For a number of years, public and private sector bodies took part
in a temporary event called Crucial Crew which targeted Primary 7 children with
a number of personal and public safety messages using experiential learning
techniques.
This meant setting a scene for the group to react to and giving them the chance
to try things out, such as rescuing a drowning friend or reducing the possibilities
of a gas explosion.
The whole point of Crucial Crew was to teach important safety messages in a
fun way and as the situations were only pretend, if someone made a mistake they
were not in any real danger.
In building this permanent, purpose built centre we have striven to keep the
hands on experiential aspects by providing more realistic settings as a background
for the safety messages. The sets include a house, road, bus, farmyard, beach
and building site to name but a few and the groups will be asked questions such
as
• Do you know what to do if your house goes on fire?
• How well can you describe a ‘bogus’ caller?
• How hazardous is your kitchen?
Their visit to The Risk Factory will help them to answer all of the above correctly
and give them much more personal safety information.
A visit lasts around two and a half hours with small groups being taken round
the centre by a trained guide spending about ten minutes in each area.
Over 8,000 primary children will visit in the first year.
In the years to come the centre will be able to offer a wide range of different
tours and training courses with something suitable for everyone. The tours will
be tailored specifically to the type of group visiting, with different hazards
and problems depending on the group.
For further information in how to help or get involved, please contact us (link)Latest
News
What is the Risk Factory?
The Risk Factory is Scotland’s first purpose built interactive safety
centre. Basically a mock village which has been built inside a warehouse at
Chesser, West Edinburgh the main purpose of The Risk Factory is to raise awareness
of safety issues to local communities, particularly at this time, Primary 7
children from Edinburgh, Mid, East and West Lothian Council. For more information
about The Risk Factory, please see (Link to About the Risk Factory)
Since the centre opened in January, over 3,300 pupils have crossed our doors.
The Risk Factory team of staff and volunteers have been very busy ensuring that
all the children who visit have a fun learning experience.
Our volunteers have been fantastic members of the team. After completing all of their training, they have started taking all of the children around the different scenarios, and seem to be thoroughly enjoying it.
We are still always on the look out for more volunteers, so please have a look at out Volunteer section (Link) and get in touch, if you would like to join The Risk Factory Team.
Directions
The Risk factory is located in West Edinburgh in Chesser.
Bus services run frequently nearby and the Slateford Train Station is situated
in close proximity to the centre.
Once you arrive at the centre, we have a small car park and on street parking
is available.
Please click on the maps below to enlarge the image.
By Road:
From the City Centre: Head West along Dalry Road following
onto Gorgie Road.
Turn left onto Chesser Avenue and at the first set of traffic lights turn right
into New Mart Road.
Follow the road round until you reach The Risk Factory.
From the M8: From M8 Eastbound, at Hermiston Junction take the third exit onto
Calder Junction ramp.
Keep left at the fork and continue towards Calder Junction.
Now follow from City Bypass instructions.
From City Bypass: At Calder Junction take exit for A71 Eastbound, onto Calder
Road.
Go straight over the next 3 roundabouts.
Turn right at Chesser Avenue then at the first set of traffic lights, turn right
into New Mart Road.
Follow the road round until you reach The Risk Factory.
By Bus
Please see the map above for bus services.
You can click on the link below for bus timetable information.
http://www.lothianbuses.co.uk/
http://www.firstgroup.com
Primary 7 School Bookings
Currently the centre only accepts bookings for Primary 7 school groups.
If you would be interested in bringing your pupils along please read the notes
and conditions below then complete and return the booking form to us by email.
The Risk Factory can only accommodate a maximum of 66 children
at any one time.
If your Primary 7 group is larger than this, you are asked to split the year
and make separate bookings for each group.
The visit will last 2 hours 30 minutes, and there are a number of different start time options available to select on the booking form. Schools should aim to arrive 5 minutes before the start of their session.
When completing the booking form, please give alternative dates
as we cannot guarantee that your first choice will be available.
We will confirm your booking details within 2 weeks of receiving your form.
