Free HSE template · Risk Assessment Templates
General Risk Assessment Template
The risk assessment template is the document most HSE officers reach for first — and the one most often done badly, because the template on the internet is a box to tick, not a method to follow. This one is built around the five steps, so the boxes fill themselves in the order the law expects: identify, who, evaluate, record, review.
Risk Assessment Template — fill in, score, sign
One line per hazard. The score and band are automatic; the high lines get an owner and a date. Print the signed document or export the lines.
| 1 · Hazard | 2 · Who may be harmed | Current controls | L | C | Score | 4 · Controls to add / action | Owner | Due |
|---|
Scoring: Likelihood 1 rare · 2 unlikely · 3 possible · 4 likely · 5 almost certain · · Consequence 1 negligible · 2 minor · 3 serious · 4 major · 5 catastrophic. Bands: 1–4 low (maintain) · 5–9 medium (ALARP) · 10–15 high (priority action) · 16–25 very high (stop / restrict).
Worked example (a 6-line workshop assessment)
| Hazard | Who | L×C | Score | Controls to add | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Press (caught-in) | Operators | 4×5 | 20 Very High | Interlocked guard | J. Ahmed |
| Mezzanine edge (fall) | All workshop staff | 3×5 | 15 High | Guard rail + toe board | Site manager |
| Forklift route (struck-by) | Pedestrians | 3×4 | 12 High | Barrier + one-way route | Site manager |
| Casting manual handling | Operators | 3×3 | 9 Medium | Vacuum lifter | Supervisor |
| Compressed-air line | Operators | 2×3 | 6 Medium | Route marking + daily check | Supervisor |
| Welding bay floor (slip) | All | 2×2 | 4 Low | Annual review | HSE officer |
Use it two ways: the blank version to print and walk the workplace with, and the worked example at the bottom to see a filled-in assessment for a typical workshop. Every section has a one-line note on what goes there, so a new assessor can use it without guessing. Print it, or export the finished assessment to CSV for your file.
How to use the template
- Set the header — the site, the area, the assessor, the date and the review date, before you start walking
- Step 1 — list each hazard in the table as you find it on the walkover, one line per hazard
- Step 2 — name who each hazard can harm, including contractors, visitors and the lone worker
- Step 3 — score likelihood and consequence (1–5); the template shows the band and the action the band requires
- Step 4 — write the controls in hierarchy order and give every high line an owner and a date
- Step 5 — set the review date, sign it, brief the team, then print or export to CSV for the file
Worked example
The worked example at the bottom is a 6-line workshop assessment: the press (caught-in, 4×5=20, interlocked guard), the compressed-air line (struck-by, 2×3=6), the casting handling (3×3=9, vacuum lifter), the welding bay floor (2×2=4), the mezzanine edge (3×5=15, guard rail) and the forklift route (3×4=12, barrier). Notice the order of the action plan: the 20 and the 15 get owners and dates this week, the 12 this month, the 6 and the 4 go on the annual review. That ordering is what makes the assessment a working document instead of a form.
Standard & legal context
The template implements the UK Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — the suitable-and-sufficient assessment under regulation 3, recorded under regulation 6 at five or more employees — and the HSE five-step method. The 5×5 grid and the band actions follow the HSE ACoP L80 practice. In the US the same structure meets the OSHA general duty clause and the ISO 45001:2018 clause 6.1.2 hazard-identification duty, so the template carries the vocabulary for all three.
Common mistakes
- Filling the template from the desk instead of on the walkover — a desk-built assessment misses the hazard on the floor
- Scoring before the controls, then re-scoring optimistically — the template is set up pre-control first, residual last
- Leaving the owner and date blank on the high lines — an unowned control is a wish, and the sign-off section catches it
- Printing one and never reviewing it — the review-date field is the whole point of step 5
Need the sign-off, not just the template?
The template is the preparation; the sign-off is the professional. For the statutory assessments, the audits, the ISO 45001 implementation and the training that comes with them, ask Muhammad Umer — 8+ years across Iraq, KSA and Pakistan, and the programme runs through umer-hse.pro. One message gets the written scope.
Common questions
General Risk Assessment Template — answered
What is a risk assessment template?
A risk assessment template is the standard layout for recording the five steps: the hazards, who they can harm, the pre- and post-control scores, the controls in hierarchy order, the owners and the dates, and the review. This template adds a worked example and a sign-off so it is usable by a new assessor, not just a box to tick.
Is this risk assessment template free to use?
Yes — print it, fill it in, and file it. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. For a high-risk site or a statutory document the template is the preparation; the competent person is the sign-off.
Does it work for the UK?
Yes — it follows the MHSWR 1999 five-step method and the HSE ACoP L80 practice. The 5×5 bands and the action per band are the UK convention, with the ISO 45001 and OSHA equivalents named in the standard section.
How long does a filled-in risk assessment take?
A small office: 30 minutes. A workshop: 2–4 hours. A construction site: half a day. The time is in the walkover, not the writing — the template scores and prints as you go.
Can I export the finished assessment?
Yes — the Export CSV button downloads every line (hazard, who, scores, band, controls, owner, due) for your spreadsheet or HSE software, and Print / Save as PDF gives the signed document for the file.
What is the difference between this and a risk register?
The assessment is the document for one workplace or area; the risk register is the portfolio of the significant risks across the site, drawn from the assessments. The risk register template on this site is the companion to this one.
Keep building
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THE HEALTH AND SAFETY is an education and knowledge network. The templates are free and open; the professional assessments and audits run through umer-hse.pro.
Safety disclaimer
These templates are practical documents, built to the UK baseline with the US equivalents named on each page. They do not replace a competent person assessment for high-risk work, a statutory assessment, or the advice of your insurer. Where a document has legal force — the fire risk assessment, the COSHH register, the permit to work — the responsible person owns it. Use the template as the preparation, and the competent person as the sign-off.