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Take charge of health & safety for your business by conducting your own risk assessments.

Quickly enhance health & safety standards in your business by managing health & safety yourself. Sound daunting? Don't worry, our risk assessment templates are designed to be straightforward and user-friendly. They come pre-filled with relevant content to make conducting your risk assessments easy.

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  • New & Expectant Mother Risk Assessment

    This template focuses on risks unique to pregnant women, new mothers, and breastfeeding employees in the workplace, helping to ensure their safety is well catered for. The editable, pre-filled template covers various hazards and includes space for custom risks, ensuring a thorough assessment. It is designed to assist UK businesses in complying with health and safety laws and regulations.

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  • Young Persons Risk Assessment

    This risk assessment template is essential for UK businesses employing young workers, offering a pre-filled, adaptable format to assess and mitigate workplace risks for this vulnerable group. This user-friendly, 6-page template includes a range of hazards and controls, a custom hazards page, and easy editing options, either digitally or in print. It's an effective solution for ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and promoting a safer workplace for young employees.

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  • Small Business Risk Assessment

    This comprehensive, non-industry-specific template is designed to cater to a wide array of small businesses, covering an extensive range of potential hazards. The template is pre-filled with content relevant to common risks in small business environments, such as issues related to working posture, stress and mental health, slips, trips and falls, electrical safety, fire hazards, and more. It allows for easy customisation to suit individual business needs, including the option to add or omit hazards as required.

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Building a Resilient Business: The Strategic Benefits of Health & Safety Risk Assessments

In the dynamic landscape of UK business, staying ahead of the curve is essential. This extends to the often complex and daunting world of health & safety. Health & Safety Risk Assessments in the UK are a legal requirement, but they go far beyond mere compliance; they are integral to the strategic success of any business. Here's a look at how they contribute significantly to your business's resilience and growth.

Cultivating a Safety-First Culture

A comprehensive Health & Safety Risk Assessment process is the cornerstone of a safety-first culture in your organisation. By regularly evaluating workplace risks, you demonstrate to your team that their safety is paramount. This commitment fosters trust and loyalty, leading to higher motivation and productivity.

Legal Compliance and Risk Minimisation

Compliance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is non-negotiable in the UK. Conducting thorough Risk Assessments not only ensures legal compliance but also minimises the risk of legal repercussions, fines, and damage to your business’s reputation that can stem from workplace incidents.

Boosting Operational Efficiency

A safe workplace is synonymous with efficiency. Identifying and mitigating potential hazards reduces accidents, minimises downtime, and lowers insurance costs, contributing to streamlined and effective business operations. Regular risk assessments ensure that safety measures keep pace with business evolution.

Unearthing Improvement Opportunities

Risk assessments are not just about identifying hazards; they also offer a window into operational enhancements. This proactive stance can lead to innovative changes in procedures, adoption of new technologies, and improvements that can edge out competition.

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    Improve safety

    Regular risk assessments in your business help pinpoint and mitigate hazards, substantially enhancing workplace safety and reducing incidents, thereby fostering a safer, more secure work environment.

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    Increase compliance

    Our ready to use risk assessment templates, which come with pre-filled examples to make the process easier, will enable you to quickly increase your compliance to health & safety laws and regulations.

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    Save money

    With UK H&S consultants often charging upwards of £400 per day, implementing health & safety measures can often be a burden. Take control and save your business time and money.

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Enhancing Your Business Profile: Health & Safety as a Competitive Advantage

In the current business environment, health and safety practices play a critical role in shaping a company's market position. Let's explore how effective Health & Safety Risk Assessments can elevate your business in the eyes of customers, employees, and the wider market.

Strengthening Brand Reputation

In a market where social consciousness is paramount, a company's commitment to health and safety is closely watched. Showcasing a robust approach to Risk Assessments can significantly boost your company's image, making it more appealing to prospective customers and partners.

Preparing for the Unforeseen

The unpredictability of events like the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for preparedness. Regular health and safety assessments allow businesses to anticipate and plan for unexpected scenarios, ensuring resilience and operational continuity.

