‘Suitable and sufficient’ risk assessments are an explicit requirement of ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations,’ and D&T department risk assessments therefore should be in place to facilitate both a safe place of work and safe systems of work.The health and safety of all learners and colleagues using D&T workshops and studios must be of prime concern to employers, governors, headteachers and design and technology colleagues. It is well recognised that the design and technology environment is potentially one of the most dangerous within a learner’s experience and as such colleagues must give particular attention to aspects of learners’ wellbeing. The aim must be to provide a safe and healthy environment for all and to promote correct attitudes and behaviour towards safety.All colleagues working in the D&T department therefore should be involved in undertaking risk assessments of the activities that take place in D&T. These can be divided into: firstly, risk assessments of the teaching, preparation and storage environments used by colleagues and learners, to create a safe place of work, and secondly, risk assessments of the activities undertaken by colleagues and learners, to create safe systems of work.Sections 11 and 12 of the D&TA publication ‘Risk Assessment in Secondary Schools and Colleges Design and Technology Teaching Environments’, available in the D&T resource shop, set out procedures for undertaking risk assessments to facilitate the provision of both a safe place of work and safe systems of work.A risk assessment is needed for any activity in which there is a significant hazard, whether carried out by learners or colleagues. The use of ‘model’ risk assessments is described in the Introduction of this publication. A ‘model’ risk assessment is a generic assessment made for a number of work places where similar activities are undertaken, however simply possessing published texts does not meet the various regulations which call for risk assessments to be made. They are starting points that D&T colleagues need to adapt to suit the circumstances in which the activities in that department are being undertaken. Departments can use the form provided in this publication as a template to facilitate this process.The D&T Association recommends that D&T departments should undertake risk assessments to provide safe systems of work by:Discussing/clarifying with the employer, the risk assessment procedure that should be followed. 2. Adopting ‘model’ risk assessments for each activity being undertaken within the department from BS4163:2021 Health and safety for design and technology in educational and similar establishments Code of practice and the CLEAPSS Model Risk Assessments for D&T.Adapting these as necessary to suit local circumstances.Cross-referencing completed risk assessments into medium/short term plans/SoW/lesson plans, as appropriate, to highlight the most significant hazards involved in the activities taking place.Preparing new risk assessments, where a ‘model’ Risk Assessment for an activity cannot be found, using existing related ‘model’ risk assessments for guidance wherever possible.All activities which have the potential to cause harm require risk assessments, and significant findings must be documented. Risk assessments will be mainly involved with all those activities contained within the scheme of work. However, risk assessments must also be completed to cover activities such as those undertaken by technicians within preparation areas and by learners during extra-curricular activities organised by the department.As a general guide, it is recommended that separate risk assessments should be undertaken for all of those activities that are being undertaken within a department which are detailed within BS4163:2021 Health and safety for design and technology in educational and similar establishments - Code of practice, in order to demonstrate that the department has considered the specific hazards and control measures that need be in place in order to safely undertake each activity.Who then should undertake the process of adapting and adopting the ‘model’ risk assessments? Best advice is that they should be undertaken by experienced colleagues who are familiar with the activities within each of the specialist areas. Schools have found it beneficial to get colleagues to work in pairs when undertaking this task.