How to write a risk assessment people actually read

A long document in a drawer protects nobody. Five habits for risk assessments that change how work is done.

Many risk assessments are written to satisfy an auditor, filed and never read by the people doing the work. A good risk assessment is a practical tool. These habits help.

1. Walk the job first

Write it after watching the task and talking to the people who do it — not from a template at a desk.

2. Be specific

“Take care when lifting” controls nothing. “Use the vacuum lifter for slabs over 20 kg” does.

3. Follow the hierarchy of controls

Show that you considered elimination, substitution and engineering controls before relying on procedures and PPE.

4. Keep it short and visual

Put the critical controls on one page. Use photos of the actual task and equipment.

5. Brief it and review it

Talk the team through it before work starts, and update it whenever the job, the people or the conditions change — or after any incident or near miss.

Our risk assessment courses build these skills step by step.