Risk assessments

Risk assessments are a legal requirement. It is a line manager's responsibility to complete them. The law says you should do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect people from harm. 

The risk assessment must be ‘suitable and sufficient’. It should show that: 

• a proper check was made 
• you asked who might be affected 
• you dealt with all the obvious significant hazards, considering the number of people who could be involved 
• the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low 
• you involved your employees or their representatives in the process 

You must be competent to complete a risk assessment. Free training is available on My Learning if you need help learning how to complete a risk assessment. 

The risk assessment policy and guidance explains to managers and others how to comply with the law by making sure hazards are identified, risks are assessed, and suitable and sufficient control measures are in place. 

Risk Assessment (HSP5.0) (DOCX, 244KB)  

Stress risk assessment

For stress risk assessments, read our information on managing stress in the workplace.

Risk assessment template

You can use the risk assessment template to help you keep a simple record of: 

• who might be harmed and how 
• what you're already doing to control the risks 
• what further action you need to take to control the risks 
• who needs to carry out the action 
• when the action is needed by 

Risk assessment template (HSF003) (DOCX, 109KB) 

Example risk assessment

This example shows how another team has managed risks. You can use it as a guide to think about:

• some of the hazards in your team
• the steps you need to take to manage the risks

Do not copy the example and put your team name to it as that would not satisfy the law and would not protect your employees. You must think about the specific hazards and activities your team carries out and the control measures have put in place.

Example risk assessment (DOCX, 67KB)