Electrician Risk Assessment Template (UK — EAWR 1989 & BS 7671)
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Written to our editorial standards
UK electrical work has its own regulatory regime — the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 plus BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 — and most generic risk-assessment templates ignore both. This builder produces electrician risk assessments aligned with EAWR 1989, HSG85 and the 18th Edition Amendment 2 wiring regs, with explicit routing for LOTO, dead-working presumption and live-work justification. Free first PDF, no card.
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
What does a UK electrician risk assessment need to cover?
It must record: the system voltage and earthing arrangement (TN-S, TN-C-S, TT, IT), the isolation point and lock-off / tag-out (LOTO) procedure under EAWR reg 12–14, dead-working as the default with reg 14 justification recorded if any live work is unavoidable, the safe system of work (permit-to-work for HV or live work), the test instrument and proving-dead sequence (GS38, prove-test-prove), arc-flash and shock risk, PPE rated to the task (insulated gloves, arc-rated overalls where applicable), and the BS 7671 inspection and test certification on completion.
Three failures get electrical RAMS rejected at induction
Electrical risk assessments get bounced for the same three reasons: dead-working isn't named as the default (so reg 14 isn't engaged), the prove-test-prove sequence is missing or generic ("test before touching"), and the LOTO arrangement doesn't name the isolation point or the responsible person holding the lock-off key. The Riskora wizard forces each before download. For the wider framework see UK risk assessment legal requirements.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora's electrical preset is built from the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, HSG85, HSG107 and BS 7671:2018+A2:2022. You confirm system voltage, earthing arrangement and scope, the builder produces the isolation / LOTO procedure, the dead-working presumption, the reg 14 live-work justification (if used), the GS38 test sequence and the certification block. The download mirrors the structure principal contractors and NICEIC assessors look for. Compare against the wider best UK risk assessment software.
Who it's for
- NICEIC / NAPIT / SELECT-registered electricians producing per-job RAMS
- Contracting firms documenting fixed-wire installation, alteration and EICR work
- Maintenance teams entering occupied buildings for board changes
- PV and EV-charge installers handling DC isolation and bonding
- Principal contractors reviewing electrical subcontractor documentation
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
RAMS for Electrical Contractors
The full method statement side of the pack — isolation sequence, test plan, handover.
Working at Height RAMS for Electricians
Trade-hazard angle when WAH is the dominant risk alongside the electrical scope.
Electrical Trade Hub
Index of electrical RAMS, hazard libraries and method statement templates.
Risk Assessment Examples (UK)
Worked examples showing the depth UK reviewers expect across construction trades.
UK Risk Assessment Legal Requirements
Where EAWR 1989 sits relative to MHSWR 1999 and CDM 2015.
Best UK Risk Assessment Software
How Riskora compares to HandsHQ, SafetyCulture and HASpod for electrical work.
Is dead-working always required under EAWR 1989?
Yes — dead-working is the legal default under reg 14. Live working is only permitted when (a) it is unreasonable in all the circumstances for it to be dead, AND (b) it is reasonable in all the circumstances for the person to be at work on or near it while it is live, AND (c) suitable precautions (including PPE) are taken. All three conditions must be met and recorded. 'It was quicker' is not a reg 14 justification.
What's the GS38 prove-test-prove sequence?
Before relying on a voltage indicator to confirm a circuit is dead, the tester must (1) prove the test instrument works on a known live source or proving unit, (2) test the circuit at all relevant conductors, (3) prove the instrument again on the known live source to confirm it didn't fail mid-test. The risk assessment should name the GS38-compliant tester and the proving unit / known live source by reference.
Does the assessment cover EICR / minor works certificates?
The risk assessment captures the safe system of work for the installation, alteration or inspection — it does not replace the BS 7671 certification (EIC for new installations, EICR for periodic inspection, MEIWC for minor works). The assessment should name which certificate type will be issued on completion and the NICEIC / NAPIT / SELECT registration of the issuing electrician.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Electric shock from a circuit assumed dead but still live
- •Arc flash on a fault during testing or switching
- •Burns from short-circuit current on tooling
- •Mechanical injury from spring-loaded gear during switching
- •Falls from height during board / containment / luminaire work
- •Manual handling — distribution boards, cable drums, transformers
What UK Law Actually Says
Direct quotes from the named regulations, with plain-English explanations of what each one means in practice.
