H & S Templates UK - Risk Assessments

Risk Assessments

Practical, editable workplace risk assessment templates for UK businesses

Every business has a responsibility to identify the hazards arising from its activities and take reasonable steps to control the risks.

A risk assessment does not need to be complicated. For most small businesses, the important thing is to identify what could cause harm, decide who might be affected, consider what controls are already in place and determine whether anything further needs to be done.

Workplace Risk Assessment Toolkit – £19.95

What should a risk assessment cover?

1. Identify the hazards
What could cause injury or ill health?

2. Identify who may be affected
Consider employees, visitors, contractors and members of the public.

3. Assess the risk
Consider how likely the harm is to occur and how serious the consequences could be.

4. Put controls in place
Decide what can reasonably be done to eliminate or reduce the risk.

5. Review the assessment
Review it when circumstances change and after significant incidents or near misses.

Common mistakes we see

A risk assessment exists, but isn't actually used
A document may have been completed, filed away and forgotten. A risk assessment should reflect how work is actually carried out.

The assessment is too generic
Copying a generic assessment without considering the particular workplace, equipment, people and activities can leave important hazards unidentified.

Controls are listed but not implemented
Identifying a control measure is only useful if it is actually put into practice and maintained.

The assessment hasn't been reviewed
Changes to equipment, processes, premises or staffing can introduce new risks. Significant incidents and near misses should also prompt a review.

What we've seen in practice

During accident investigations, one of the first things we often look at is the risk assessment for the activity involved.

In some cases, the assessment is perfectly adequate on paper but bears little resemblance to what was actually happening when the incident occurred. In others, the relevant hazard simply hasn't been considered.

We also see cases where the employee has not even seen the risk assessment.

A good risk assessment isn't about producing paperwork for its own sake. It should help people understand the risks associated with the work and the measures that are in place to control them.

Need a ready-to-use risk assessment toolkit?

Workplace Risk Assessment Template

If you are a small UK business looking for a practical way to document your workplace risk assessments, our Workplace Risk Assessment Toolkit provides editable documentation that can be adapted to your own workplace.

The toolkit is designed to help you:

identify workplace hazards;
consider who may be affected;
assess the level of risk;
record existing control measures;
identify further actions where required; and
review and update the assessment when circumstances change.

It is intended as a practical starting point rather than a substitute for carrying out a suitable and sufficient assessment of your own workplace.

Workplace Risk Assessment Toolkit – £19.95

View the Risk Assessment Toolkit

Health & Safety Templates UK
Practical health & safety guidance, templates and resources for UK businesses.

Health & Safety Templates UK is a resource provided by Liability Claims Investigations Ltd.
Our health & safety resources are informed by practical experience investigating workplace accidents and liability claims for businesses and insurers.