Risk Assessment And Control Form Template for England and Wales

A Risk Assessment And Control Form is your essential tool for meeting workplace safety obligations under England and Wales law. This structured document helps you systematically identify hazards, evaluate risks, and implement appropriate control measures to protect your workforce and visitors. By completing this form, you demonstrate compliance with statutory requirements while creating a safer working environment for everyone.

When do you need this document?

You must complete a risk assessment whenever you introduce new processes, equipment, or workplace changes. This includes when starting new operations, following workplace incidents, or during regular safety reviews mandated by law. If you're managing hazardous substances, operating in high-risk environments, or employing five or more people, documented risk assessments become legally mandatory. You'll also need this form when preparing for health and safety inspections, updating existing safety procedures, or responding to employee safety concerns.

Key legal considerations

Your risk assessment must follow the hierarchy of controls principle, prioritising elimination and substitution over personal protective equipment. The form should document both immediate and long-term risks, considering all affected parties including employees, contractors, and visitors. You must ensure that control measures are proportionate to the identified risks and regularly reviewed for effectiveness. The assessment should include specific timelines for implementing recommended actions and clearly assign responsibilities to named individuals. Remember that inadequate risk assessment documentation can result in enforcement action, prosecution, and significant financial penalties under health and safety legislation.

Legal requirements in England and Wales

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have an absolute duty to ensure workplace safety so far as is reasonably practicable. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 specifically require written risk assessments for workplaces with five or more employees, though best practice recommends documentation regardless of workforce size. Your assessments must be suitable and sufficient, regularly reviewed, and updated when circumstances change. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 mandates separate fire risk assessments, while COSHH Regulations 2002 require specific assessments for hazardous substances. All risk assessments must be communicated to affected workers and made available to health and safety inspectors upon request.