Facilitator Script for Risk Radar Session

Use this script to guide participants through each segment of the one-hour session. Speak in a conversational tone, pause for participant responses, and reference linked materials as needed.

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

“Good afternoon, everyone! Let’s get started with a quick warm-up. You should have the Warm-Up Activity Guide for Risk Radar in front of you. I’d like you to think about a recent moment at your school where you noticed something that could pose a risk—big or small. Take 60 seconds to jot that down.

Now, turn to a partner and share your scenario. As you listen, focus on identifying the hazard and any control measures that might have been in place. I’ll give you two minutes for this conversation. Go!”

“Thank you! Who would like to share one observation they discussed? (Allow 2–3 volunteers.) Great examples—notice how each scenario highlights different types of risk.”

2. Introduction & Objectives (5 minutes)

“Next, let’s review our session goals. Please look at slide 2 in the Risk Evaluation Slide Deck. We aim to:

• Systematically identify and assess hazards in our school settings
• Apply best practices and tools for ranking risk levels
• Design targeted mitigation strategies and plan tangible next steps

By the end of this hour, you’ll leave with practical tools and methods to apply immediately in your own context. Any quick questions before we dive in? (Pause for questions.) Excellent—let’s move on.”

3. Best Practices Discussion (5 minutes)

“Before the session, you read the Risk Evaluation Best Practices Reading. I’d like us to capture the highlights together. On slide 4, you’ll see four bullet points. Which practice resonated most with you, and why? Call out a takeaway—and then we’ll jot it on our shared board.”

(Invite 3–4 responses, writing them visibly.)

“Fantastic—these insights will guide us as we work through scenarios and activities.”

4. Video Showcase (10 minutes)

“Now we’ll watch two brief clips from the Video Examples Compilation. For the first clip, note observable hazards in the hallway scenario. Clip 1 is about 90 seconds—let’s play.”

(Play Clip 1, pause at 1:15.)

“Quick pair share: What hazards did you notice? How were they mitigated, if at all? You have two minutes.”

“Let’s hear 2–3 observations.” (Facilitate responses.)

“Great—now we’ll watch Clip 2. As you watch, think about any additional controls you might recommend.”

(Play Clip 2.)

“Okay, full group: What extra steps would you add? (Pause for answers.) Good suggestions!”

5. Interactive Risk Assessment Game (15 minutes)

“Time for some hands-on practice. Please form teams of three or four. Each team has a deck from the Interactive Risk Assessment Game and props from the Risk Mitigation Activity Kit.

Here’s what to do:

1. Draw a scenario card and read it aloud.
2. Identify and list all hazards you observe.
3. Assign a risk level—low, medium, or high—for each hazard.
4. Brainstorm one mitigation strategy per hazard.

You have 12 minutes. I’ll give you a three-minute warning.”

“(At 9 minutes) Teams, wrap up your final hazard and risk rating.”

“Alright, teams—pick one top finding to share. Who’s first?” (Facilitate 3–4 shares.)

“Excellent work. Notice how risk levels guide your mitigation ideas.”

6. Worksheet Activity (10 minutes)

“Let’s apply this to your own school. Here’s the Risk Radar Worksheet. Choose a real-life scenario and complete Sections 1–3: likelihood, severity, and current controls.

If you’d like to check your ratings, the Answer Key for Risk Radar Worksheet is available. Work individually for the next eight minutes.”

“Two minutes left—finish up your ratings.”

“Time’s up. Pat yourselves on the back—you’ve practiced systematic risk mapping.”

7. Project Introduction & Rubric (5 minutes)

“To keep momentum, we’re launching an ongoing risk project. Open slide 9 in the deck to see the Risk Project Template. Over the next two weeks, you’ll:

• Document a comprehensive risk assessment at your school
• Propose mitigation strategies and an implementation timeline

On slide 10, you’ll find the Assessment Rubric for Risk Radar. Let’s review the criteria quickly. (Highlight three key rubric items.)

This sets clear expectations for your next steps.”

8. Cool-Down Reflection & Next Steps (5 minutes)

“Finally, let’s reflect. Please use the Cool-Down Reflection Guide for Risk Radar. Write one thing you’ll implement immediately and one question that remains.

(Allow two minutes.)

“Who’d like to share their ‘implement now’ item? (Take 2 responses.)

“Great ideas. To wrap up, please complete the brief Risk Radar Quiz as a post-session check. If you want deeper practice, the optional Risk Radar Test is available.

Thank you for your active participation. Feel free to reach out with any questions or to share your project drafts!”

