The FATE CHECK: a simple way to spot hazards in your early years risk assessment

Every early years practitioner knows that keeping children safe sits underneath everything else you do. 

Risk assessments are a big part of that. But sitting down with a blank form and trying to think of everything that could go wrong in a room you walk through fifty times a day is harder than it sounds.

That’s why we’ve created the FATE CHECK: a memorable set of prompts that helps your team look at a room, outdoor space or activity from every angle. 

It doesn’t replace your early years risk assessment. Instead, it gives you a practical, consistent starting point for the most important part of the process: spotting the hazards in the first place.

Why hazard spotting is the hardest part of an early years risk assessment

Most risk assessments follow a familiar pattern, based on the Health and Safety Executive’s approach:

• Identify the hazards
• Decide who might be harmed and how
• Evaluate the risk and decide on controls
• Record what you’ve found
• Review it regularly 

It’s the same thinking that underpins nursery risk assessments, pre-school risk assessments and childminders’ risk assessments.

The trouble is that everything after step one depends on it. If a hazard isn’t spotted, it never makes it onto the form, and no control is ever put in place.

And hazard identification is harder than it looks. Familiarity is the biggest obstacle. The wobbly shelf, the cable behind the book corner, the gate that doesn’t quite latch: after a while, they simply become part of the room. 

Busy days, staff changes and spaces that are rearranged for new activities all make it easier for things to slip through.

In Scotland, early learning and childcare settings are registered and inspected by the Care Inspectorate, and the Health and Social Care Standards are clear that children should experience an environment that is safe and secure. 

Inspections look at how well settings keep children safe, so being able to show how you identify and manage risk really matters.

A structured, shared way of looking at your environment makes that much easier to do – and much easier to evidence when the Care Inspectorate visits.

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What is the FATE CHECK?

The FATE CHECK is a nine-point prompt that helps early years teams identify potential hazards when looking around a room, outdoor space or activity. 

Each letter identifies a type of hazard to look out for:

• F – Falls and falling objects
• A – Access
• T – Trips and pathways
• E – Escape
• C – Choking
• H – Hygiene
• E – Environment
• C – Collisions
• K – Keep children in view

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You can use it as a mental checklist during a walk-round, or as a structured prompt when you sit down to write or review a risk assessment.

This is precisely why we created FATE CHECK. 

At TuDu, we know that starting a risk assessment for a new area or activity can feel overwhelming. 

Where do you even begin? 

That’s exactly where the FATE CHECK helps. 

Rather than trying to think of every possible risk at once, it lets you focus on one type of hazard at a time. Start with F: walk around the space and look only for falls and falling objects. Once you’re happy you’ve covered everything, move on to A and walk the space again thinking only about access, then T, and so on through to K. 

Breaking it down this way keeps your mind clear, makes it much less likely that something gets missed, and leaves you with a solid list of hazards to build your risk assessment from. 

The FATE CHECK, letter by letter

F – Falls and falling objects

Could a child fall, or could something fall onto them? Young children climb, stretch and explore, and they don’t always judge heights or weight well.

What to look for:

• Climbing equipment, steps and slopes, and the surfaces beneath them
• Furniture a child could climb to reach something interesting
• Heavy items stored on high shelves
• Bookcases, mirrors, TVs or wall displays that aren’t secured
• Changing tables, high chairs and low windows

Ask yourself: If a child climbed on this, or pulled on it, what would happen?

A – Access

Can children access something they shouldn’t? Curious toddlers are remarkably good at opening, reaching and getting into things.

What to look for:

• Cleaning products, medicines and staff bags
• Kitchens, laundry rooms, staff rooms and storage cupboards
• Tools, sharp items and garden chemicals
• Plug sockets, chargers and trailing leads

Ask yourself: What could a child reach, open or get into if nobody was looking for a minute?

T – Trips and pathways

Are there trip hazards, obstructions or uneven surfaces? Children (and adults carrying children) need clear, safe routes through every space.

What to look for:

• Toys and resources left on the floor
• Rugs and mats with curled or loose edges
• Uneven paving, tree roots and slippery decking outdoors
• Cables running across walkways
• Spills, and bags or coats left in doorways

Ask yourself: Could everyone move through this space safely, including when it’s busy?

E – Escape

Could a child leave the area unnoticed? A child leaving a room, garden or setting without anyone knowing is one of the most serious risks to plan for.

What to look for:

• Doors and gates that don’t close or latch properly
• Gaps in fences or hedges
• Furniture or equipment near a fence that could be used to climb over
• Arrival and collection times, when doors are opened more often
• Outings and transitions between rooms or areas

Ask yourself: If a child wanted to leave this area, could they – and would we notice straight away?

C – Choking

Are there small objects, loose parts or other choking hazards? Young children explore with their mouths, so anything small enough to fit in one needs thought.

What to look for:

• Small loose parts, beads, buttons and coins
• Button batteries in toys, remote controls or decorations
• Broken toys with small pieces
• Food, including how it’s prepared and served
• Natural materials outdoors, such as stones, conkers and berries
• Items brought in from home

Ask yourself: Is there anything here small enough to fit in a child’s mouth, and is it suitable for the ages using this space?

