Free take 5 / start work risk assessment
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Free Take 5 safety assessment form (PDF-ready). Five quick checks before any task: stop, look, assess, control, proceed. Download free.
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See the first part of the take 5 / start work risk assessment below. Download the full version above.
What is a take 5 / start work risk assessment?
A Take 5 (also known as a Take 5 for Safety, Start Work Risk Assessment or Personal Risk Assessment) is a quick, five-step process that a worker completes before starting any task. The five steps are: Stop (am I fit for work, physically, mentally, emotionally?), Look (what are the hazards around me?), Assess (what could go wrong and who could be harmed?), Control (what controls are in place, including elimination, substitution, engineering, admin, PPE?), and Proceed (is it safe to proceed? If not, do not start and report to your supervisor). Take 5 assessments are one of the most widely used safety tools on Australian construction, mining, manufacturing and industrial sites. They take only a few minutes and are designed to make workers stop and think before they act.
The Take 5 process puts risk assessment in the hands of the person closest to the hazard. Unlike a formal risk assessment that is completed at a desk, a Take 5 is done at the point of work immediately before the task begins. It bridges the gap between the written risk assessment or SWMS and the real-time conditions on the ground. Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice for How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks supports the use of brief, point-of-task risk assessments as a practical last line of defence.
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Benefits of using this take 5 / start work risk assessment
- Prevents complacency: forces workers to pause and think about hazards before starting a task, even familiar ones.
- Quick and simple: takes only a few minutes; designed for field use with minimal paperwork.
- Empowers workers: gives every worker the authority (and responsibility) to stop work if it is not safe.
- Covers the hierarchy of controls: prompts workers to consider elimination, substitution, engineering, admin and PPE controls.
- Regulatory compliance: demonstrates that workers have assessed risks before commencing work, supporting WHS obligations.
- Audit trail: signed Take 5 forms provide evidence that risk assessments were conducted for each task.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your checklists from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
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- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
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- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
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- 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 take 5 / start work risk assessment
This take 5 / start work risk assessment covers 9 key areas:
- Worker details: name, date, time and task/job description.
- Location/site: specific area where the task will be performed.
- Step 1: STOP: Am I fit for work? (physically, mentally, emotionally).
- Step 2: LOOK: What are the hazards? (checklist: fall, crush, electrical, heat, chemical, noise, confined space, moving plant, manual handling, other).
- Step 3: ASSESS: What could go wrong? Who could be harmed?
- Step 4: CONTROL: Controls in place (elimination, substitution, engineering, admin, PPE).
- Step 5: PROCEED: Safe to proceed? (Yes/No). If no - do not start, report to supervisor.
- Worker signature: worker sign-off confirming assessment completed.
- Supervisor sign-off: supervisor acknowledgement with date.
How to use this take 5 / start work risk assessment
- STOP: Before you start, ask yourself: Am I fit for work? Consider physical fitness, fatigue levels, mental state, emotional distractions, and whether you are under the influence of medication or other substances. Check that you have had adequate rest and hydration. If you are not fit to perform the task safely, do not begin. Report to your supervisor immediately so the task can be reassigned or rescheduled.
- LOOK: Physically scan your work area from ground level to overhead. Identify all hazards present, including fall risks, crush and pinch points, electrical sources, heat and cold exposure, chemical spills or fumes, excessive noise, confined spaces, moving plant and vehicles, manual handling demands, and slip or trip hazards. Tick each applicable hazard on the form. Look beyond the immediate task area and consider adjacent activities that could affect your safety.
- ASSESS: For each hazard you identified, assess what could go wrong and who could be harmed, including yourself, nearby workers, visitors and the public. Consider the likelihood of each scenario occurring and the severity of the potential consequence. Write a brief description of each risk scenario on the form so the assessment is documented and can be reviewed by your supervisor.
- CONTROL: Identify the controls in place to manage each hazard, working down the hierarchy of controls: elimination first, then substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and finally PPE. Verify that each control is actually in place and functioning, not just planned. If a required control is missing or inadequate, note it on the form and do not proceed until the gap is addressed. Common controls include barricading, lock-out, exclusion zones, signage and correct PPE selection.
- PROCEED: Review your completed assessment. Are all identified hazards adequately controlled? Is it safe to proceed with the task? If yes, sign the form and begin work. If any hazard remains uncontrolled or you have any doubt about safety, do not start. Report the issue to your supervisor immediately so additional controls can be put in place or the task method can be revised before work begins.
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Back to download formHow often should you complete this checklist?
A Take 5 should be completed before starting any task, activity or job, making it a pre-shift and pre-task requirement on most Australian worksites. Common trigger points include the start of each shift, before each new task, when moving to a different work area, after a break, when new equipment or materials are introduced, after a near miss or incident, and when weather or site conditions change. Many organisations mandate a Take 5 for every task, treating it as a non-negotiable step in the daily work routine.
On a periodic basis, supervisors should review completed Take 5 forms weekly to verify they are being filled out with genuine thought rather than as a tick-and-flick exercise. Monthly trend analysis of Take 5 data can reveal recurring hazards or areas where controls are consistently flagged as inadequate, feeding into the broader risk management process under ISO 45001:2018 Clause 6.1. Annually, the Take 5 form itself should be reviewed to ensure the hazard categories and control prompts remain relevant to the organisation's current activities and risk profile, in line with Safe Work Australia guidance on managing WHS risks.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- WHS Act 2011 (Section 19 - Primary duty of care)
- Safe Work Australia - Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
- ISO 45001:2018 Clause 6.1 - Actions to address risks and opportunities
- AS/NZS ISO 31000 - Risk management guidelines
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