Risk Assessment Form Template for the UK

Use a Risk Assessment Form before starting any new work activity or when significant changes occur in your workplace. This includes introducing new equipment, changing work processes, or moving to different premises. For example, construction firms need these forms before starting new projects, while office managers complete them when reorganizing workspaces.

Complete fresh assessments when hiring new staff, implementing different work patterns, or after workplace incidents. The Health and Safety Executive expects updated risk assessments when circumstances change - and maintaining current forms helps protect both your team and your organization from preventable harm.

• PPE Hazard Assessment Certification Form: Specialized risk assessment focusing on personal protective equipment needs, essential for industries with physical hazards.
• General Workplace Risk Assessment: Covers broad workplace hazards and controls, commonly used in office environments and standard work settings.
• COSHH Assessment Form: Specifically evaluates risks from hazardous substances, required under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations.
• Manual Handling Assessment: Focuses on lifting, carrying, and movement risks, crucial for logistics and healthcare sectors.
• DSE Workstation Assessment: Evaluates display screen equipment risks, mandatory for computer-based work environments.

• Health and Safety Officers: Lead the risk assessment process, create and update forms, and ensure compliance with HSE guidelines.
• Department Managers: Complete Risk Assessment Forms for their teams, implement control measures, and monitor effectiveness.
• Employers: Hold legal responsibility under UK law for ensuring proper risk assessments are conducted and documented.
• Employee Representatives: Contribute to assessments by providing frontline insights and raising safety concerns.
• External Safety Consultants: Assist organizations in complex assessments or high-risk industries where specialist knowledge is needed.

• Identify Activities: List all workplace tasks, processes, and equipment that need assessment.
• Gather Information: Collect accident records, maintenance logs, and employee feedback about potential hazards.
• Document Hazards: Record each identified risk, including who might be harmed and how.
• Evaluate Controls: Detail existing safety measures and note any additional controls needed.
• Set Review Date: Schedule the next assessment based on risk level and workplace changes.
• Get Signatures: Ensure relevant managers and safety representatives sign off on the completed form.

• Basic Information: Company details, assessment date, and names of assessors.
• Hazard Description: Clear identification of risks and who might be affected, as required by HSE guidelines.
• Risk Rating Matrix: Likelihood and severity ratings to calculate risk levels.
• Control Measures: Existing and proposed safety measures, following the hierarchy of controls.
• Review Schedule: Planned reassessment dates and triggers for early review.
• Authorisation Section: Signatures from responsible persons, dates, and document version control.
• Employee Communication: Record of how findings will be shared with affected staff.

A Risk Assessment Form differs significantly from a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), though both evaluate risks in different contexts. While Risk Assessment Forms focus on physical workplace hazards and safety measures, DPIAs specifically examine data privacy risks and compliance with GDPR requirements.

• Scope of Assessment: Risk Assessment Forms cover workplace safety hazards, while DPIAs exclusively address personal data processing risks.
• Legal Framework: Risk Assessments fulfill Health and Safety at Work Act requirements, whereas DPIAs satisfy GDPR obligations.
• Review Triggers: Safety risk assessments need updates when workplace conditions change; DPIAs require review when data processing methods evolve.
• Stakeholder Input: Risk Assessments involve workplace safety representatives and affected staff, while DPIAs require consultation with data protection officers and sometimes the ICO.