# What is a dynamic risk assessment on a group trip?

Source: https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/dynamic-risk-assessment-explained  
Publisher: Roamly Travel  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-30  
Audience: Schools, Universities, Sports teams, Production crews, Event organisers

## Short answer

A dynamic risk assessment is the ongoing judgement a trip leader makes during a visit as conditions change, such as stopping an activity because the weather has turned or rerouting around a crowd. OEAP National Guidance describes it as carried out continuously throughout the visit, and says it is not normally necessary or possible to record the findings. It sits on top of the written generic and visit-specific assessments, and it cannot be used to add activities the approved plan did not include.

## Key takeaways

- OEAP National Guidance describes three levels of risk assessment: generic, specific and dynamic (also called on-going), and dynamic assessment is the on-the-day one.
- OEAP says dynamic assessment is carried out continuously throughout the visit and it is not normally necessary or possible to record the findings.
- If circumstances change, plans should be amended or curtailed. OEAP's example is a leader who finds a stream in spate and swaps to a prepared alternative.
- DfE guidance says adventure activities must be risk assessed before the visit and staff must not decide to add them during the trip, so dynamic judgement cannot create new high-risk activities.
- Good dynamic decisions rely on preparation: pre-agreed stop triggers, a Plan B, a competent leadership team and a clear line to the home contact.

## What is a dynamic risk assessment?

A dynamic risk assessment is the continuous, informal judgement that leaders make on the day. It is not a form. OEAP National Guidance, the practice guidance most UK employers use for educational visits, defines it as the on-going monitoring of benefits and risks throughout the visit. If something unforeseen happens, plans should be changed and, if necessary, activities amended or curtailed.

OEAP adds that in practice it is often these on-going decisions that determine whether the group remains safe and whether the activity is successful, which is why a competent leadership team is essential.

## How does it fit with generic and specific risk assessments?

*Based on the three levels of risk assessment in OEAP National Guidance 4.3c.*

| Level | When it is done | Recorded? | Example for a city trip abroad |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Generic | Before, as standing policy across many trips. | Yes | Your organisation's rules on headcounts, transport and supervision. |
| Specific (visit-specific) | Before this particular trip. | Yes | Hazards, controls and contingencies for this group, hotel and itinerary. |
| Dynamic (on-going) | Throughout the trip, as things change. | Not normally | Seeing a dense crowd at a landmark and moving the group to a different entrance. |

The Health and Safety Executive's approach to risk assessment includes reviewing controls and revisiting the assessment after accidents or near misses, which is how lessons from dynamic decisions feed back into the written version. For the written assessment see the [school trip risk assessment guide](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/school-trip-risk-assessment-uk) and the [university travel risk assessment guide](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/university-travel-risk-assessment).

## What does it look like on a real trip?

Most dynamic assessments take seconds. Typical triggers on a group trip are:

- **Weather:** a storm alert, heat that is higher than forecast, or a swollen river or rough sea. OEAP advises leaders to use dynamic risk assessment constantly when snow and ice are around.
- **Crowds and events:** a protest, a strike, an unexpected festival or a packed platform. OEAP notes that crowds in confined spaces can lead to people being trapped or crushed.
- **People:** a participant who is unwell, tired or behaving out of character, or a leader who has had to leave the group.
- **Venue or transport:** a closed attraction, a late coach or a hotel pool with no lifeguard.

OEAP's own example is a school field studies week that normally crosses a small stream on stepping stones. On one occasion the stream was in spate, the leader judged it too dangerous, and quickly organised an alternative project. In later years that alternative was prepared in advance as a Plan B.

## How can leaders make better decisions under pressure?

1. **Stop and look.** Pause the activity if you are unsure. It is always acceptable to pause.
2. **Ask the standard questions.** What has changed? Who could be harmed? Can I remove the hazard, or reduce the risk with a control I can apply now?
3. **Choose one of four outcomes:** carry on, carry on with a change, move to Plan B, or stop and make the group safe.
4. **Tell the team** the decision and each leader's role in it.
5. **Tell the home contact** if the plan changes materially, an incident occurs or a trigger on your list is hit.
6. **Note it afterwards.** Record the decision while the detail is fresh, especially near misses.

