schools information

at a glance risk assessment for school/party visits 2008

introduction


Thank you for your interest in visiting the park and enquiring about a risk assessment. This page is a brief look at health and safety assessments in and around the Park.

There is an in depth risk assessment available for you to examine at the park. It is advisable for you to do your own risk assessment. Two teachers from your school are entitled to a preliminary visit free of charge to do this.

All figures and assessments are based on the children being supervised at all times by an appropriate adult. (Although we like to think that if the children are sensible, stick to the various paths and walkways and stay the correct side of the fences and barriers they should be safe).

Areas of the park

There are 7 main areas to the park

  1. The animal enclosures
  2. The walk through aviary
  3. The playground
  4. The self drive-on vehicles
  5. The Tropical Gardens and animal handling
  6. The birds of prey enclosures and bird handling
  7. The flying arena
     
  1. The animal enclosures are mainly 1/1 a few are 1/3 these being the Buffalo, the Raccoons and the Possums. Each enclosure is seperately marked and numbered.
  2. The walk through aviary is 1/1
  3. The playground assessments are based on the fact that the equipment is used in the correct manner and the children are supervised by an appropriate adult.

    The adventure trail, aerial slide, small children's play equipment and springing birds are 2/2. The fort is 2/3.

Please remember also that there are numerous vehicles coming and going on the roadway and in the car parks. I hope this information is of some help to your safe and pleasant visit to the park.

how we grade possible risks


The system used at the park is graded as follows as an example 1/1 or 1/2 or 2/2.

The first figure represents the LIKELIHOOD OF HARM:

  1. UNLIKELY
  2. POSSIBLY
  3. CERTAIN

The second figure represents the SEVERITY OF HARM

  1. MINOR (scrapes and abrasions)
  2. MODERATE (shallow bites, cuts, bruising)
  3. MAJOR (deep bites, contusions, broken bones, loss of digits)
  1. The self drive-on vehicles assessments are based on the fact that the equipment is used in the correct manner and the children are supervised by an appropriate adult. They are graded 2/2.
  2. The Tropical Gardens is marked as 2/2. There are several shallow pools which are open without barriers and could pose a hazard to small or young children.
    There are certain areas of uneven walkways which could be hazardous.
    Animal Handling (spiders, and insects) is strictly supervised by trained staff and is marked 1/1.
  3. The Birds of Prey enclosures are marked 1/1 as the birds are at least a metre away from the public behind fencing with the exception of the Burrowing Owls which are marked 1/2.
    Bird handling is on to one supervised by trained staff and marked as 1/2.
  4. The flying arena audience is given a verbal warning at the beginning of the display to keep as still and quiet as possible, not to eat or drink, or wave about cuddly toys during the display. All these actions could put the birds off their intended training.

    There are two members of staff who conduct the display with very well trained birds this is marked as 1/1.