Construction Risk Assessment Template (UK)
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The structure of a risk assessment that holds up under HSE and CDM 2015 scrutiny — what every section must contain, the rejection patterns we see, and a free guided builder that writes a site-specific risk assessment for your project in 5 minutes. Built around UK construction trades; no card needed, no template to edit, finished PDF on the same screen.
Designed for: Construction contractors, site supervisors, principal contractors, and health & safety officers
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
Full version
Complete Guide to Risk Assessment (UK)
What is a Risk Assessment?
A construction risk assessment is a systematic process for identifying hazards on a construction site, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining the control measures needed to reduce risk to an acceptable level. It forms the foundation of safe working on any construction project and is a legal requirement under UK health and safety law.
When is it legally required?
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, all employers and self-employed persons must carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments. For construction projects, CDM 2015 places additional duties on clients, designers, principal designers, principal contractors, and contractors to manage risks throughout the project lifecycle. A risk assessment must be completed before any construction activity begins.
Who is responsible?
The employer or self-employed contractor carrying out the work is responsible for the risk assessment. On multi-contractor sites, the principal contractor coordinates risk management across all parties. Individual contractors must still assess risks for their own work activities. The assessment must be carried out by a competent person — someone with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to identify hazards and evaluate risks.
Where is it commonly used?
Construction risk assessments are used on every type of construction project in the UK — from domestic extensions and loft conversions to major infrastructure projects. They are required for new builds, refurbishments, demolitions, maintenance work, and temporary works. Clients, local authorities, and building control bodies routinely request risk assessments as part of project documentation.
What a Complete Risk Assessment Includes
- Site and project identification details
- List of all work activities and phases
- Hazard identification for each activity
- Pre-control risk ratings (likelihood × severity)
- Control measures following the hierarchy of controls
- Post-control residual risk ratings
- PPE requirements by activity
- Named responsible persons for each control measure
- Monitoring and review schedule
- Competent person sign-off and approval date
What's included in this template
Site and Project Details
Location, client, principal contractor, and project scope.
Hazard Identification
Comprehensive list of construction hazards by work phase.
Risk Matrix
Likelihood × severity scoring with pre-control and post-control ratings.
Control Measures
Hierarchy of controls — elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE.
PPE Schedule
Required protective equipment for each activity and area.
Residual Risk Assessment
Risk ratings after control measures have been applied.
Monitoring and Review
Review dates, responsible persons, and update triggers.
Sign-Off
Prepared by, reviewed by, and authorised by with dates.
UK Requirements and Best Practice
Legal expectations
- ● Risk assessments must be 'suitable and sufficient' under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- ● Employers with 5 or more employees must record their risk assessments
- ● CDM 2015 requires contractors to plan, manage, and monitor health and safety on construction projects
- ● The hierarchy of controls must be followed — elimination first, PPE as last resort
- ● Young workers, new starters, and vulnerable persons may require additional assessment
What inspectors typically look for
- ● Evidence that the assessment is specific to the site and task — not a generic copy
- ● Hazards identified for each work phase, not just a general list
- ● Control measures that are practical, specific, and assigned to named persons
- ● Risk scores applied both before and after controls to demonstrate risk reduction
- ● Evidence of worker consultation and briefing on the assessment findings
- ● Review dates and evidence of updates following changes or incidents
Common compliance mistakes
- Copying a risk assessment from a previous project without adapting it to the current site
- Not scoring risks — inspectors expect to see numerical or categorical risk ratings
- Listing only PPE as a control measure without considering higher-order controls
- Failing to assess risks for all phases of work, including set-up and demobilisation
- Not recording who carried out the assessment and when it was last reviewed
- Ignoring environmental hazards such as noise, dust, and contaminated ground
Example Use Cases
Housing development — groundworks phase
A principal contractor is managing the groundworks phase of a 50-unit housing development. The risk assessment covers excavation for foundations, piling operations, temporary works, and coordination with utility connections. Hazards include trench collapse, buried services, noise exposure from piling, and vehicle-pedestrian segregation. Control measures include shoring systems, CAT/Genny scanning, hearing protection zones, and a traffic management plan with banksmen.
Commercial refurbishment — occupied building
A fit-out contractor is refurbishing office floors in an occupied commercial building. The risk assessment addresses working alongside building occupants, dust and noise control, manual handling of materials through corridors, and hot works for pipe modifications. Controls include hoarding to segregate work areas, out-of-hours noisy work, dust suppression, and a hot work permit system with fire watches.
Domestic extension — small contractor
A small building firm is constructing a single-storey rear extension. The risk assessment covers excavation for strip foundations, bricklaying at height, roof work, and electrical first fix. The assessment identifies limited site access as a constraint and includes controls for manual handling of materials, scaffold specifications, and coordination with a structural engineer for steelwork installation.
How to use this template
- 1
Open the free builder
Choose a construction preset — Riskora loads the matrix, hierarchy of controls and section structure shown on this page.
- 2
Enter project information
Complete site address, client details, and scope of works.
- 3
Identify construction hazards
Walk the site mentally or physically — list every hazard relevant to the planned work.
- 4
Score each risk
Use the 5×5 risk matrix to rate likelihood and severity before controls.
- 5
Define control measures
For each hazard, describe specific, practical controls following the hierarchy.
- 6
Reassess residual risk
Score each risk again after controls to confirm it's acceptable.
- 7
Get sign-off
Have the document reviewed by a competent person before work starts.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Copying hazards from another project without checking site-specific conditions
- Not scoring risks both before and after controls
- Listing PPE as the only control measure — always consider elimination first
- Failing to name responsible persons for each control measure
- Not reviewing the assessment when work phases change
Share or Use This Template
This Risk Assessment template is free to use and share. Feel free to reference it with your team, include it in training materials, or link to it from your own resources.
Why templates have limitations
Templates provide a solid starting point, but they require manual editing to match your specific site conditions, hazards, and work activities. This can be time-consuming and important site-specific risks may be missed if sections are left generic.
For projects where accuracy and speed matter, many contractors prefer tools that generate structured documents automatically based on real project inputs.
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Riskora creates fully structured Risk Assessment documents in under 5 minutes. Select your trade, choose your hazards, and download — no manual editing required.
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Related templates and guides
Templates and documents should be reviewed by a competent person before use. Riskora provides tools to assist in the preparation of safety documentation — final responsibility rests with the user and their organisation.