For additional resources, revisit the “Resources & Further Reading” slide or contact the Professional Learning Team. Good luck applying your Risk Radar tools!

Risk Radar Worksheet

Use this worksheet to map a real‐life scenario in your school, identify hazards, rate risks, and plan mitigation strategies.

Refer to the Answer Key for Risk Radar Worksheet after completing your work for self‐check.

1. Scenario Description

Briefly describe the situation or location you will analyze. Include details such as time of day, people involved, and any relevant context.

2. Hazard Identification

List at least three distinct hazards you observed in this scenario. For each, provide a short description.

1. Hazard 1:
   
   Description:

1. Hazard 2:
   
   Description:

1. Hazard 3:
   
   Description:

3. Risk Rating

For each hazard above, assign a Likelihood (Low / Medium / High) and Severity (Low / Medium / High).

1. Hazard 1:

• Likelihood: ____________ Severity: ____________

1. Hazard 2:

• Likelihood: ____________ Severity: ____________

1. Hazard 3:

• Likelihood: ____________ Severity: ____________

4. Current Controls / Existing Mitigation

Describe any measures already in place to reduce each hazard’s risk.

• Hazard 1 controls:

• Hazard 2 controls:

• Hazard 3 controls:

5. Proposed Mitigation Strategies

For each hazard, propose at least one new or improved mitigation strategy. Explain how it addresses the risk.

• Hazard 1 strategy:

• Hazard 2 strategy:

• Hazard 3 strategy:

6. Reflection & Next Steps

1. What is one immediate action you will implement based on this analysis?

1. What challenges do you anticipate when applying these strategies?

1. What additional support or resources will you seek?

When you’ve finished, compare your responses with the Answer Key for Risk Radar Worksheet and prepare to discuss your findings in the next session.

You may also begin drafting a more detailed plan in the Risk Project Template.

Answer Key for Risk Radar Worksheet

This answer key provides a sample response with explanations to guide grading and discussion. Participants’ actual scenarios may vary; evaluate based on the same reasoning steps.

1. Sample Scenario Description

Example Scenario:

“A rainy afternoon at the school cafeteria entrance. Students exit carrying trays, water from the drink station has pooled on the tiled floor, and a delivery cart is parked nearby. There is one staff member supervising, but no warning signage is present.”

Thought Process:

• Identify time, location, people, and conditions.
• Note environmental factors (rain, pooled water) and human factors (students with trays, delivery cart).

2. Hazard Identification

1. Hazard: Slippery floor by drink station
   • Description: Pooled water causes a slip risk when students walk from the drink station to the cafeteria.
2. Hazard: Obstructed pathway near delivery cart
   • Description: Delivery cart parked in main walkway reduces clear space, increasing trip or collision risk.
3. Hazard: Wet footprints tracked into hallway
   • Description: Students carry water onto hallway tiles, extending slippery zones beyond the cafeteria.

Thought Process:

• List distinct hazards covering immediate (slip), secondary (trip/collision), and spill-over effects (tracked water).

3. Risk Rating

Thought Process:

• Likelihood: Based on how often the hazard occurs (e.g., daily spills → High).
• Severity: Based on potential injury (e.g., slips in busy hall → Medium).
• Use objective scale consistently across hazards.

4. Current Controls / Existing Mitigation

1. Slippery floor:
   • Staff wipe visible spills periodically but no formal schedule.
   • Floor mats in front of drink station.
2. Delivery cart obstruction:
   • Staff request delivery outside of peak lunch times.
3. Wet footprints:
   • Floor decals reminding students to watch their step.

Thought Process:

• Identify formal and informal measures already in place.
• Note frequency, coverage, and enforceability of each control.

5. Proposed Mitigation Strategies

1. Slippery floor strategy:
   • Implement a 5-minute check every 15 minutes during lunch to dry spills.
   • Add absorbent, non-slip mats directly under the drink station.
   • How it addresses risk: Reduces water accumulation (likelihood↓) and improves traction (severity↓).
2. Delivery cart strategy:
   • Designate a marked “loading zone” away from main pedestrian route.
   • Communicate delivery schedule to custodial staff to ensure prompt cart removal.
   • How it addresses risk: Clears walkway consistently (likelihood↓), prevents collisions (severity↓).
3. Wet footprints strategy:
   • Place absorbent carpet runners leading from cafeteria to hallway.
   • Assign a student safety monitor to prompt peers to use mats.
   • How it addresses risk: Captures moisture before students travel (likelihood↓), maintains dry floor (severity↓).