Regulation 14, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
“No person shall be engaged in any work activity on or so near any live conductor (other than one suitably covered with insulating material so as to prevent danger) that danger may arise unless: (a) it is unreasonable in all the circumstances for it to be dead; and (b) it is reasonable in all the circumstances for him to be at work on or near it while it is live; and (c) suitable precautions (including where necessary the provision of suitable protective equipment) are taken to prevent injury.”
Reg 14 is the most important sentence in UK electrical safety. Dead-working is the default. Live work is permissible only when ALL THREE conditions are met and justified in writing — and 'time pressure' is not one of them. The assessment must record either the dead-working presumption, or the explicit reg 14 a/b/c justification.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →Regulations 12 & 13, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
“Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent electrical equipment, which has been made dead in order to prevent danger while work is carried out on or near that equipment, from becoming electrically charged during that work if danger may thereby arise. (Reg 13) Where necessary to prevent danger, adequate precautions shall be taken for the purpose of making dead.”
Regs 12–13 are the statutory basis for LOTO: making dead, isolating, and preventing re-energisation while work is in progress. The assessment must name the physical isolation point, the lock-off device and the responsible key holder — not just 'switch off MCB'.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →The Numbers Behind the Risk
Why this matters — the most recent published figures from the Health and Safety Executive and ONS.
~25 electrical fatalities per year in GB (5-year avg)
HSE statistics consistently record around 25 electricity-related worker fatalities per year in Great Britain across all industries, plus several hundred reportable major injuries from electric shock and burns. Most occur on systems that were thought to be isolated. The dead-working presumption under EAWR reg 14 is the single most effective control against this pattern.
Source: HSE — Electrical safety statistics →Construction = 38 fatalities in 2023/24
Electrical contact is consistently one of the top causes of fatal injury in construction after falls from height and being struck. HSE prosecution data routinely cites failure to isolate, failure to prove dead and inadequate LOTO as the dominant root causes.
Source: HSE — Construction statistics 2024 →Side-by-side: a 'quick' fault-find that turns into a prosecution
Weak example. Activity: "Investigate intermittent fault on lighting circuit". Hazard: "Electric shock". Control: "Electrician to test circuit and isolate if required". No reg 14 statement. No isolation point named. No proving sequence.
Why it fails. This is the documentary pattern behind a recurring class of HSE electrical prosecutions: a fault-find performed live "because it's only lighting" with no LOTO and no prove-test-prove. The assessment does not engage reg 14 (so live work is implicitly authorised without justification), does not name the isolation point (so LOTO cannot be audited), and does not specify the GS38 sequence (so a failed tester producing a false-dead reading is undetected).
Passing example. Activity: "Investigate intermittent fault on 3rd-floor lighting final circuit, board DB-03-A way 7, fault present at end of distribution". Isolation: "Way 7 MCB padlocked off with red personal padlock (LE-03), key on lead, tag fitted; isolation confirmed by all-pole prove-test-prove with Megger MFT1741 + MTB7671 proving unit before any cover is removed". Reg 14: "Work is being carried out dead under EAWR reg 14 default; no live-work justification required." Re-energisation: "Lock-off removed by lead electrician only on completion of insulation-resistance test and visual continuity check." The difference is the explicit dead-working statement, the named isolation point and the GS38 sequence — none of which take more than 30 seconds to record.
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1. No EAWR reg 14 statement on the assessment
Why it fails: Without an explicit dead-working presumption (or written live-work justification meeting reg 14 a/b/c), the document implicitly authorises live work with no basis in law.
Fix: The wizard adds a default 'work to be carried out dead under EAWR reg 14' line. If live work is genuinely unavoidable, it forces a/b/c justification before download.
2. LOTO described as 'switch off MCB' with no named point or key holder
Why it fails: EAWR regs 12–13 require precautions to prevent re-energisation while work is in progress. An unnamed isolator and unowned padlock provide neither.
Fix: Capture the physical isolation point by board reference, the padlock ID, the key holder by name and the site padlock register entry.
3. GS38 prove-test-prove missing or generic
Why it fails: A voltage indicator that has failed silently mid-test will report a circuit as dead when it isn't. Without prove-test-prove the failure is undetected and a fatality is a tester-fault away.
Fix: Name the test instrument and proving unit (or known live source); record the sequence as a three-step proof, not 'test before touching'.
4. Mixing the assessment with the BS 7671 certificate
Why it fails: The risk assessment is the safe-system-of-work document; the EIC / MEIWC / EICR is the installation certificate under BS 7671. They serve different audiences and have different retention.
Fix: Keep them separate. The assessment names which certificate type will be issued; the certificate is generated and retained alongside under the installer's registration.
