How to Write a Risk Assessment (With Example)
A risk assessment is the cornerstone of UK health and safety law, yet many people find the blank page daunting. This guide explains what a risk assessment is, the legal duty behind it, what format to use, and walks through a complete worked example you can adapt.
What a risk assessment actually is
A risk assessment is a careful, structured look at what in your work could cause harm to people, so that you can decide whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more. It is not a paperwork exercise for its own sake. The point is to think through your activities, spot the things that could realistically injure someone or make them ill, and put sensible measures in place before anyone gets hurt.
Two terms sit at the heart of the process. A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm — a trailing cable, a chemical, a heavy box, a moving forklift. A risk is the likelihood that the hazard will actually harm someone, combined with how serious that harm could be. Good assessment is about reducing risk to a level that is reasonable and proportionate, not about pretending you can remove every hazard from a workplace.
The legal duty in the UK
The requirement to assess risk flows directly from statute. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and anyone else affected by their work. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 then make the duty explicit: every employer must make a "suitable and sufficient" assessment of the risks to which workers and others are exposed.
If you employ five or more people, you must record the significant findings of your assessment. Even below that threshold, writing things down is good practice — it shows your reasoning, helps you brief staff, and gives you something to review later. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator that publishes guidance and expects to see this thinking documented.
A "suitable and sufficient" assessment identifies the real risks, is proportionate to them, and stays valid for a reasonable period. It does not need to be perfect or exhaustive — it needs to be honest and useful.
What format to use
There is no legally mandated template. The HSE encourages a simple table that records each significant hazard, who might be harmed, the controls already in place, any further action needed, and who is responsible. A workable layout has columns for: the hazard, who is at risk and how, what you are already doing, what more you will do, the person responsible, and the target date.
If you are unsure where to begin, our companion piece on the five steps to risk assessment breaks the method down stage by stage. For substances such as cleaning chemicals or dusts, you will also want to read about the COSHH risk assessment, which deals specifically with hazardous materials.
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A worked example: stocking shelves in a small shop
Imagine a convenience shop where staff carry deliveries from a back room and stock shelves. Here is how the significant findings might be written up.
Hazard: manual handling of stock
Who is at risk and how: shop assistants could suffer back or shoulder injury lifting heavy or awkward boxes, especially when reaching to high shelves. Already in place: heavier items stored at waist height; a wheeled trolley for moving cases. Further action: brief all staff on safe lifting technique and provide a step stool for high shelves. The deeper principles here are covered in our guide to the manual handling risk assessment.
Hazard: slips and trips
Who is at risk and how: staff and customers could slip on spillages or trip over delivery boxes left in aisles. Already in place: spill kit available; a "wet floor" sign. Further action: introduce a clear-as-you-go rule so boxes are never left in walkways, and check the shop floor hourly.
Hazard: using a stepladder
Who is at risk and how: falls from height while reaching stock. Already in place: a sound, inspected stepladder. Further action: instruct staff never to overreach and to keep three points of contact.
✓ Key takeaways
- A risk assessment identifies hazards, judges the risk, and records sensible controls.
- The duty comes from the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and HSWA 1974.
- Employers with five or more staff must record significant findings.
- Use a simple table: hazard, who is harmed, current controls, further action, responsible person, date.
- Keep it proportionate, honest and reviewed when things change.
Finishing the document
Once your table is complete, share it with the people it affects, act on the further actions you have listed, and set a date to review. An assessment should be revisited whenever you introduce new equipment, change a process, or after an incident or near miss. Written well, it becomes a living record of how your workplace stays safe — not a form filed and forgotten.