Lesson planner · classroom toolsActivity Safety Plan Template for Teachers
A safety plan for the activities you run yourself: school events, labs, shop, culinary and art classes, PE and swimming, and animals in the classroom. Start with the school event template, or pick another from the list.
Starting points – Check every row against your district's policy and the venue's rules, and add what is specific to your students.
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This supports, but does not replace, your district's policy. Your principal or administrator must review and approve it.
Safety plans by activity
When to write an activity safety plan
You don't need a written plan for every lesson. Write one when an activity is new, higher-risk, or out of the ordinary: a field day or carnival, a dance or performance, a new lab, a shop project with new machines, a cooking unit, a visiting animal. A short plan helps you think it through, gives your principal what they need to say yes, and is ready next year.
School events
For field day, a carnival or a dance, the main hazards are heat, crowds and exits, inflatables and games (ask the vendor for insurance and inspection paperwork and an attendant), visitors on campus, food and allergies, and a clear pick-up plan. Assign supervision posts by role and keep a first aid station staffed.
Before
- Get the date and plan approved
- Book vendors; collect insurance and inspection paperwork
- Tell families times, sunscreen and pick-up plan
- Assign supervision posts
Trip day
- Walk the site; check exits and cables
- First aid station staffed; water out
- Students released to approved adults only
Afterward
- Clean up and check the site
- File incident reports
Is there a federal rule for field trip safety plans?
No. There's no single federal law that sets out a field trip safety plan or a chaperone ratio. Your district sets the rules through board policy and administrative procedures: request forms and deadlines, approval by the principal (and sometimes the district office or board for overnight and out-of-state trips), permission slips, chaperone clearance, transportation and medication handling. Your state may add requirements too. On the staff side, federal OSHA doesn't cover public school employees, but in roughly half the states an OSHA-approved State Plan does, which matters mostly for labs, shops and kitchens.
Students with disabilities have the right to take part in field trips and school activities on an equal basis, so plan accommodations from their 504 plan or IEP rather than leaving them out.
Keep student information out of it
Write "Student A" or initials and say where the confidential plan is kept ("health plans are with the trip leader"). Names, diagnoses, IEP or 504 details and family phone numbers belong in your district's systems, not on a plan that gets printed and handed to chaperones. What you type here stays in this browser.
Sources and further reading
- OSHA: State Plans
- NSTA: safety resources for science teachers
- U.S. Department of Education: disability discrimination FAQs (Section 504)
- Your district's board policy and administrative rules on field trips, volunteers, medications and student health.
We link to these so you can read the original guidance; we haven't copied it. Your district's policy comes first.
Frequently asked questions
What is an activity safety plan?
A short written plan for a school activity that lists the hazards, the precautions, who is responsible, emergency procedures and contacts, and approval from your principal or administrator.
Does my district require activity safety plans?
Requirements vary. Labs, shops and kitchens often have district safety rules, and events may need a facility or event request. Check with your principal.
Can I rate the risks?
Yes. Use likelihood × severity from 1 to 5, or Low / Medium / High. Each rating gets a color, and the matrix shows what still needs attention.