Please see the table below for the times available for visits on each day.
When selecting your preferred date, please also select the time that is allocated
to that specific day.
Monday (No Morning Sessions Available) and 12.30pm
Tuesday 9.30am and 1.15pm
Wednesday 9.30am and 1.15pm
Thursday 9.30am and 1.15pm
Friday 10.00am (No Afternoon Sessions Available)
The Risk Factory is funded by the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian,
Midlothian and West Lothian Councils.
Consequently, state funded schools from these areas are not required to pay
the £4.95 per pupil entry fee.
Schools out with these areas, or privately funded schools, are required to pay
£4.95 per pupil per visit.
Transport to The Risk Factory is not included and schools should make their
own arrangements for this.
• Click here for our On-line
Booking Request Form
• Click here to download our
PDF Booking Request Form
Tea, coffee and water is provided. Catering and audiovisual
equipment can be provided on request at an additional charge.
Please click below for the Conferencing &
Training Booking Form and Terms
and Conditions of Hire.
Hiring Booking Form
Actually going through a set experience where they can make mistakes
in a safe environment teaches them how to act in the future.
Working in partnership with many of the agencies who attended Crucial Crew we
have created a realistic environment to explain some of the dangers that people
can come across in every day life.
There are 11 scenarios which include a bus, a railway, an internet café,
a street and many others.
Classes attending the centre will be given an introductory talk before splitting into small groups to be led round the centre by a Risk Factory guide. All our guides are volunteers who have been trained to provide an educational tour pitched at the right level for this age group.
The information used to train volunteers has been created with the help of teachers, so you know that as well as giving your pupils an interesting day out, you’ll be ticking the boxes in relation to various elements of the curriculum at the same time. The children’s visit relates to a number of areas of the curriculum (see below)
Curriculum Area: Environmental Studies People in Society
Strand
People and Needs in Society
• Identify the ways in which local/national agencies can help meet societies
needs
Rules, Rights and Responsibilities in Society
• Explain why laws are made in society
• Suggest some of the rights and responsibilities of citizens
Conflict and Decision Making
• Describe the way in which peer and media can affect personal decision
making
• Give examples of the ways in which local and national government make
decisions that affect peoples lives
Links to the Scottish Curriculum
A Curriculum for Excellence
Successful Learners
with
• enthusiasm and motivation for learning
• openness to new thinking and ideas
and able to
• use literacy and communication skills
• think creatively and independently
• learn independently and as part of a group
• make reasoned evaluations
• link and apply different kinds of learning in new situations
Confident Individuals
with
• self respect
• a sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being
• secure values and beliefs
• ambition
and able to
• relate to others and manage themselves
• pursue a healthy lifestyle
• be self aware
• develop and communicate their own beliefs and view of the world
• live as independently as they can
• assess risk and take informed decisions
• achieve success in different areas of activity
Responsible Citizens
with
• respect for others
• commitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social
and cultural life
and able to
• make informed choices and decisions
• develop informed views
Effective Contributors
with
• an enterprising attitude
• resilience
• self-reliance
and able to
• communicate in different ways and in different settings
• work in partnership and in teams
• show initiative
• apply critical thinking in new contexts
• solve problems
Curriculum Area: Language
– Reading
Strand
Reading for Information
• Find and use information specific to their needs
from a range of informational and reference sources.
Curriculum Area: Language - Listening
Strand
Listening for Information, Instructions and Directions
• Listen to texts which contain items of information,
instructions or directions and show that they understand and, where appropriate,
can make a choice or decision based upon what has been heard.
Listening in groups
• Listen to others in group or one-to-one activities
and respond relevantly by questioning, supporting an opinion or offering an
alternative point of view.
Curriculum Area: Language - Talking
Strand
Conveying Information, Instructions and Directions
• Talk to convey items of information, instructions
or directions.
Talking in Groups
• Talk to others in a group or one-to-one activity,
and contribute appropriately to the purpose of the activity by asking and answering
questions.