Thought Process:

• Each strategy targets either reducing the chance of occurrence or lowering injury severity.
• Include human and environmental controls for sustainability.

6. Reflection & Next Steps

1. Immediate action:
   • Place additional non-slip mats under the drink station by end of day.
2. Anticipated challenges:
   • Ensuring staff follow the new spill-check schedule.
   • Securing funding for extra mats and runners.
3. Additional support/resources:
   • Request maintenance department assistance for mat installation.
   • Consult the school safety committee for budget approval.

Thought Process:

• Reflection items should be specific, actionable, and realistic.
• Anticipating challenges shows understanding of implementation barriers.
• Identifying resources connects analysis to broader school systems.

Risk Evaluation Best Practices

Effective risk evaluation in school settings relies on a systematic, data-informed approach that engages stakeholders and drives continuous improvement. The following best practices offer a practical framework for identifying, assessing, and mitigating hazards in your learning environment.

1. Engage Multiple Stakeholders

• Involve teachers, administrators, custodial staff, students, and families to capture diverse perspectives on potential hazards.
• Schedule regular “safety huddles” or walkthroughs with cross-functional teams to ensure no blind spots.

2. Use Data to Prioritize Risks

• Collect quantitative data (incident reports, near-miss logs, facility inspections) and qualitative input (surveys, interviews, focus groups).
• Rank hazards objectively by combining Likelihood and Severity scores. This structured scoring helps allocate resources to the highest-priority risks first.

3. Implement Scalable Mitigation Strategies

• Aim for layered controls: eliminate hazards when possible, apply engineering solutions (e.g., non-slip flooring), and reinforce administrative measures (e.g., supervision schedules).
• Pilot new controls in one area before scaling across the campus; refine based on observed outcomes.

4. Document and Communicate Plans

• Maintain a centralized risk register that records hazard descriptions, ratings, controls in place, and action plans with assigned owners and deadlines.
• Share updates regularly during staff meetings and via digital dashboards so everyone stays informed and accountable.

5. Monitor, Review, and Revise

• Establish a recurring review cycle—monthly or quarterly—to track the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
• Adapt plans based on new data: if incidents persist, revisit risk ratings, consult stakeholders, and adjust controls accordingly.

6. Leverage Technology and Training

• Utilize digital tools (mobile inspection apps, automated alerts) to streamline risk reporting and data analysis.
• Provide ongoing professional learning—including video scenarios and hands-on simulations—to build staff confidence in using assessment tools.
 
 
By embedding these practices into your school’s culture, you create a dynamic “Risk Radar” that continually scans for emerging hazards, responds swiftly to incidents, and ensures a safer learning environment for all.

Discussion Prompts

After the Best Practices Reading

1. Which of the six best practices from the Risk Evaluation Best Practices Reading resonated most with you, and why?
2. What obstacles might you face when trying to engage multiple stakeholders in your school’s risk‐evaluation process? How could you overcome them?
3. How could you use quantitative and qualitative data in your context to prioritize one high‐impact risk today?

After Watching the Video Examples

1. In the first clip from the Video Examples Compilation, what hazards were most obvious—and which were more subtle?
2. Which existing controls did you notice in the scenario? Were they effective? What additional mitigation strategy would you recommend?
3. How did human factors (supervision, behavior, signage) influence the risk levels you observed?

Applying to Your Practice

1. Reflecting on the sample strategies in the Answer Key for Risk Radar Worksheet, how would you adapt one mitigation approach to fit your school’s resources and culture?
2. What is one concrete action you can implement immediately (this week) based on today’s session—and who will you enlist to support it?
3. How will you measure the success of your chosen mitigation strategy over the next month?

Risk Mitigation Activity Kit

Use this kit during the Interactive Risk Assessment Game to help teams identify hazards, assign risk levels, and brainstorm mitigation strategies. Each team should have:

• Hazard Scenario Cards (12 cards)

• Each card describes a brief school scenario (e.g., wet hallway, crowded locker area).

• Hazard Icons & Token Set

• Small icons representing common hazards (slip/trip, collision, fire, chemical).
• Likelihood tokens: Green (Low), Yellow (Medium), Red (High).
• Severity tokens: Green (Low), Yellow (Medium), Red (High).

• Mitigation Strategy Cards (24 cards)

• Cards featuring sample control measures (engineering, administrative, PPE, signage).
• Blank cards for custom strategies.

