Risk Assessment: Candle Making with Wax Beads

  • Risk Assessment: Candle Making with Wax Beads

    The Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations require services to ‘ensure that a risk assessment is conducted to identify potential emergencies that are relevant to the service’ (S.97 (2)) and ‘ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children… from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury’ (S. 167).

  • Working in conjunction with the Risk Assessment Guide and MSS OSHC's Policies and Procedures, this Risk Assessment Action Plan identifies potential hazards at the service and specifies actions (control measures) to be taken to minimise or control any risk at the service.

    INCURSION DETAILS

    Incursion: Candle Making with Wax Beads Incursion Date: Wednesday 09/04/2025
    Incursion location: Morningside State School Outside School Hours Care Incursion times: All day
    Name of incursion coordinator: McKinley Swift Number of children involved in the incursion: Up to 75 in small group rotations
    Number of educators present at the service: Estimated 5 Educator to child ratio: 1:15
    Are educators with special skills required? No Are there any water hazards? No

    Proposed Activities:
    (All activities that will take place during the incursion)

    Pouring colourful wax beads into glass jars.
    Adding the wick and cutting the wick to size.
    Decorating the glass candle jars with stickers.
  • Image field 4

  • RISK ASSESSMENT ACTION PLAN

    Activity:  Candle making
    Hazard Identification:
    • Small wax beads used to make candles.
    • Injuries/harm from cutting the wick.
    • Putting wax beads into their mouths, ingesting the wax beads.
    Risk Rating:  Low
    Control Measures:
    • Educators actively supervising the activity and identifying potential risks and hazards.
    • Educators to be actively supervising children as they pour, pick up and/or handle the wax beads.
    • Wax beads are made from 100% vegetable wax.
    • Small plastic cups are provided for children to scoop and pour beads.
    • Children are briefed on the rules and expectations prior to starting the activity.
    • Child-safe scissors to be used to cut the wick.
    • Any wax beads that get on children's faces and/or in their eyes is to be washed out immediately.
    • Wax is not heated or melted at the service, it will remain in bead form.
    • Educators are trained in first aid and portable first aid kits are accessible.
    Responsibility:
    • Nominated supervisor: Ensure a risk assessment is completed for the incursion.
    • Responsible person: To safety check the area prior to use. To read and understand the risk assessment and ensure implementation of control measures.
    • Educators: Ensure they read and understand the risk assessment and implement the control measures.
  • Activity: Candle Jar decoration
    Hazard Identification:
    • Injuries and/or harm from glass.
    • Glass jar dropped and broken.
    Risk Rating:  Low
    Control Measures:
    • Educators actively supervising the activity and identifying potential risks and hazards.
    • Children are to use the provided paper bag to carry their jar and candle.
    • Children are not to run in the activity space, or run while holding their jar.
    • Children are to apply stickers while jar is on/over a table surface. 
    • Jars are to be safely stored in the OSHC office after the completion of the activity and will be collected upon children's departure of the service.
    • Any breakages are to be cleaned immediately by staff and the area safety checked for any glass shards.
    • Educators are trained in first aid and portable first aid kits are accessible.
    Responsibility:
    • Nominated supervisor: Ensure a risk assessment is completed for the incursion.
    • Responsible person: To safety check the area prior to use. To read and understand the risk assessment and ensure implementation of control measures.
    • Educators: Ensure they read and understand the risk assessment and implement the control measures.

  • This Risk Assessment has been developed in consultation with management and educators of the service. The Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations require that a risk assessment for an excursion must identify and assess risks that the excursion may pose to the safety, health or wellbeing of any child being taken on the excursion; and specify how the identified risks will be managed and minimised (Regulation 101).

    Plan prepared by: Tiarne Reedy Role/Position: Assistant Director Date: 03/03/2025
    Plan reviewed by: McKinley Swift Role/Position: Director/Nominated Supervisor Date: 11/03/2025 

  • For Service Use

  •  - -
  • Should be Empty: