Hazard Identification

Hazard observation card template

Risk assessment template

Digital forms

Safety compliance: complete guide

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining control measures that eliminate the risk or, where that is not reasonably practicable, minimise it so far as is reasonably practicable. It follows the hierarchy of controls (elimination; substitution, isolation or engineering controls; administrative controls; PPE) and produces a documented record of identified risks and the measures taken to manage them.

Take 5 Safety Assessment

A Take 5 is a brief, pre-task safety assessment where workers pause for approximately five minutes to identify hazards in their immediate environment before starting work. Widely used in Australian construction, mining, and industrial workplaces, it prompts workers to stop and check the task and the work area as they actually are before they begin. Formats vary by organisation; one common version is SLAMS: stop, look, assess, manage, start. The assessment is typically recorded on a standardised form or digital checklist.

WHS compliance software

WHS compliance software is a digital WHS management system that helps organisations meet Work Health and Safety obligations by managing inspections, incident records, risk assessments, corrective actions, contractor compliance, regulatory reporting and audit trails. It replaces paper registers, spreadsheets and email chains with a searchable system of record that shows what was checked, when it was checked, who completed it, what failed and what evidence was attached.

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

A Job Safety Analysis is a structured risk assessment technique that breaks a work task into its component steps, identifies the hazards present at each step, and documents the control measures required to eliminate or minimise those hazards. The JSA process typically involves observing the task, consulting with workers who perform it, listing each step in sequence, identifying what could go wrong at each step, and recording the controls that should be applied, following the hierarchy of controls from elimination through to personal protective equipment. JSAs are widely used across construction, mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, and logistics to ensure that hazards are systematically identified and addressed before work begins. They are often completed collaboratively by the work crew at the start of a shift or before a non-routine task. The completed JSA serves as both a planning tool and a communication document that every crew member reads and signs before commencing work, ensuring shared understanding of the hazards and the agreed controls.

Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)

A Safe Work Method Statement is a documented procedure that describes the high-risk construction work to be carried out, the hazards associated with that work, and the control measures that will be implemented to manage those hazards. In Australia, a SWMS is a legal requirement for high risk construction work: regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations lists 18 types, 19 in the ACT and Victoria, including work with a risk of a fall of more than two metres, work on or near energised electrical installations, demolition of load-bearing elements, and work in or near confined spaces. The SWMS must be prepared before the high-risk work commences, must take account of the circumstances at the workplace, and must be readily accessible to the workers carrying out the task. Workers who will do the work should be consulted on it, and many sites ask them to sign it, although the Regulations do not require a signature. A SWMS must be reviewed, and revised as necessary, whenever the relevant control measures are revised. The document typically includes the project and task description, the names and qualifications of workers, a step-by-step breakdown of the work, identified hazards at each step, risk ratings, and the specific control measures to be applied.