Safety Risk Assessment Template for England and Wales

A Safety Risk Assessment is a legally required document that helps you systematically identify workplace hazards, evaluate the risks they pose, and implement appropriate control measures. Under England and Wales law, you must conduct these assessments to protect your employees and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.

When do you need this document?

You need a Safety Risk Assessment whenever you introduce new workplace activities, equipment, or processes that could pose risks to employee safety. This includes setting up new workstations, implementing new procedures, using different machinery, or when employees report safety concerns. Regular reviews are also required when workplace conditions change, after accidents or near-misses, or as part of annual safety audits. If you're starting a new business or expanding operations, comprehensive risk assessments must be completed before employees begin work in new areas or with new equipment.

Key legal considerations

Your risk assessment must be "suitable and sufficient" under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, meaning it should identify significant risks and appropriate control measures. You must involve employees in the assessment process and ensure findings are communicated effectively to all relevant staff. The assessment should consider both immediate physical hazards and longer-term health risks, including exposure to substances, repetitive strain, and psychological wellbeing. Control measures must follow the hierarchy of risk control, prioritizing elimination and reduction of risks before relying on personal protective equipment. You're also required to review and update assessments regularly, particularly when circumstances change or new information about risks becomes available.

Legal requirements in England and Wales

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a fundamental duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees so far as reasonably practicable. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 specifically require you to conduct risk assessments and record significant findings if you employ five or more people. Your assessment must consider the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 covering basic workplace conditions, and the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 for protective equipment requirements. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can inspect your risk assessments and impose improvement notices or prosecutions for non-compliance. Failure to conduct adequate risk assessments can result in unlimited fines and, in severe cases, imprisonment for responsible managers.