Home › Work Experience Placement Risk Assessment
Work Experience Placement Risk Assessment — Generated Instantly for £29
Hosting a school-age student on work experience? Describe your workplace and the tasks involved, and we generate a fully written young person risk assessment covering supervision, restricted tasks and consent — ready for the school and parents.
Used by small businesses, charities, schools and employers hosting work experience students across the UK
🎒 Hosting a student under 16? Mention their age and the tasks you have in mind — we'll flag any restricted activities and build in the extra supervision these specific duties require.
Legal requirements for work experience placements
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 set out the core legal duties. Regulation 3(1) requires every employer to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of risks to employees and to anyone else affected by the work, which includes work experience students. Regulation 19 goes further, placing a specific duty on employers to protect young persons from risks arising from their lack of experience, absence of awareness of existing or potential risks, and immaturity.
Because most work experience students are of compulsory school age, additional restrictions apply under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and related byelaws, which prohibit certain types of work altogether for under-16s. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 also places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all persons on the premises, including temporary placements.
Schools arranging placements typically require a written risk assessment before confirming a placement, and will often ask for evidence of appropriate supervision arrangements, restricted task lists, and employers' liability insurance cover. A clear, written document speeds up this approval process considerably.
How it works
1. Describe the placement
Tell us the student's age, how many days they'll be with you, the workplace environment, and the tasks you plan to involve them in. Mention any machinery, chemicals or vehicles on site so restricted tasks can be identified.
2. Let the app take the strain
Anyrisks produces a fully written young person risk assessment referencing the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, with supervision levels and restricted tasks built in.
3. Instant download and use
Download as PDF and Word. Send it to the school and parents for approval, or keep it on file as evidence of your duty of care. £29, no subscription.
What it covers
Every work experience risk assessment is written in full, covering the specific duties owed to young persons on placement.
Regulation 19 young person risk assessment under MHSWR 1999
Identification of tasks restricted or prohibited for under-16s
Induction and site familiarisation requirements
Named supervisor and supervision levels by task and location
Manual handling limits appropriate to age and physical capability
Restrictions on machinery, power tools and vehicle use
COSHH exposure limits for chemicals and hazardous substances
Fire safety and emergency evacuation briefing for the student
Lone working prohibition and controlled break arrangements
Parental consent and school placement agreement references
Employers' liability insurance confirmation for under-18s
First aid arrangements and accident reporting procedures
Works for
From offices to workshops, Anyrisks covers work experience placements across every type of host workplace.
What customers say
"We host two or three work experience students a year and the school always wants a risk assessment first. Anyrisks had one ready the same afternoon, covering exactly what our students would and wouldn't be doing in the workshop."
Dave Ferris
Workshop owner, Leeds
"As a small veterinary practice we needed to show the parents we'd thought about supervision properly, given the animals and medical equipment involved. The assessment covered everything the school asked for."
Priya Chandra
Practice manager, Bristol
"Our salon takes on a Year 10 student every summer. It flagged that she shouldn't be using chemical treatments unsupervised, which we hadn't thought to write down before but made total sense."
Louise Marchant
Salon owner, Cardiff
Anyrisks vs DIY templates
| Anyrisks | DIY / Templates | |
|---|---|---|
| Written in full — not a blank form | ✓ | ✗ |
| Regulation 19 young person duties referenced | ✓ | ✗ |
| Restricted and prohibited tasks identified | ✓ | ✗ |
| Supervision levels tailored to age and site | ✓ | ✗ |
| Suitable for sending to schools for approval | ✓ | Sometimes |
| Insurance and consent considerations included | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ready in under 2 minutes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Instant PDF and Word download | ✓ | Sometimes |
Frequently asked questions
Do we legally need a risk assessment for work experience students?
Yes. Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires every employer to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and Regulation 19 specifically requires employers to assess risks to young persons before they start work experience, taking into account their inexperience, lack of awareness of risk, and immaturity.
What counts as a young person under health and safety law?
A young person is anyone under 18. Work experience students are typically aged 14-16 and still of compulsory school age, which brings additional restrictions under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and local authority byelaws, on top of the general young person duties in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Are there tasks a work experience student cannot do?
Yes. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, young persons must not be exposed to risks they cannot properly recognise due to lack of experience, including exposure to harmful chemicals, extreme heat or cold, high noise levels, radiation, or work that significantly exceeds their physical or psychological capacity. Common restricted tasks include operating dangerous machinery, working at height, driving vehicles or forklifts, lone working in isolated areas, and handling hazardous substances.
Do we need to tell our insurer about the placement?
Yes. You should notify your employers' liability insurance provider before hosting a work experience student, as some policies have conditions or exclusions relating to under-18s. Most insurers will confirm cover in writing once informed, which you can keep alongside the risk assessment as evidence of due diligence.
Do parents or guardians need to sign anything?
Most schools require signed parental consent before a placement begins, and many will ask to see your risk assessment as part of their own placement approval process. Having a clear, written assessment makes it straightforward to satisfy the school's health and safety checks and speeds up approval.
How much supervision does a work experience student need?
There is no single legal ratio, but supervision must be proportionate to the risk and the student's age and experience. In practice this usually means a named supervisor is with the student at all times during their first day, and never leaving them unsupervised in higher-risk areas such as kitchens, workshops, warehouses or plant rooms.
Does this apply to unpaid work experience as well as paid placements?
Yes. The duty under Regulation 19 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 applies regardless of whether the placement is paid or unpaid, as the student is present in the workplace and exposed to its hazards either way.
How quickly can I get a risk assessment before a placement starts?
Under 2 minutes. Describe the type of workplace, the tasks the student will be doing, and the age group, and Anyrisks generates a complete, regulation-referenced young person risk assessment ready to send to the school or parents straight away.
Also see: The ultimate guide to risk assessment · Do I need a risk assessment · Risk assessment legal requirements · AI risk assessment generator