Worked example: weekend distribution-board change-out in an occupied office
Scope. Replace one 250A TP&N distribution board feeding the third floor of an occupied commercial office. TN-C-S earthing. Weekend shutdown agreed with FM. Two NICEIC-registered electricians (Reg. nos. on file) and one improver. Work to BS 7671:2018+A2:2022. 16-hour window Saturday 06:00 – Sunday 02:00.
Isolation. Isolate at the third-floor sub-main switch-fuse at the riser cupboard (identified as SF-03-A on the schematic, photo ref attached). Open switch, withdraw fuses, padlock the isolator with the lead electrician's padlock (RED-LE-01); key retained on lead's person, recorded in site padlock register. Tag "Do not operate — work in progress" with date and lead's name. Secondary lock-off MCB at incoming feed.
Dead-working. Default dead-working under EAWR reg 14. No live-work justification required for this scope. Prove-test-prove on all conductors at the board termination using Megger MFT1741 (cal. cert in date) and Megger MTB7671 proving unit (proven before and after every test). Sequence recorded line-by-line on the certification sheet, not just ticked.
Adjacent live equipment. Sub-main remains live up to the isolator. Insulated barriers fitted around the live section before board cover is removed. Insulated tools (1000V VDE) used throughout. Class 0 insulated gloves available but not the primary control — the board is proven dead before manual access.
Re-energisation. EIC raised before re-energisation; insulation resistance, ZS, RCD test results recorded; lock-off removed only by lead electrician; building FM informed of re-energisation; circuit chart updated and posted on the board door.
Why it supports a competent review. The assessment names the isolation point and padlock by reference, confirms dead-working as the default under reg 14, sequences GS38 prove-test-prove with the specific instruments, identifies adjacent live equipment and the engineered barrier, and ties certification (EIC) to re-energisation. There is no "test before touching" hand-wave.
From example to your own document
The wizard above starts you on the same structure as the worked example. Two-line description, confirm voltage and scope, name your isolation point, and the builder produces the LOTO sequence, GS38 prove-test-prove block, reg 14 wording (if live work is unavoidable) and certification reminder. First PDF is free, no card.
For the matching method statement see RAMS for electrical contractors, or the trade-hazard variant at working at height RAMS for electricians.
Key Features
- Dead-working as default; reg 14 live-work justification path
- Isolation / LOTO schedule (point, padlock, key holder, padlock register)
- GS38 prove-test-prove sequence with named instrument & proving unit
- System routing: LV / HV / DC PV / EV-charge
- Earthing arrangement capture (TN-S, TN-C-S, TT, IT)
- BS 7671 certification reminder (EIC / MEIWC / EICR)
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Activity: scope, voltage, system type, location, programme
- Isolation point: physical location, identification, sketch reference
- LOTO procedure: padlock, MCB lock-off, tag, key holder, multi-lock hasp if multi-trade
- Dead-working presumption stated; reg 14 justification recorded if not
- Proving sequence: instrument model, proving unit / known live source, three-step proof
- Permit-to-work reference (HV or unavoidable live work only)
- PPE: insulated gloves to relevant class, arc-rated clothing where required
- Test and certification plan (EIC, MEIWC, EICR) and registration body
- Competency: registration number per operative + accompanying mate qualification
- Inspection and supervision arrangement
- Sign-off and review trigger
Common Questions Before Getting Started
Will this take long?
Under 5 minutes. Select your trade, pick hazards, download.
Is it complicated?
No training needed. The guided builder walks you through every step.
Do I need experience?
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Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, sign-off and higher limits.
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All documents generated by Riskora should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site. Riskora provides structured templates — professional judgement is always required.
What your RAMS actually contains
Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.
Hazards
Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old RAMS.
Controls
Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.
PPE
PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.
Method steps
Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.
Emergency arrangements
First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.
COSHH prompts
Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.
Sign-off
Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.
Version history
Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.
Approval status
Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.
Audit trail
Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.
From copied-and-pasted to site-specific
The reason RAMS get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.
Generic template copied from an old job.
- • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
- • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
- • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
- • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.
- • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
- • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
- • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
- • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
From job details to signed-off document
A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.
- 1Paste job details
Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.
- 2Riskora structures the document
Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.
- 3Review, edit and download
You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.
- 4Brief the team and record sign-off
Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.
Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites
Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.
- Built for contractors, consultants and teams
Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow. - Supports multiple countries
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard. - Not just documents
Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Describe your job — your draft is one paragraph away.
No training. No complex setup. Just select your trade and go.
References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.