• Risk Level Mats (1 per team)

• A foldable mat with a 3×3 grid labeled with Likelihood on one axis and Severity on the other.

• Team Clipboards & Worksheets

• Clipboards and copies of the Risk Radar Worksheet for note-taking and mapping.

• Markers & Stickers

• Dry-erase markers for mats (if laminated) or regular markers for paper.
• Colored dot stickers for tagging top hazards.

• Timer or Stopwatch

• To keep each phase on track (draw, identify hazards, assign ratings, propose strategies).

• Facilitator Cue Cards

• Step-by-step instructions for each game phase:
  1. Draw a Hazard Scenario Card.
  2. List all hazards and place corresponding Hazard Icons on the Risk Level Mat.
  3. Use Likelihood and Severity tokens to rate each hazard.
  4. Select or write a Mitigation Strategy Card for each hazard.
  5. Choose one top finding and place a sticker to present to the group.

• Optional Props

• Mini cones or floor tape to simulate blocked pathways.
• Sample signage templates for “Caution” or “Wet Floor.”

With this kit, teams can physically manipulate tokens and cards to make risk evaluation engaging and concrete. Adjust quantities as needed based on group size.

Risk Project Template

Use this template to plan and document your comprehensive school‐based risk assessment project. Refer to the Assessment Rubric for Risk Radar for criteria and scoring.

Project Title

Provide a concise title for your risk assessment project.

School Context & Project Overview

1. School/Location:
   
   _______________________________________________

1. Description of Area or Scenario:
   
   (e.g., main cafeteria entrance during lunch service)

1. Project Objectives:

• Identify and prioritize key hazards in this area
• Develop targeted mitigation strategies
• Create an implementation and monitoring plan

1. Hazard Identification

List each hazard you will analyze (minimum three). For each, give a brief description.

2. Risk Rating & Controls

For each hazard above, assign Likelihood and Severity, note existing controls, and propose new mitigation.

3. Action Plan & Timeline

Detail steps to implement each mitigation strategy. Assign responsibilities and target dates.

4. Monitoring & Evaluation

1. Success Metrics:
   • (e.g., reduction in slip‐and‐fall incidents by 50%)

1. Monitoring Schedule:
   • (e.g., weekly walkthroughs, monthly incident log review)

1. Data Collection Methods:
   • (e.g., digital inspection app, incident report analysis, surveys)

5. Reflection & Next Steps

1. Key Learnings: What insights emerged from your analysis?

1. Anticipated Challenges:

1. Additional Support / Resources Needed:

Once your project plan is complete, review the Assessment Rubric for Risk Radar to ensure you meet all criteria. Prepare to share your findings, action plan, and reflections in the follow-up session.

Assessment Rubric for Risk Radar

Use this rubric to evaluate the Risk Radar project. Each criterion is scored on a scale of 1–4, with 4 representing exemplary performance and 1 indicating beginning-level work.

Warm-Up Activity Guide for Risk Radar

This warm-up is designed to activate participants’ prior experiences with school safety and set the stage for risk evaluation.

1. Individual Reflection (60 seconds)

• Think of a recent moment at your school where you noticed something that could pose a risk—big or small.
• Consider location, time of day, people involved, and what made it risky.

Describe your scenario below:

2. Partner Share (2 minutes)

• Turn to a partner and briefly describe your scenario.
• As you listen, focus on two things:

1. What was the primary hazard?
2. Were any controls or mitigation measures already in place?

Take notes on your partner’s scenario:

3. Whole-Group Debrief (2 minutes)

• Invite 2–3 volunteers to describe one scenario and hazard they discussed.
• For each, ask the group:

• How might you rate the likelihood and severity of this hazard?
• What immediate control or mitigation could be applied?

Capture key observations on a shared board or screen before moving into the session’s objectives.

Cool-Down Reflection Guide for Risk Radar

Use this guide to consolidate your learning, plan immediate actions, and identify remaining questions.

1. Individual Reflection (2 minutes)

1. What is one specific action you will implement immediately in your school?

1. What question or concern remains about applying Risk Radar tools?

1. Who will you enlist to support or advise you on this action?

2. Partner Share (1 minute)

• Turn to a neighbor and briefly share your immediate action and remaining question.
• Listen for one suggestion or resource your partner offers.

Notes from partner:

3. Whole-Group Debrief (2 minutes)

• Invite 2–3 volunteers to share their planned action and any insights gained from partner feedback.
• Capture any additional resources or next steps on a shared board.

Thank you for reflecting—these steps will drive real change in your risk evaluation practice!