Loose parts play is hugely valuable, so this isn’t about removing everything small. It’s about matching resources to the children using the space, especially in mixed-age rooms.

H – Hygiene

Are there areas where germs or contamination could spread? Good hygiene protects children and staff from illness, and some areas need more attention than others.

What to look for:

• Nappy-changing areas, toilets and handwashing facilities
• Food preparation and eating areas
• Sand and water play
• Outdoor areas, including any animal fouling
• Shared resources such as playdough, soft toys and dressing-up clothes
• Bins and waste

Ask yourself: Where could germs spread here, and how do we keep it clean?

E – Environment

Are the temperature, ventilation, lighting and general conditions suitable? A space can be free of obvious hazards and still not be right for the children using it.

What to look for:

• Rooms that are too hot or too cold
• Ventilation and fresh air
• Lighting, including dark corners and glare
• Noise levels
• Weather outdoors – sun, ice, wind and rain
• Sleep and rest areas

Ask yourself: Is this space comfortable and suitable for the children using it today?

C – Collisions

Could children bump into furniture, obstacles or each other? Busy, active children need room to move.

What to look for:

• Furniture with sharp corners at a child’s head height
• Narrow pinch points and crowded areas
• Ride-on toys and running areas next to quieter play
• Doors that swing into walkways
• Too many children in one space at once

Ask yourself: How do children move around here, and where could they bump into something or each other?

K – Keep children in view

Are there blind spots, or areas where supervision could be difficult? Knowing where every child is, at all times, is at the heart of keeping them safe.

What to look for:

• Blind spots behind furniture, sheds or dens
• Tall shelving that blocks sightlines
• Outdoor areas around corners or behind buildings
• Toilets and quiet spaces
• Where staff position themselves, especially at busy times

Ask yourself: Where could a child be out of sight, and how do we make sure someone always knows where they are?

Dens and cosy corners are wonderful for children, so the aim isn’t to get rid of them. It’s about knowing how each space will be supervised.

Want to make hazard spotting part of your everyday routine? Our team would love to hear about your setting and how you manage risk. Get in touch with Tu-du.

How to use the FATE CHECK in your setting

The FATE CHECK is designed to be flexible. Here are some of the ways teams can build it into everyday practice:

• Daily walk-rounds. Run through the nine prompts when checking rooms and outdoor areas at the start of the day.
• When something changes. New equipment, a new layout, a new child, a change in the weather or a new activity are all good reasons to look again.
• Before outings and activities. Use the prompts when planning trips, forest school sessions, cooking or messy play.
• Fresh eyes. Ask different team members to do the check, including new starters. Comparing notes often uncovers things others have stopped noticing.
• Training and induction. It gives new staff a simple framework and the whole team a shared language. “Have we FATE CHECKed the garden?” is quick to say and easy to remember.

Remember to keep it proportionate. 

Risky play helps children build confidence, resilience and physical skills, and the goal is not to remove every risk. 

The FATE CHECK helps you see the hazards clearly, so you can make informed decisions about which risks are worth managing and which need to be removed.

From hazards to controls: what comes next

The FATE CHECK helps with the first step. Once you’ve identified the hazards, your full early years risk assessment should go on to consider:

• Who might be harmed, and how. Think about children of different ages and stages, as well as staff, parents and visitors.
• What’s already in place. Many risks will already be well controlled – record them.
• What else needs to be done? Agree any extra actions, who is responsible, and by when.
• How it’s recorded and shared. Make sure the whole team knows the outcome, not just the person who completed it.
• When it will be reviewed. Review regularly, and whenever something changes.

Always follow your own policies and any guidance from your local authority alongside the FATE CHECK.

Don’t leave it to chance

When settings look back at accidents and near misses, the hazard was often there all along – it just hadn’t been noticed. A quick, consistent check helps your team see your setting with fresh eyes every time, and gives you the confidence that nothing obvious has been missed.

Don’t leave a child’s safety in the hands of fate. Do a FATECHECK.

See how Tu-du can support your team. Find out how Tu-du can help your setting stay on top of safety. Book a demo. Got a question first? Contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Does the FATE CHECK replace a risk assessment?

No. The FATE CHECK is a starting point to help you identify hazards. You still need to consider who might be harmed, what controls are in place, what else is needed, and how the assessment is recorded and reviewed.

How often should we do a FATE CHECK?

It works well as part of daily checks of rooms and outdoor areas, and whenever something changes, such as new equipment, a new activity or a change in the weather. Follow your own policies for how often formal risk assessments are reviewed.

Can childminders use the FATE CHECK?

Yes. The prompts work just as well in a home setting, including any areas of the home used for childminding, the garden and outings.

SOURCES

Health and Safety Executive: Risk assessment guidance. https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/

Care Inspectorate.. https://www.careinspectorate.com

Scottish Government: Health and Social Care Standards. https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-social-care-standards-support-life/

Care Inspectorate: My world outdoors. https://www.careinspectorate.scot/resources-data/publications-and-statistics/library/my-world-outdoors

Education Scotland: Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors. https://education.gov.scot/inspection-and-review/inspection-frameworks/quality-improvement-framework-for-early-learning-and-childcare-sectors

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