Talking about feeling, experiences and opinions
• Talk readily about their own and other's experiences,
feelings or opinions, and take some account of the reactions of others.
Audience Awareness
• Talk clearly and audibly to different audiences.
We also have documents that will support your visit, that
you may find useful.
Please click on the links below to access these documents:
• Risk Assessment Form
• Forward Plan Document
• Social Story
• Visual Journey
The tour guides lead the groups around the different safety
areas encouraging them to discuss the dangers they come across and how they
could be avoided or dealt with safely. At the end of the two hour tour all the
groups come together again to be debriefed.
As the centre is part funded by the four local Councils (The City of Edinburgh,
Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian), state schools can visit free of
charge at any time in the school year. Independent schools or schools from outwith
the area can also visit but are charged £4.95 per pupil.
Transport to and from the centre is the responsibility of the individual school
and should not be ordered until the date of a visit has been confirmed.
As space in the centre is limited to only 66 pupils per visit, schools with
P7 groups larger than this are asked to split the year and make separate bookings.
We would however suggest that these bookings are made for the same or consecutive
days.
There are a number of different sessions and timings to chose from, please consult
the booking form for more information.
On the booking form there is space for you to alert us to any special needs
or requirements any of your group may have. Normally teachers and other adults
would not accompany the groups around the centre to ensure that the children
react naturally to the situations. However, if a child needs extra support,
you may feel more comfortable accompanying them on the tour.
We would also like to know if any of the children or their close
family/friends has had any traumatic experiences recently that may be echoed
in the scenarios, for example a house fire and a car crash so that we can be
aware of any problems this might cause.
It should be noted that First Aid to children will not be administered by The
Risk Factory Staff. Therefore children should also travel with a qualified First
Aider.
To book your visit to The Risk Factory please complete the
SCHOOL BOOKING FORM
on this site and email it back to us.
It is important to give alternative dates as some times of year are busier than
others.
We will confirm your booking by email within two weeks of receiving your booking
form.
What’s in it for you?
The chance to make a difference to your community by teaching children and other
vulnerable people how to keep themselves and others safe.
The chance to meet new people and make new friends whilst improving your knowledge
about safety, or putting your existing knowledge to good use.
A sense of ownership and being a valued member of The Risk Factory team.We are
looking for keen, reliable individuals with good communication skills.
If you think you fit the bill, could spare a couple of hours a fortnight and
would like to know more, please contact the Centre on 0131 455 8930 or email
enquiries@theriskfactory.org.
Click Here to one of our volunteer profile.
Who am I?
Kathleen Connor
Where do I live?
I live in Crammond, Edinburgh with my Husband.
Work and Interests:
I recently took early retirement from my job as research scientist at Moredun
Research Institute.
I did a lot of research in educational microbiology, where health & safety
and hazardous situations for children was a part of my work. I also enjoy attending
Greens Gym, which is directly opposite The Risk Factory.
Why do I Volunteer?
I am very passionate about educating children about keeping themselves safe,
and the sooner you get the message across, the better in my opinion. I thoroughly
enjoy the reaction of the children when a safety message has been delivered.
I also really enjoy interacting with the other volunteers. There are volunteers from all different age groups, nationalities and vocations, which is great.
Feelings about The Risk Factory:
I think that as volunteers, we play a crucial role in the success of The Risk
Factory. We actually deliver the messages that the centre was designed to demonstrate
which is great. Children benefit from both the visit itself and the follow documentation
that they are sent away with to reinforce the message. The Risk Factory is absolutely
a worth while project, and I would love to see it developed further in the future.
In order to develop the centre further and ensure the children
benefit from The Risk Factory, we need volunteers.
Please contact us for more details about how to get involved.
Coming soon …
We are hoping to expand our work beyond Primary 7 groups into work with youth
groups and other interest groups. This will involve setting up a programme of
tours on weekday evenings. If you are interested in getting involved with this,
please do get in touch.
The Risk Factory is not a centrally funded organisation. It relies
heavily on the donations and support from its sponsors in the public, private
and voluntary sectors.
