What are the 5 steps of risk assessment?

The five steps are: (1) Identify hazards, look at the task, environment, equipment and people to find anything that could cause harm. (2) Assess the risk, use a likelihood and consequence matrix to rate each hazard. (3) Control the risk, apply controls following the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE). (4) Record the findings, document hazards, risk ratings, controls and residual risk in the assessment form. (5) Review and update, revisit the assessment when conditions change, after incidents or at scheduled intervals.

Who should complete a risk assessment?

Under the model WHS Act, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has the primary duty to identify and manage risks. In practice, the risk assessment is usually completed by a competent person with knowledge of the task, such as a supervisor, site safety officer or team leader, in consultation with the workers who will perform the work. Workers who are familiar with the day-to-day hazards of the task should always be involved, as they often identify risks that others miss.

How often should risk assessments be reviewed?

Risk assessments should be reviewed whenever there is a change in the task, equipment, environment or personnel. They should also be reviewed after an incident, near miss or hazard report related to the assessed activity. Beyond these triggers, most organisations schedule periodic reviews, commonly every 6 to 12 months, to ensure controls remain effective and the assessment reflects current conditions. Safe Work Australia recommends reviewing risk assessments as part of your ongoing risk management process.

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

A risk assessment is a broad hazard identification and risk evaluation process that can apply to a workplace area, project, piece of equipment or general activity. A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a specific type of risk assessment that breaks a single task into sequential steps and identifies the hazards and controls for each step. In short, a risk assessment looks at risk across a broader scope, while a JSA focuses on the step-by-step hazards of one particular job. Many organisations use both: risk assessments for overall planning and JSAs for individual high-risk tasks.

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Free risk assessment template (PDF). Covers hazard identification, likelihood and consequence matrix, controls and residual risk rating.

Last updated: 2026-04-09

Jarrod Milford

Commercial Director

Updated 9 April 2026

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What is a risk assessment template?

A risk assessment is a systematic process for identifying hazards in the workplace, evaluating the likelihood and consequence of each hazard, and determining what controls are needed to eliminate or minimise the risk of harm. Under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act administered by Safe Work Australia, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others affected by the work. Risk assessments are one of the primary tools for meeting this duty.

The assessment considers the full scope of a task, work area or project rather than focusing on a single job step. It looks at physical hazards (plant, equipment, manual handling), chemical hazards (substances, fumes, dust), biological hazards (mould, bacteria), ergonomic hazards (repetitive movements, workstation design) and psychosocial hazards (fatigue, stress, bullying). Once hazards are identified, each is rated using a risk matrix that combines likelihood and consequence to produce an overall risk level. Controls are then applied following the hierarchy of controls, and the residual risk after controls is recorded.

The completed risk assessment is shared with workers, kept on file for audits and reviewed whenever conditions change. It forms a core part of your safety management system and provides documented evidence that risks have been identified and managed.

Benefits of using this risk assessment template

Consistent process: - a standardised template ensures every assessment follows the same structure, regardless of who completes it. This reduces the chance of hazards being overlooked.
WHS compliance: - demonstrates that your organisation has identified, assessed and controlled risks as required under the model WHS Act and Regulations. A completed risk assessment is a key compliance record.
Proactive hazard identification: - forces teams to think through hazards before work starts, not after an incident has occurred. This shifts the focus from reactive to preventive safety management.
Clear risk prioritisation: - the likelihood and consequence matrix provides an objective way to rank risks, so resources are directed to the highest-priority items first.
Documented audit trail: - a signed, dated risk assessment provides evidence of your risk management decisions for regulators, clients and internal audits.
Continuous improvement: - reviewing past assessments over time reveals trends, recurring hazards and opportunities to improve controls and reduce incidents.

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What to include in a risk assessment template

This risk assessment template covers 9 key areas:

Assessment details: title or description of the task, area or project being assessed, location, date and the name of the person conducting the assessment.
Hazard identification: a description of each hazard identified, the potential harm it could cause and who is at risk (workers, visitors, public).
Existing controls: any controls already in place before the assessment, such as guarding, signage, training or PPE.
Risk rating (inherent): the risk level before additional controls are applied, calculated using a likelihood and consequence matrix (see below).
Additional control measures: new controls to be implemented, documented using the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE).
Residual risk rating: the risk level after all controls (existing and additional) are applied. This shows whether the remaining risk is acceptable.
Responsible person: who is accountable for implementing each control measure and by when.
Review date: the scheduled date for the next review of the assessment, or the trigger events that would require an earlier review.
Sign-off: signatures of the assessor, supervisor or manager, and any workers consulted during the process.

Frequently asked questions

What is a risk assessment template?: A risk assessment template is a structured form used to identify workplace hazards, evaluate the likelihood and consequence of each hazard, determine the overall risk level and document the control measures needed to eliminate or minimise the risk. It provides a consistent, repeatable process that helps organisations meet their duty of care under Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation. The completed form becomes a record of the risk management decisions made for a specific task, area or project.
What are the 5 steps of risk assessment?: The five steps are: (1) Identify hazards, look at the task, environment, equipment and people to find anything that could cause harm. (2) Assess the risk, use a likelihood and consequence matrix to rate each hazard. (3) Control the risk, apply controls following the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE). (4) Record the findings, document hazards, risk ratings, controls and residual risk in the assessment form. (5) Review and update, revisit the assessment when conditions change, after incidents or at scheduled intervals.
Who should complete a risk assessment?: Under the model WHS Act, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has the primary duty to identify and manage risks. In practice, the risk assessment is usually completed by a competent person with knowledge of the task, such as a supervisor, site safety officer or team leader, in consultation with the workers who will perform the work. Workers who are familiar with the day-to-day hazards of the task should always be involved, as they often identify risks that others miss.
How often should risk assessments be reviewed?: Risk assessments should be reviewed whenever there is a change in the task, equipment, environment or personnel. They should also be reviewed after an incident, near miss or hazard report related to the assessed activity. Beyond these triggers, most organisations schedule periodic reviews, commonly every 6 to 12 months, to ensure controls remain effective and the assessment reflects current conditions. Safe Work Australia recommends reviewing risk assessments as part of your ongoing risk management process.
What is the difference between a risk assessment and a JSA?: A risk assessment is a broad hazard identification and risk evaluation process that can apply to a workplace area, project, piece of equipment or general activity. A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a specific type of risk assessment that breaks a single task into sequential steps and identifies the hazards and controls for each step. In short, a risk assessment looks at risk across a broader scope, while a JSA focuses on the step-by-step hazards of one particular job. Many organisations use both: risk assessments for overall planning and JSAs for individual high-risk tasks.

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