Small Business Risk Assessment UK

If you run a small business in the UK, risk assessments are a legal requirement — regardless of your size. The duties apply from your very first employee. What changes with size is the recording requirement, not the obligation to assess.

This guide explains exactly what small businesses need to do, without the complexity aimed at large organisations.

Legal requirements by business size

• Self-employed with no employees — you must assess risks to yourself and others affected by your work, but you don't need to record it (though it's strongly recommended)
• 1–4 employees — you must carry out risk assessments but are not legally required to record the findings. In practice, recording them is essential for demonstrating compliance.
• 5+ employees — you must record the significant findings of your risk assessments. This is a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

For the complete legal framework, see our detailed guide on risk assessment legal requirements in the UK.

What a small business risk assessment should include

1. Identify the hazards — walk through your workplace and note anything that could cause harm. Think about the work itself, the environment, the equipment, and the substances used.
2. Decide who might be harmed — employees, visitors, contractors, delivery drivers, members of the public.
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on controls — for each hazard, how likely is it to cause harm and how serious could it be? What are you already doing, and is it enough?
4. Record your findings — even if you have fewer than five employees, write it down. It takes minutes and protects you enormously.
5. Review regularly — see our guide on how often risk assessments should be reviewed.

Common mistakes small businesses make

• Not doing one at all — "we're too small" is not a legal defence
• Doing it once and filing it — risk assessments must be living documents, reviewed when things change
• Making it too complicated — proportionality is key. A small painting firm doesn't need a 40-page risk assessment.
• Ignoring non-routine tasks — occasional activities like cleaning gutters or moving heavy stock still need assessing
• Not involving workers — your employees know the risks of their daily work better than anyone

For contractors and trades, combining risk assessments with method statements into a RAMS document is the industry standard. A risk assessment generator makes this straightforward even without dedicated safety staff.

See also: RAMS for small businesses.

Create your RAMS instantly with Riskora →