Without this help The Risk Factory would not be here today.
We have had immeasurable support from the local and indeed national community
in a variety of different ways.
If you’d like to get involved, there are lots of ways to become a sponsor.
These include:
• Financial pledges;
• Offer the time of your staff to volunteer in The Risk Factory;
• Sponsor a shop window – we have three shops on our High Street
where you could display products in exchange for a yearly rental fee;
• Donate expertise or goods.
For more information on how you can help The Risk Factory,
please contact Ann Thomson on 0131 455 8931
Home Safety
• More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else.
• In Britain in 2002, there were 2.7 million accidents in the home that
required hospital treatment, 477,500 of these involved children under the age
of 15.
• Every year in Britain, 120 children under the age of 14 die in accidents
caused in the home.
(RoSPA)
Electricity Safety
• In the 10 years leading up to 2005, 6 children under
the age of 18 have been killed from coming into direct contact with electricity.
• In the 10 years leading up to 2005, 236 children under the age of 18
have been injured from coming into contact with electricity.
(DTI Electrical Incidents Database)Construction Safety
• There were 59 fatal accidents from people working on construction sites
in Scotland throughout 2005/2006.
• For every 100,000 construction workers, 1,790 were seriously injured
at work in 2005/2006 in Scotland.
(www.hse.gov.uk)
Fire Safety
• 6 people were killed and 276 people injured in house
fires in the Lothians and Borders throughout 2005/ 2006.
• In 2006 25 young persons were referred to 1:1 fire setting intervention
programs for fire setting incidents and 9 for hoax calls and false alarm incidents.
(Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service).
British Waterways:
Wow 4 Water
QCA schemes, lesson plans, regional resources, research,
and safety resources.
Maritime
Coastguard: Seasmart
Links to educational resources for teaching water safety
Scottish
Executive: Blaze Aware
Search the filing cabinet for lesson plans and educational
activities.
Department of Transport
Information and lesson plans for teachers about Road
Safety, Public Transport, etc.
Direct
Kids
Information, slideshows, fact files and video clips on teaching
children to keep themselves safe.
Stop: Look and Listen:
Hedgehogs
Learn more about road safety for children and download lesson
plans.
Health and
Safety Executive: Building Site Safety (.PDF)
Workbook with safety activities to print out and complete.
Health
and Safety Executive: Farmyard Safety
Videos workbook and posters on how children can keep themselves
safe on the farm.
Child Accident
Prevention Trust
Information for teachers, quizzes, information sheets, etc.
British Waterways: Wow 4 Water
Games, project help, water safety challenge and local
events.
Scottish
Executive: Blaze Aware
Lots of information and guidelines to learn more about fire
safety.
RNLI: Shore
Thing
Information about the history of the Lifeboat, crew interviews
and virtual tours of the inside of a lifeboat.
Department
of Transport
Links to Smart Move aagazine, access to Highway Code for
Cyclists, Cycling Fact Sheet.
Health
and Safety Executive: Building Site Safety (.PDF)
Workbook with safety activities to print pout and complete.
Health
and Safety Executive: Farmyard Safety
Videos, booklets and information on how to keep yourself
safe on the farm. Games
RNLI:
Shore Thing
Games to play about water safety, you can train a lifeguard,
build a life boat…
British
Waterways: Wow 4 Water
Help moor a boat into the bay.
Road Safety: Hedgehogs
Play games to learn how to keep yourself safe on the roads.
Child Accident
Prevention Trust
Safety Games and Activities.
Power Wise: Ollie
and Sparky
Click here to take part in the Power Wise Quiz.
Railway Safety: No Messin!
Learn about all the skills that are better than ‘messin’
on the railway.
Construction Safety:
Ivor Good Site
Meet Ivor and learn about safety clothing, play memory games
and go on a road trip.
CITY OF EDINBURGH
COUNCIL
EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL
WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL
MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL
LOTHIAN & BORDERS POLICE
LOTHIAN & BORDERS FIRE & RESCUE
SERVICE