Purpose
A risk assessment identifies hazards associated with construction work, evaluates the likelihood and severity of harm, and determines the control measures needed to reduce risk to an acceptable level. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and CDM 2015, risk assessments are a legal requirement for all construction activities. They must be suitable, sufficient, recorded, and reviewed regularly.
When to Use This Template
- Before any construction activity begins on site
- When a new hazard is identified or conditions change
- As part of RAMS documentation for principal contractors
- When planning work involving high-risk activities
- During project planning and pre-construction phase
- When reviewing and updating existing assessments annually or after incidents
The Template
RISK ASSESSMENT
| Document Reference: | [RA-001] |
| Revision: | [Rev A] |
| Date of Assessment: | [DD/MM/YYYY] |
| Review Date: | [DD/MM/YYYY — max 12 months] |
| Project Name: | [Enter project name] |
| Site Address: | [Enter full site address] |
| Activity / Task: | [Specific task being assessed] |
| Assessed By: | [Name, qualification, date] |
| Approved By: | [Name, role, date] |
Persons at Risk
[Identify all persons who may be affected: site operatives, subcontractors, visitors, members of the public, adjacent occupiers, young persons, lone workers, pregnant workers.]
Risk Matrix
| 1 - Rare | 2 - Unlikely | 3 - Possible | 4 - Likely | 5 - Almost Certain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 - Fatal / Catastrophic | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| 4 - Major Injury | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| 3 - Moderate Injury | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 2 - Minor Injury | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| 1 - Negligible | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Key: 1-4 Low | 5-12 Medium | 13-25 High
Risk Assessment
| Hazard | Who is at Risk | Existing Controls | L | S | Risk Rating | Additional Controls Required | Residual L | Residual S | Residual Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Falls from height] | [Operatives, subcontractors] | [Edge protection, harness training, permits for work above 2m] | [3] | [5] | [15 - High] | [Install scaffold with full guardrails, daily inspections, rescue plan] | [1] | [5] | [5 - Medium] |
| [Struck by moving plant] | [All site personnel, visitors] | [Banksman, hi-vis, segregated routes] | [3] | [4] | [12 - Medium] | [Vehicle/pedestrian separation plan, speed limits, reversing cameras] | [1] | [4] | [4 - Low] |
| [Manual handling injury] | [Operatives] | [Training, team lifts, mechanical aids available] | [3] | [3] | [9 - Medium] | [Task-specific manual handling assessment, max weight limits posted] | [2] | [3] | [6 - Medium] |
| [Collapse of excavation] | [Operatives, adjacent structures] | [Shoring/battering, barriers, permit to dig] | [2] | [5] | [10 - Medium] | [Geotechnical survey, temporary works design, daily inspections after rain] | [1] | [5] | [5 - Medium] |
| [Add additional hazard rows as required] | |||||||||
Hierarchy of Control
- Eliminate — Remove the hazard entirely if possible
- Substitute — Replace with a less hazardous alternative
- Isolate — Separate people from the hazard (barriers, enclosures)
- Engineering Controls — Physical measures (guards, ventilation, automation)
- Administrative Controls — Procedures, training, signage, permits
- PPE — Personal protective equipment (last resort)
Review and Sign-Off
| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessor | |||
| Reviewer | |||
| Approved By |
How to Customise This Template
- Assess each specific task individually — generic risk assessments are not sufficient
- Use the hierarchy of control to select the most effective measures first
- Involve the operatives who will be doing the work — they know the real risks
- Review and update the assessment whenever conditions change or after an incident
- Ensure all operatives have read and understood the assessment before work begins
- File the completed assessment as part of the site safety documentation
Skip the paperwork. Generate professional risk assessments in seconds.
FORGE Command uses AI to create fully compliant construction documents tailored to your project — so you can spend less time at a desk and more time on site.
Try FORGE Command Free