Free pcbu risk assessment template
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Free PCBU risk assessment template (PDF-ready). Covers WHS Act Section 17 risk management, hazard identification, controls and review. Download free.
Commercial Director
Updated 3 May 2026
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What is a pcbu risk assessment template?
A PCBU risk assessment template is a structured document that enables a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to identify workplace hazards, assess the risks they present, determine appropriate control measures and document the entire process in compliance with the WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations 2011. The template follows the risk management process set out in the WHS Regulations Part 3.1: identify hazards, assess risks (if not already obvious), implement controls using the hierarchy of controls, and review controls to ensure they remain effective. Each hazard is described with its potential consequences, existing controls are recorded, a risk rating is assigned using a likelihood and consequence matrix, additional controls are identified with reference to the hierarchy of controls, and the residual risk after implementation is documented.
Section 17 of the WHS Act requires a PCBU to manage risks to health and safety by eliminating the risk so far as is reasonably practicable, or if elimination is not reasonably practicable, by minimising the risk so far as is reasonably practicable using the hierarchy of controls. The hierarchy, codified in the WHS Regulations, ranks control measures from most effective to least effective: elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment. A PCBU risk assessment template operationalises these requirements by guiding the assessor through each step of the process and producing a documented record that can be reviewed, updated and made available to workers, health and safety representatives and regulators. Without a documented risk assessment, the PCBU has no evidence that they have turned their mind to the risks in their workplace and selected controls in accordance with the hierarchy.
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Benefits of using this pcbu risk assessment template
- WHS compliance: demonstrate compliance with the PCBU risk management duties under WHS Act Section 17 and WHS Regulations Part 3.1 by documenting the hazard identification, risk assessment and control selection process.
- Hierarchy of controls: ensure control measures are selected in accordance with the hierarchy of controls, prioritising elimination and substitution over administrative controls and PPE.
- Worker consultation: provide a documented basis for consulting with workers and health and safety representatives about workplace risks and the proposed controls, as required by the WHS Act.
- Residual risk transparency: clearly document the residual risk remaining after controls are implemented, so the PCBU, workers and officers can make informed decisions about whether the risk has been minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Review and continuous improvement: the template includes fields for review date, reviewer name and reason for review, ensuring risk assessments are kept current as conditions change.
- Due diligence support: provide officers of the PCBU with documented evidence that the business has appropriate risk management processes in place, supporting their personal due diligence duty under Section 27.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your assessments from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Escalate critical hazards instantly to safety managers via push notification.
- Maintain an auditable safety register that satisfies WHS regulator requests.
- Correlate incident trends across sites with built-in safety analytics.
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What to include in a pcbu risk assessment template
This pcbu risk assessment template covers 8 key areas:
- Assessment details: PCBU name, workplace or site, department or work area, activity or task being assessed, assessor name and role, date of assessment, review date.
- Hazard identification: description of each identified hazard, how the hazard could cause harm, who is at risk (workers, contractors, visitors, public), how the hazard was identified (inspection, incident report, worker consultation, observation).
- Existing controls: current control measures already in place for each hazard, documented with their type in the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering, administrative, PPE).
- Risk rating (inherent): likelihood and consequence assessment for each hazard before additional controls are applied, using a defined risk matrix (for example, 5x5 matrix producing risk levels of low, medium, high, extreme).
- Additional controls: control measures to be implemented to reduce the risk further, documented with their type in the hierarchy of controls, responsible person and target implementation date.
- Risk rating (residual): likelihood and consequence assessment for each hazard after all controls (existing and additional) are implemented, using the same risk matrix.
- Consultation record: names of workers, health and safety representatives or committees consulted during the risk assessment, date of consultation and summary of input received.
- Review and approval: review schedule (trigger-based and time-based), reviewer name, approver name and signature, date approved, version number.
How to use this pcbu risk assessment template
- Define the scope of the risk assessment, including the activity, task, process or work area being assessed, and identify the workers and other persons who may be affected.: Clearly describe the activity or process being assessed, including the location, the equipment and substances involved, and the people at risk. Consult with the workers who perform the task and any health and safety representatives for the work area. Review previous incident reports, near-miss reports and inspection findings related to the activity.
