What does the WHS Act require for risk management?

The WHS Act 2011 Section 17 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. The WHS Regulations Part 3.1 expand on this by requiring the PCBU to identify hazards, assess the risks (if not already obvious), implement control measures using the hierarchy of controls and review those controls regularly. The hierarchy of controls ranks measures from most effective to least effective: elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.

How often must a PCBU review risk assessments?

The WHS Regulations require review whenever a control is found to be ineffective, before a change that may introduce new risks, when a new hazard or risk is identified, when consultation indicates a review is needed, or when a health and safety representative requests one. As a minimum, reviews should occur at least annually. After an incident or near miss related to the assessed activity, the risk assessment must be reviewed immediately to determine whether controls were adequate and whether additional measures are needed.

What is the hierarchy of controls under the WHS Regulations?

The hierarchy of controls ranks risk control measures from most effective to least effective: elimination (remove the hazard entirely), substitution (replace with something less hazardous), isolation (separate people from the hazard), engineering controls (physical modifications such as guarding, ventilation or barriers), administrative controls (procedures, training, signage, job rotation) and personal protective equipment (PPE such as gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection). The PCBU must work through the hierarchy from top to bottom, implementing the highest-level control that is reasonably practicable for each hazard.

Do workers need to be consulted during risk assessments?

Yes. The WHS Act requires a PCBU to consult with workers who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a health and safety matter, including risk assessments and the selection of control measures. Consultation must be genuine and must occur before decisions are made. If the workers are represented by a health and safety representative, the consultation must involve that representative. The risk assessment template should record who was consulted, when the consultation occurred and what input was received.

What is the difference between a PCBU risk assessment and a JSA?

A PCBU risk assessment is a broad-based assessment of hazards and risks associated with an activity, process or work area, documented at the organisational level and reviewed periodically. A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a task-specific breakdown that divides a job into individual steps and identifies the hazards and controls for each step, typically completed before the specific task begins. Risk assessments inform the overall control strategy; JSAs apply that strategy to a specific task on a specific day. Both are important and complementary tools in a WHS management system.

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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.

Jarrod Milford

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.

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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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How often should you complete this assessment?

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

What does the WHS Act require for risk management?: The WHS Act 2011 Section 17 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. The WHS Regulations Part 3.1 expand on this by requiring the PCBU to identify hazards, assess the risks (if not already obvious), implement control measures using the hierarchy of controls and review those controls regularly. The hierarchy of controls ranks measures from most effective to least effective: elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.
How often must a PCBU review risk assessments?: The WHS Regulations require review whenever a control is found to be ineffective, before a change that may introduce new risks, when a new hazard or risk is identified, when consultation indicates a review is needed, or when a health and safety representative requests one. As a minimum, reviews should occur at least annually. After an incident or near miss related to the assessed activity, the risk assessment must be reviewed immediately to determine whether controls were adequate and whether additional measures are needed.
What is the hierarchy of controls under the WHS Regulations?: The hierarchy of controls ranks risk control measures from most effective to least effective: elimination (remove the hazard entirely), substitution (replace with something less hazardous), isolation (separate people from the hazard), engineering controls (physical modifications such as guarding, ventilation or barriers), administrative controls (procedures, training, signage, job rotation) and personal protective equipment (PPE such as gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection). The PCBU must work through the hierarchy from top to bottom, implementing the highest-level control that is reasonably practicable for each hazard.
Do workers need to be consulted during risk assessments?: Yes. The WHS Act requires a PCBU to consult with workers who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a health and safety matter, including risk assessments and the selection of control measures. Consultation must be genuine and must occur before decisions are made. If the workers are represented by a health and safety representative, the consultation must involve that representative. The risk assessment template should record who was consulted, when the consultation occurred and what input was received.
What is the difference between a PCBU risk assessment and a JSA?: A PCBU risk assessment is a broad-based assessment of hazards and risks associated with an activity, process or work area, documented at the organisational level and reviewed periodically. A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a task-specific breakdown that divides a job into individual steps and identifies the hazards and controls for each step, typically completed before the specific task begins. Risk assessments inform the overall control strategy; JSAs apply that strategy to a specific task on a specific day. Both are important and complementary tools in a WHS management system.

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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