Preparation does most of the work. Before departure, agree stop triggers (for example, a severe weather warning or a participant unaccounted for), write a Plan B for key activities, and make clear that the leader can cancel an activity without asking permission. OEAP also recommends practising scenarios, such as a missing participant or a rapid headcount, because in an emergency leaders rely on practised systems.

## What can a dynamic risk assessment not do?

> **It does not authorise new activities**
> DfE guidance on educational visits says adventure activities such as caving, climbing, trekking and watersports must be identified and risk assessed before the visit, and that staff managing or leading visits must not decide to add them during the trip. The same logic applies to a hotel pool or a beach swim that was not in the approved plan. A leader's dynamic judgement can make a trip safer or shorter. It should not make it riskier than the approved plan.

It also cannot replace staffing, briefings, insurance or an emergency plan. If you find yourself relying on dynamic judgement for something predictable, such as every free-time period in a busy city, turn it into a written control instead.

## Should dynamic decisions be recorded?

OEAP says recording is not normally necessary or possible for the moment-to-moment judgement itself. That does not mean nothing is written down. Keep a short log of any decision that changed the plan, any incident or near miss, and any call to the home contact. The log supports the post-trip review and lets you improve the generic assessment. HSE's position on school trips is that the focus should be on managing real risks rather than paperwork, so keep it brief and factual.

Incident logging is covered in more detail in the [group travel emergency plan guide](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/group-travel-emergency-plan), and the legal background in the [duty of care guide](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/duty-of-care-group-travel).

## How Roamly can help

Roamly supports organisers with risk assessment through its [consulting](https://www.roamlytravel.com/services/consulting) service, and its logistics planning includes contingency arrangements that give leaders a workable Plan B. The free [travel risk assessment tool](https://www.roamlytravel.com/travel-risk-assessment) and [emergency contacts directory](https://www.roamlytravel.com/emergency-contacts) are a starting point. [Contact us](https://www.roamlytravel.com/contact) to discuss your trip.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a dynamic risk assessment a legal requirement?

The guidance reviewed for this article does not treat it as a separate legal document. HSE expects risks to be managed and controls reviewed, and OEAP National Guidance treats on-going assessment as good practice. Your employer's policy may add requirements, so check it.

### Do we have to write a dynamic risk assessment down?

OEAP says it is not normally necessary or possible to record the findings. It is sensible to keep a short log of decisions that changed the plan, incidents and near misses.

### Who can make a dynamic risk assessment on a trip?

The visit or trip leader leads it, but every leader should be competent to make a judgement and stop an activity. Make clear before departure who has the final say if leaders disagree.

### Can leaders add an activity on the day if conditions are perfect?

Not if it is an adventure or water activity that was not risk assessed in advance. DfE guidance says staff must not decide to add such activities during the trip. Raise the idea with the home contact and approver beforehand, not at the poolside.

### How is a dynamic risk assessment different from a Plan B?

A dynamic assessment is the decision at the time. A Plan B is the prepared alternative the decision can lead to. Writing Plan Bs for your key activities makes dynamic decisions faster and calmer.

## Sources

- [OEAP National Guidance 4.3c Risk Management - an Overview](https://oeapng.info/downloads/download-info/4-3c-risk-management/)
- [OEAP National Guidance 4.1c Emergencies - Guidance for Leaders](https://oeapng.info/download/1136/)
- [OEAP National Guidance 7.2j Weather and Group Safety](https://oeapng.info/download/3686/)
- [HSE: Steps needed to manage risk](https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm)
- [OEAP National Guidance 7.1r Overseas Visits](https://oeapng.info/download/1228/)
- [HSE: School trips](https://www.hse.gov.uk/education/school-trips.htm)
- [DfE: Health and safety on educational visits](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits)