Free take 5 / start work risk assessment

Free Take 5 safety assessment form (PDF-ready). Five quick checks before any task: stop, look, assess, control, proceed. Download free.

Updated 3 May 2026

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Updated 3 May 2026

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Short answer

A Take 5 is a pocket risk assessment a worker completes at the point of work before starting a task: stop, look, assess, control, proceed. It records fitness for work, hazards, controls and the decision to start or stop. Complete one before each task and when conditions change. The model WHS Act does not name the Take 5; it is one way to manage risk under section 19.

Checked against Model WHS Act (Model WHS Bill as at 5 December 2025 (includes the Model WHS Legislation Amendment (Incident Notification) 2025)) on 26 October 2026 by the MapTrack templates team. How we check templates

Key takeaways

The model WHS Act does not name the Take 5. It supports the section 19 primary duty to ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable.
Eliminate the risk where reasonably practicable (s 17); otherwise reg 36 sets the order: substitution, isolation and engineering, then administrative controls, then PPE.
If any hazard is uncontrolled, the worker does not start and reports to the supervisor, and the card records that decision.
A Take 5 does not replace a SWMS: reg 299 requires one before high risk construction work starts.
Reg 38 requires controls to be reviewed when they fail or a new hazard is found, so repeated flags on Take 5 cards should trigger a review.

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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: How to manage work health and safety risks sets out four steps: identify hazards, assess risks, control risks and review control measures. A Take 5 applies those steps at the point of work, just before the task starts.

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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.

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Email safety managers when a hazard report is submitted, with an automation you set up.
Keep every hazard and incident report against the site it came from, with photos.
Turn a hazard report into a corrective-action work order with its own review step.

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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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How 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.

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Frequently asked questions

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.

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.

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.

Yes. Download and use the Take 5 risk assessment form for free. It downloads as a ready-to-print PDF. No MapTrack account is required. Many organisations print pocket-sized Take 5 cards for field use. If you want to go digital, MapTrack lets workers complete Take 5 assessments on their mobile devices with automatic GPS location, photo attachments and supervisor notifications when a worker indicates it is not safe to proceed.

The WHS Act 2011 does not specifically mandate a Take 5 by name. However, Section 19 requires the PCBU to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers are provided with information, training, instruction and supervision necessary to protect them from risks to their health and safety. A Take 5 is one of the most practical and widely accepted methods for meeting that obligation at the point of work. Safe Work Australia's Code of Practice on managing WHS risks sets out a process to identify hazards, assess and control risks and review the controls, and a Take 5 applies that process just before a task starts.

Do not start the task. Report the issue to the supervisor straight away, so additional controls can be put in place or the task method revised before work begins. The same applies at the Control step: if a required control is missing or inadequate, note it on the form and do not proceed until the gap is fixed. Only sign the form and start once every identified hazard is adequately controlled.

Review completed Take 5 forms weekly to check they are being filled out with genuine thought. Look at the data monthly for recurring hazards or controls that are repeatedly flagged as inadequate, and feed those trends into the wider risk management process. Once a year, review the form itself so its hazard categories and control prompts still match the work and risks the organisation actually has.

A formal risk assessment is usually completed at a desk before the work. A Take 5 is done at the point of work, immediately before the task starts, by the person closest to the hazard. It bridges the gap between the written risk assessment or SWMS and the real conditions on the ground that day, such as weather, nearby trades or equipment that has changed since the paperwork was written.

Applicable regulatory standards

This template is a starting point. Check the current requirements that apply to your equipment, work and location. The template alone does not establish compliance.