Employee Engagement and Retention

A safe and caring workplace is a magnet for top talent. Employees are more likely to stay with an employer that values their well-being. This reduces staff turnover and the associated costs of recruitment and training, contributing to a stable and skilled workforce.

In Summary...

Health & Safety Risk Assessments are a vital tool in any UK business's strategic planning. They not only protect your workforce but also position your business for sustained success and development. Embracing these practices is key to not just surviving but thriving in a competitive business world. A safe business is not just a compliant one; it is one that is poised for success and ready to face future challenges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Health & Safety Risk Assessments: FAQs

What is a Health & Safety Risk Assessment?

This process involves a systematic evaluation of workplace activities to identify hazards that could cause harm to employees, visitors and contractors. It's a critical step in creating a safe work environment. The assessment must consider various potential risks, from physical injuries to psychological impacts, and must be thorough enough to cover all aspects of the workplace.

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Who is responsible for conducting Risk Assessments?

Typically, the employer or business owner bears this responsibility. It's crucial that the person conducting the assessment is competent and has an understanding of the work environment. For more complex scenarios, seeking expertise from external consultants might be necessary. This ensures a comprehensive and accurate assessment.

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How often should Risk Assessments be conducted?

They should be an ongoing part of business operations. While an annual review is a good baseline, more frequent assessments may be needed, especially if there are significant changes in the workplace. These changes could include new equipment, processes, or a change in the workforce. It's vital to keep the assessments up-to-date to ensure continued safety.

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What should a Risk Assessment include?

A thorough risk assessment identifies each hazard, who might be harmed and how, evaluates the level of risk associated with it, and proposes measures to control or eliminate the risk. Part of this assessment will look at any existing control measures to see if they are adequate or need improvement. It should also be recorded and reviewed when necessary. Documentation is key for accountability and future reference.

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Are Risk Assessments legally required?

If you employ five or more people in your business, there’s no way around it, you must have a written Risk Assessment. Also, if any employee is hurt because of the work they do for you, they can claim compensation. Having a written risk assessment could be one of the ways to help protect your business against any employee insurance claims.

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Can I use a standard template for Risk Assessments?

While standard templates can serve as a helpful guide, they should be adapted to accurately reflect the specific hazards present in your workplace. Each business is unique, and so are the potential risks. Customising the template ensures that all relevant hazards are identified and addressed effectively.

Our range of risk assessment templates have been tailored to various industries meaning that you can have a template specific to your business. These can also be customised to meet the specific needs of your business.

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There is also a non-industry specific template called the Small Business Risk Assessment. This is suitable for all industries as it includes a broad range of hazards and risks. It also has extra blank pages for tailoring to your business needs.

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What are the consequences of not conducting a Risk Assessment?

Neglecting to conduct a risk assessment can have serious consequences. Legally, it can result in fines, penalties, and legal action against the business. From a safety perspective, it could lead to accidents and injuries, potentially causing harm to employees and others. This negligence can also damage the business's reputation and employee morale.

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How detailed should a Risk Assessment be?

The depth and detail of a risk assessment should correlate with the level of risk. High-risk environments require more detailed and thorough assessments. However, even in low-risk situations, sufficient detail is necessary to ensure that all potential hazards have been considered and addressed. The aim is to leave no stone unturned in safeguarding the workplace.

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Do small businesses need to conduct Risk Assessments?

Absolutely, small businesses are not exempt from the requirement to conduct risk assessments. In fact, in many cases, small businesses may face unique risks due to their size and the nature of their operations. It's crucial for small business owners to understand and manage these risks to provide a safe working environment.

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What are the common mistakes to avoid in Risk Assessments?

Common pitfalls include not engaging employees in the risk assessment process, overlooking less obvious hazards, and failing to keep the assessment updated. It's also a mistake to underestimate the importance of thorough documentation. Avoiding these mistakes ensures a more effective risk management strategy and a safer workplace.

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