- Identify all hazards associated with the activity by conducting a walkthrough, reviewing incident data, consulting workers and examining Safe Work Australia guidance material.: Use multiple hazard identification methods to ensure completeness: physical walkthrough of the work area, review of incident and near-miss reports, consultation with workers and supervisors, review of Safety Data Sheets for chemical hazards, review of plant and equipment risk assessments, and reference to relevant Safe Work Australia codes of practice. Document each hazard with a clear description of how it could cause harm and who is at risk.
- Assess the risk for each hazard by determining the likelihood of harm occurring and the potential consequence, using the risk matrix to assign an inherent risk rating.: For each hazard, consider how likely it is that harm will occur (almost certain, likely, possible, unlikely, rare) and how severe the consequence could be (death, major injury, moderate injury, minor injury, negligible). Plot each hazard on the risk matrix to determine the inherent risk rating (extreme, high, medium, low). Where the risk is obvious and the control is clear, the WHS Regulations allow you to proceed directly to implementing controls without a formal risk rating.
- Select and document control measures using the hierarchy of controls, starting with elimination and working down through substitution, isolation, engineering, administrative and PPE.: For each hazard, consider whether the risk can be eliminated entirely. If elimination is not reasonably practicable, consider substitution (replacing the hazard with something less hazardous), isolation (separating people from the hazard), engineering controls (physical modifications to reduce the risk), administrative controls (procedures, training, signage, job rotation) and PPE (as a last resort). Document each control measure with its position in the hierarchy, the responsible person and the target implementation date.
- Determine the residual risk rating after controls are implemented, record the consultation undertaken, and set a review date for the risk assessment.: Re-assess the likelihood and consequence for each hazard assuming all controls (existing and additional) are implemented and functioning. Record the residual risk rating on the same matrix. If the residual risk remains high or extreme, consider whether further controls are reasonably practicable or whether the activity should be redesigned. Record the names of workers and representatives consulted, set a review date (typically annually or when triggered by a change), and have the assessment approved by the relevant manager or officer.
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Risk assessments must be reviewed and, if necessary, revised whenever there is a change in the work activity, process, equipment, substances, workplace layout or workforce that could affect the risk. The WHS Regulations require the PCBU to review controls when they become aware that a control is not effective, before a change that may introduce new risks, when a new hazard or risk is identified, when the results of consultation indicate a review is needed, or when a health and safety representative requests a review. As a minimum, risk assessments should be reviewed at least annually even if no specific trigger has occurred, to confirm that the assessment remains current and the controls are still effective. After a workplace incident or near miss related to the assessed activity, the risk assessment must be reviewed immediately to determine whether the controls failed or additional controls are needed.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- WHS Act 2011 Section 17 (Management of risks)
- WHS Act 2011 Section 19 (Primary duty of care)
- WHS Regulations 2011 Part 3.1 (Managing risks to health and safety)
- Safe Work Australia Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
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<p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#0E7490;margin:0;">Free template</p>
<p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">PCBU risk assessment template</p>
<ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Assessment details: PCBU name, workplace or site, department or work area, activity or task being assessed, assessor name and role, date of assessment, review date.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Hazard identification: description of each identified hazard, how the hazard could cause harm, who is at risk (workers, contractors, visitors, public), how the hazard was identified (inspection, incident report, worker consultation, observation).</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Existing controls: current control measures already in place for each hazard, documented with their type in the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering, administrative, PPE).</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Risk rating (inherent): likelihood and consequence assessment for each hazard before additional controls are applied, using a defined risk matrix (for example, 5x5 matrix producing risk levels of low, medium, high, extreme).</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Additional controls: control measures to be implemented to reduce the risk further, documented with their type in the hierarchy of controls, responsible person and target implementation date.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Risk rating (residual): likelihood and consequence assessment for each hazard after all controls (existing and additional) are implemented, using the same risk matrix.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/pcbu-risk-assessment-template" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">PCBU risk assessment template</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>Please keep the “by MapTrack” attribution link in the snippet.
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