Free Take 5 / start work risk assessment
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A Take 5 risk assessment is a quick five-step safety check completed before starting any task, stop, look, assess, control, proceed. This page explains what to include, how to use the form, and offers a free PDF-ready template you can download and use straight away. No sign-up required.
Last updated: 2026-02-21 · MapTrack
Commercial Director
How to use: Fill worker and task details → work through each step (Stop, Look, Assess, Control, Proceed) → if safe to proceed, sign and start work → save as PDF (Print → Save as PDF in your browser).
- ✓ PDF-ready. Open and print to PDF
- ✓ Covers five steps: stop, look, assess, control, proceed
- ✓ Free to use with or without MapTrack
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See the first part of the form below. Enter your email above to download the full Take 5 risk assessment form (PDF-ready).
What is a Take 5 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 - elimination, substitution, engineering, admin, PPE?), and Proceed (is it safe to proceed? If not, do not start - 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.
Benefits of using a Take 5 form
- 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 from paper or static PDFs to digital forms in 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).
Book a demo to see digital Take 5 assessments and safety forms in MapTrack.
What to include in a Take 5 form
Our free Take 5 risk assessment form includes:
- 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 complete a Take 5
- STOP: Before you start, ask yourself: Am I fit for work? Am I fatigued, distracted, rushed or under the influence of medication? If not fit, report to your supervisor.
- LOOK: Look around your work area. Identify all hazards - falls, crush points, electrical, heat, chemicals, noise, confined spaces, moving plant, manual handling, slips/trips. Tick each hazard that applies.
- ASSESS: For each hazard, assess what could go wrong and who could be harmed. Write a brief description.
- CONTROL: Identify the controls in place to manage each hazard. Work down the hierarchy: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE.
- PROCEED: Are all hazards controlled? Is it safe to proceed? If yes, sign and start work. If no, do not start - report to your supervisor immediately.
In MapTrack, workers can complete digital Take 5 forms on their phone by scanning a QR code. Supervisors get automatic alerts if a worker marks "not safe to proceed". All forms are stored digitally and linked to the relevant asset or location. Book a demo to see how.
Get the free template
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Back to download formWhen to complete a Take 5
A Take 5 should be completed before starting any task, activity or job - especially when the task, environment or conditions have changed. Common trigger points include: at the start of each shift, before each new task, when moving to a different location, after a break, when new equipment or materials are introduced, after a near miss or incident, or when weather conditions change. Many organisations require a Take 5 for every task. The principle is simple: stop and think before you act. If you are unsure whether it is safe to proceed, do not start - report to your supervisor.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Take 5 safety assessment?
- A Take 5 (also called a Take 5 for Safety, Start Work Risk Assessment or Personal Risk Assessment) is a quick, five-step process completed by a worker before starting any task. The five steps are: Stop (am I fit for work?), Look (what are the hazards?), Assess (what could go wrong and who could be harmed?), Control (what controls are in place or needed?), and Proceed (is it safe to proceed?). If it is not safe to proceed, the worker must stop and report to their supervisor. Take 5 assessments take only a few minutes and are one of the most widely used safety tools on Australian construction, mining and industrial sites.
- When should a Take 5 be completed?
- A Take 5 should be completed before starting any new task, when conditions change (e.g. weather, new equipment, different location), at the start of a shift, when returning from a break, or whenever a worker feels uncertain about the safety of a task. Many organisations require a Take 5 before every task. The goal is to pause, think about hazards and controls, and only proceed when it is safe to do so.
- What hazards does a Take 5 cover?
- A Take 5 covers all hazards relevant to the task being performed. Common hazard categories include falls from height, crush and pinch points, electrical, heat and cold stress, chemical exposure, noise, confined spaces, moving plant and vehicles, manual handling, slip/trip hazards and working alone. The worker selects the hazards relevant to their specific task and environment, then identifies the controls in place to manage each hazard.
- Is the template free to use without MapTrack?
- Yes. You can download and use the Take 5 risk assessment form for free. Open the file and use your browser's Print → Save as PDF to keep a copy. No MapTrack account required. If you later want digital Take 5 forms on mobile with QR codes, automatic alerts and evidence attached to each asset or location, we'd be happy to show you MapTrack.
Need digital Take 5 forms on mobile?
Build Take 5 forms in MapTrack. Workers scan a QR code on their phone, complete the assessment in minutes, and supervisors get automatic alerts if a worker marks "not safe to proceed". All forms are stored digitally, ready for any audit.