Risk Assessment

Activity / project assessed: [What is being assessed] Location / site: [Where] Assessed by: [Name and role] Date of assessment: [Date] Status: [Draft / Approved] Review date: [Date]

---

1. Scope and context

[In 2 to 3 sentences: what specific activity, task, project, or situation this assessment covers, why it is being done now, and what is explicitly out of scope. Note anyone particularly exposed or vulnerable.]

• What is being assessed: [The activity or situation]
• Who could be affected: [Workers, visitors, public, contractors, etc.]
• Out of scope: [What this assessment does not cover]

2. Scoring scales

[Define the scales so a rating means the same thing to everyone.]

Score	Likelihood	Severity
1	[Rare]	[Negligible]
2	[Unlikely]	[Minor]
3	[Possible]	[Moderate]
4	[Likely]	[Major]
5	[Almost certain]	[Severe / critical]

Risk rating = likelihood x severity. [State the bands, e.g., 1 to 4 low (green), 5 to 12 medium (amber), 15 to 25 high (red), and the rule each band triggers.]

3. Risk register

[One row per hazard. Score the risk with current controls, add any further controls from the hierarchy of control, then re-score to give the residual rating.]

Hazard / risk	Likelihood	Severity	Rating	Controls	Residual rating	Owner
[Hazard and the harm it could cause]	[1-5]	[1-5]	[L x S]	[Controls in place + further action]	[L x S after controls]	[Name]
[Hazard and the harm it could cause]	[1-5]	[1-5]	[L x S]	[Controls]	[Residual]	[Name]
[Hazard and the harm it could cause]	[1-5]	[1-5]	[L x S]	[Controls]	[Residual]	[Name]
[Hazard and the harm it could cause]	[1-5]	[1-5]	[L x S]	[Controls]	[Residual]	[Name]
[Hazard and the harm it could cause]	[1-5]	[1-5]	[L x S]	[Controls]	[Residual]	[Name]

4. Risk matrix

Plot each hazard on a grid with likelihood on one axis and severity on the other, shaded by band. The bands and the action each one requires:

• Red (high) — [e.g., rating 15 to 25: further controls and a named owner required before the work proceeds].
• Amber (medium) — [e.g., rating 5 to 12: controls in place and an owner; reviewed at the review date].
• Green (low) — [e.g., rating 1 to 4: acceptable with existing controls; monitored only].

[Attach or embed the matrix so the red zone is visible at a glance.]

5. Action plan

[The further controls that are not yet in place, each with an owner and a target date. This is what turns the assessment into action.]

Action	Owner	Target date	Status
[Further control to put in place]	[Name]	[Date]	[Open / Done]
[Further control to put in place]	[Name]	[Date]	[Open / Done]

6. Review

• Review date: [When this assessment will be checked again — and the trigger to redo it sooner, e.g., a change to the activity, new equipment, or an incident or near-miss.]
• Reviewed by: [Name and role]
• Shared with: [Who has seen this assessment and how it was communicated.]

---

Optional sections

• Sign-off: [Approver name, role, and date for higher-risk activities.]
• Linked documents: [Method statement, permit to work, or the wider risk management plan this feeds into.]