Standards and regulations this template relies on
Standard	Edition	Clauses this template relies on	Source
Model Work Health and Safety Act (Model Work Health and Safety Bill)The primary duty and the duty to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable, which a point-of-work check supports.	Model WHS Bill as at 5 December 2025 (includes the Model WHS Legislation Amendment (Incident Notification) 2025)	s 17: Duty holders must eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable, or otherwise minimise them. s 19: Primary duty of care: a PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others, including safe plant, systems, training and supervision.	Safe Work Australia (drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel's Committee)
Model Work Health and Safety RegulationsThe risk management process, the hierarchy of controls the Control step follows, and when control measures must be reviewed.	Model WHS Regulations as at 5 December 2025 (cited within as the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011)	Part 3.1: Managing risks to health and safety: identify hazards, eliminate or minimise risks using the hierarchy of controls, maintain and review controls. reg 36: Hierarchy of control measures: substitution, isolation and engineering controls first, then administrative controls, then personal protective equipment. reg 38: Control measures must be reviewed and revised as necessary, including when they fail, before changes creating new risks, for new hazards, after consultation, or on a qualifying representative's request.	Safe Work Australia (drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel's Committee)
Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risksModel Code on identifying hazards, assessing risks and controlling them, the same steps the Take 5 compresses.	November 2024 version (first published December 2011; revised 2018)	Section 2: Step 1 of the risk management process: how to identify hazards. Section 3: Step 2 of the risk management process: how to assess risks. Section 4: Step 3: how to control risks, including the hierarchy of control measures and keeping controls effective.	Safe Work Australia
Occupational health and safety management systems - Requirements with guidance for useManagement system clause on hazard identification and actions to address risks, where Take 5 trends can feed in.	ISO 45001:2018 (Edition 1) with Amd 1:2024 (climate action changes)	6.1: Actions to address risks and opportunities, including hazard identification and assessment.	International Organization for Standardization (ISO)Sold by the publisher
Risk management - GuidelinesThe current Australian adoption of ISO 31000:2018 risk management guidelines, which replaced AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009.	AS ISO 31000:2018	Whole instrument	Standards AustraliaSold by the publisher

Model Work Health and Safety Act (Model Work Health and Safety Bill)
Edition: Model WHS Bill as at 5 December 2025 (includes the Model WHS Legislation Amendment (Incident Notification) 2025)
The primary duty and the duty to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable, which a point-of-work check supports.
- s 17: Duty holders must eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable, or otherwise minimise them.
- s 19: Primary duty of care: a PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others, including safe plant, systems, training and supervision.
Safe Work Australia (drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel's Committee)
Model Work Health and Safety Regulations
Edition: Model WHS Regulations as at 5 December 2025 (cited within as the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011)
The risk management process, the hierarchy of controls the Control step follows, and when control measures must be reviewed.
- Part 3.1: Managing risks to health and safety: identify hazards, eliminate or minimise risks using the hierarchy of controls, maintain and review controls.
- reg 36: Hierarchy of control measures: substitution, isolation and engineering controls first, then administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.
- reg 38: Control measures must be reviewed and revised as necessary, including when they fail, before changes creating new risks, for new hazards, after consultation, or on a qualifying representative's request.
Safe Work Australia (drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel's Committee)
Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks
Edition: November 2024 version (first published December 2011; revised 2018)
Model Code on identifying hazards, assessing risks and controlling them, the same steps the Take 5 compresses.
- Section 2: Step 1 of the risk management process: how to identify hazards.
- Section 3: Step 2 of the risk management process: how to assess risks.
- Section 4: Step 3: how to control risks, including the hierarchy of control measures and keeping controls effective.
Safe Work Australia
Occupational health and safety management systems - Requirements with guidance for use
Edition: ISO 45001:2018 (Edition 1) with Amd 1:2024 (climate action changes)
Management system clause on hazard identification and actions to address risks, where Take 5 trends can feed in.
- 6.1: Actions to address risks and opportunities, including hazard identification and assessment.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)Sold by the publisher
Risk management - Guidelines
Edition: AS ISO 31000:2018
The current Australian adoption of ISO 31000:2018 risk management guidelines, which replaced AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009.
Standards AustraliaSold by the publisher

Each source was read at its publisher and the page checked on 26 October 2026. The publisher's current text is the authority.

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  <p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#071D49;margin:0;">Free template</p>
  <p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Take 5 / start work risk assessment</p>
  <ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Worker details: name, date, time and task/job description.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Location/site: specific area where the task will be performed.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Step 1: STOP: Am I fit for work? (physically, mentally, emotionally).</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Step 2: LOOK: What are the hazards? (checklist: fall, crush, electrical, heat, chemical, noise, confined space, moving plant, manual handling, other).</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Step 3: ASSESS: What could go wrong? Who could be harmed?</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Step 4: CONTROL: Controls in place (elimination, substitution, engineering, admin, PPE).</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/take-5-risk-assessment" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Take 5 / start work risk assessment</a> by MapTrack</p>
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What is a take 5 / start work risk assessment?

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What to include in a take 5 / start work risk assessment

How to use this take 5 / start work risk assessment

How often should you complete this checklist?

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Frequently asked questions

What is a Take 5 safety assessment?

When should a Take 5 be completed?

What hazards does a Take 5 cover?

Is the Take 5 form free to use without MapTrack?

Is a Take 5 a legal requirement under Australian WHS law?

What should a worker do if the Take 5 shows it is not safe to proceed?

How do supervisors stop Take 5s becoming a tick and flick exercise?

How is a Take 5 different from a formal risk assessment or SWMS?

Applicable regulatory standards

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