Free Risk Assessment Template
A risk assessment template is a form for listing the hazards of an activity, area or piece of plant, rating how likely and how serious the harm could be, and recording the controls that bring the risk down, with a date to review it. This one is free in PDF and Word, follows the hierarchy of controls, and checks whether the work needs a SWMS instead.
Free, no email, A4.
What is on the form
- ✓Assessment details: company, ABN, site, the activity, area or plant assessed, who assessed it, the workers consulted and the next review date
- ✓A SWMS check: all 18 high risk construction work categories (provision 291) as tick boxes
- ✓A risk rating key (likelihood x consequence) and the hierarchy of controls
- ✓A ten-row table: hazard, what could happen and who could be harmed, risk before, controls in hierarchy order, risk after, who and by when
- ✓Review triggers, emergency contacts, a workers-informed sign-on and approval
How to fill in a risk assessment
- Fill in the assessment details. Company, ABN, site, the activity, area or plant you are assessing, who is assessing it, the workers you consulted, and a next review date.
- Run the SWMS check. Tick any of the 18 high risk construction work categories that apply. If any box is ticked, the work needs a SWMS before it starts.
- List the hazards. Walk the area or watch the work. List anything that could cause harm: falls, plant, electricity, chemicals, manual handling, noise, dust, heat.
- Say what could happen and to whom. For each hazard, write the harm and who could be hurt: workers, other trades, visitors, the public.
- Rate the risk before controls. Score likelihood x consequence using the key on the form or the 5x5 risk matrix.
- Set controls in hierarchy order. Eliminate the hazard if you can. If not, substitute, isolate or use engineering controls, then administrative controls, and PPE last.
- Rate the risk after controls. Score it again with the controls in place, and name who puts each control in place and by when.
- Tell the workers and set the review. Go through the controls with the people doing the work, have them sign, and review the assessment when anything changes.
Scoring help: the 5x5 risk matrix, the risk matrix calculator and the hierarchy of controls.
A worked example: one row
| Hazard | What could happen | Before | Controls | After |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting concrete pavers with a petrol saw | Silica dust breathed in by the operator and anyone nearby; noise | Likely x Major | Order pavers cut to size where possible; otherwise wet cutting with water suppression, exclusion zone downwind, hearing protection and a fitted P2 respirator | Unlikely x Moderate |
An example of the format only. Your controls must fit your site and the product being cut.
Risk assessment or SWMS?
A risk assessment is a general tool. A SWMS is the law for high risk construction work: it must be prepared before the work starts (WHS Regulations provision 299; OHS Regulations 2017 reg 327 in Victoria). If the work involves any of the 18 categories, such as a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres or a trench deeper than 1.5 metres, the risk assessment is not enough. See the 18 categories and SWMS vs JSA vs risk assessment.
Ticked a box in section 2? Generate a site-specific SWMS written to your state's legislation.
Generate my SWMS, A$39Common questions
Is a risk assessment legally required in Australia?
The WHS Regulations require you to manage risks (Part 3.1), but in most cases they do not require a written risk assessment by name. WorkSafe Victoria puts it plainly: risk assessments and job safety analysis "are not required under legislation but can be useful tools in identifying hazards and assessing risks". A written assessment is still the simplest way to show how you managed a risk, and high risk construction work needs a SWMS (WHS Regulations provision 299).
What is the difference between a risk assessment and a SWMS?
A risk assessment can cover any activity, area or piece of plant. A SWMS is the specific document the law requires before high risk construction work starts, with set contents and duties to follow it, review it and keep it. Section 2 of this template checks whether the work needs a SWMS.
What is the difference between a risk assessment and a JSA?
A JSA breaks one task into steps and looks at the hazards of each step. A risk assessment lists hazards by activity, area or item, for example a workshop, a forklift or a chemical store, and sets a review date. Both rate the risk before and after controls.
Is the template really free, with no email?
Yes. The PDF and the editable Word file both download directly. Nothing to sign up for.
How often should a risk assessment be reviewed?
Review the controls when the work, the workplace or the plant changes, when a new hazard or new information turns up, after an incident, and when a control is not working. Set a next review date on the form so it does not get forgotten.
Keep exploring
Free JSA templateFree SWMS templateHazard identification checklistHazardous chemical risk assessment5x5 risk matrix