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Identifying Safety Hazards

Other • Year 11 • 60 • 5 students • Created with AI following Aligned with National Curriculum for England

Other
1Year 11
60
5 students
25 February 2025

Teaching Instructions

This is lesson 3 of 4 in the unit "Active Play Design Challenge". Lesson Title: Identifying and Addressing Safety Hazards Lesson Description: In this lesson, students will learn to identify potential safety hazards associated with their designed activities. They will work in groups to discuss and list hazards such as tripping, falling, and collisions. Each group will present their findings and propose practical solutions to mitigate these risks, ensuring a safe play environment for young children.

Identifying Safety Hazards

Lesson Overview

Unit: Active Play Design Challenge
Lesson Number: 3 of 4
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 5 students
Age Group: Year 11
Curriculum Area: Design and Technology (D&T) – Health and Safety in Designing for Others
UK Education Level: Key Stage 4 (KS4)

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:
✅ Identify potential safety hazards in their designed play activities.
✅ Assess risks associated with hazards (e.g., trips, falls, and collisions).
✅ Develop and propose practical solutions to mitigate risks.
✅ Present findings clearly and justify safety decisions.

Lesson Structure

Starter Activity (10 mins) – Safety Brainstorm

  • Begin with a short class discussion: "What makes an activity safe or unsafe for young children?"
  • Write responses on a shared board or flipchart.
  • Use real-world examples: parks, playgrounds, and school PE lessons. Encourage students to consider:
    • Surfaces (e.g., concrete vs soft mats).
    • Equipment structure and stability.
    • Supervision and rule-setting.

Main Activity (30 mins) – Hazard Identification and Solutions

Step 1: Identifying Hazards (15 mins)

  • Assign each group a section of their active play design to analyse.
  • Groups list all potential hazards related to movement (running, jumping, climbing).
  • Encourage deeper thinking: Is weather a factor? What about equipment wear and tear?

Step 2: Risk Assessment (5 mins)

  • Introduce the concept of a risk matrix (Likelihood vs Severity).
  • Students rank each hazard:
    • Low, medium, or high risk?
    • What’s the worst-case scenario?

Step 3: Mitigation Strategies (10 mins)

  • Groups brainstorm and propose realistic solutions:
    • Surface adjustments (e.g., adding safety mats).
    • Structural modifications (e.g., reducing height of equipment).
    • Supervision and signage (e.g., warning signs for steep inclines).

Presentation & Peer Review (15 mins)

  • Each group presents their findings and solutions.
  • Class discussion: Are the proposed solutions practical? Cost-effective? Sustainable?
  • Encourage constructive feedback with a focus on improvement.

Plenary (5 mins) – Reflect & Refine

  • Exit question: "What is the most overlooked safety risk in playgrounds?"
  • Quick roundtable reflection: How will today’s lesson impact your final active play design?

Resources & Materials

📝 Risk assessment templates
📋 Flipchart or interactive board
🎨 Coloured markers to categorise risks

Assessment & Differentiation

  • Formative Assessment: Observation of group discussions and risk analyses.
  • Self-Assessment: Each student writes one improvement they would make to their play design.
  • Differentiation:
    • Support students with structured prompts (e.g., “What happens if a child falls? How can we reduce injury risk?”).
    • Challenge high achievers to think about long-term maintenance and cost vs benefit analysis.

Extension Task

For students who complete tasks early, ask:
"How would safety regulations differ if designing for toddlers vs primary-aged children?" Encourage comparisons with real-life safety standards such as BS EN 1176 (Playground Equipment Safety Standards).

Teacher Reflection Post-Lesson

  • Did students engage deeply with risk assessment concepts?
  • Were proposed mitigations practical and realistic?
  • How can findings from today’s lesson inform the final Active Play Design Challenge?

⚡ Thought-Provoking Idea for Next Lesson:
"What legal responsibilities do designers have when creating public play spaces?"

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