takes place – unless the route is already well known to the leader. Among other things, this enables the leader to assess what hazards the group might encounter on the day and what precautions would be appropriate. It is a matter for clubs to decide whether this recce should involve a formal written assessment. It will depend in part on the nature of the walk and the skills and experience of those taking part.
We would recommend that clubs have a discussion on this subject to ensure that their members (and walk leaders) are content with current practices.
Risk assessments vary enormously in their degree of complexity. As a guide we are attaching below two examples which, although quite different, serve the same purpose. One is based on a form used by one of our clubs and the second is that which was used by walk leaders for the Walking in Your Community programme. There are many other examples to be found on the internet. If a club decides to carry out formal risk assessments for all or some of its walks, it should be able to produce a template based on one or a combination of these examples.
Should clubs wish to discuss this matter with any of the Committee members then feel free to contact us.
Example One
Example Two
