Who Needs a Risk Assessment in the UK?
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Almost everyone who works needs a risk assessment. But the rules differ depending on whether you're an employer, self-employed, or a contractor. Here's a clear breakdown of who is legally required to carry out risk assessments in the UK.
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.
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Who legally needs a risk assessment in the UK?
All employers must carry out risk assessments under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Self-employed persons must also assess risks if their work could affect others. If you employ 5 or more people, you must record the significant findings in writing.
The Rules Are Simple — The Confusion Isn't
The legal requirement is straightforward: if you employ anyone, you must assess risks. But construction adds complexity — CDM 2015 creates additional duties for clients, principal designers, principal contractors, and contractors. Understanding who is responsible for what prevents gaps in documentation. Understanding the complete guide to RAMS in the UK helps frame why proper documentation matters.
How Riskora Helps
Whether you're an employer with 50 staff or a sole trader working on commercial sites, Riskora helps you produce structured risk assessments quickly. The guided builder covers the hazards relevant to your trade and produces documentation that meets the expectations of principal contractors and the HSE. You can also use our standalone risk assessment builder or method statement tool.
Who it's for
- Employers with any number of staff
- Self-employed contractors on commercial sites
- Principal contractors managing subcontractors
- Small business owners in construction
- Anyone working under CDM 2015
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
What Is a RAMS Document?
The complete guide to RAMS — what they contain, who needs them, and why they matter.
How to Write a RAMS Document
Step-by-step guidance on structuring a professional RAMS document.
UK Legal Requirements
What UK law requires for risk assessments and safety documentation.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment
Clarify when you need a full RAMS versus a standalone risk assessment.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment — Key Differences
When you need a full RAMS versus a standalone risk assessment, and how the two documents work together.
Construction Safety Documents Explained
An overview of the key safety documents required on UK construction sites and how they relate to each other.
Do self-employed people need risk assessments?
Self-employed persons must assess risks if their work could affect the health and safety of others — including clients, site visitors, or members of the public. While they don't legally need to write it down (unless employing others), most clients and principal contractors require written documentation.
What happens if I don't have a risk assessment?
Failure to carry out a risk assessment can result in: HSE enforcement notices, fines (unlimited for serious breaches), prosecution of directors or responsible persons, increased liability in accident claims, and being excluded from sites by principal contractors.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Assuming self-employed means no documentation needed
- •Not recording assessments when employing 5+ people
- •Failing to assess risks for specific site conditions
- •Not reviewing assessments when circumstances change
Key Features
- Structured risk assessment output
- Pre-loaded construction hazards
- Suitable for all business sizes
- Meets UK regulatory expectations
- Clean PDF download
- Under 5 minutes per document
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Employers (any size): Must assess risks for all work activities
- Employers (5+): Must record significant findings in writing
- Self-employed: Must assess if work affects others
- Contractors under CDM: Must produce risk assessments for their work
- Principal contractors: Must ensure all contractors have assessments
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?
If you know what work you're doing, you can use Riskora.
Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, DOCX, sign-off and higher limits.
Create your RAMS in under 5 minutes
No onboarding or setup needed — start generating documents instantly
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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
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No training. No complex setup. Just select your trade and go.
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References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
Create your who needs a RAMS free — preview before sign-up
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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.