Risk Assessment Examples for 6 UK Workplaces (Filled In)

A risk assessment example shows the level of detail HSE expects: each hazard, who could be harmed and how, what you already do about it, and what still needs doing. Below are filled-in examples for six common UK workplaces, written in HSE's format. Use them to see what "good" looks like, then build your own with our free risk assessment template, which follows the same headings and saves a Word or PDF copy.

Every employer must assess the risks to their staff and anyone affected by their work, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. If you employ five or more people, you must also write down the significant findings.

One warning first. HSE is clear that copying an example and putting your company name on it does not meet the law. These examples are starting points. Walk round your premises, talk to the people who do the work, and delete or add rows until it describes your workplace.

The format: HSE's five steps

1. Identify the hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on controls.
4. Record your findings and put them into practice.
5. Review the assessment, and update it when anything changes.

Each example below shows a few typical rows, including a first aid row, because every workplace needs one.

1. Office

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	Controls in place	Further action
Slips and trips	Staff and visitors: trailing cables, wet kitchen floor	Cable tidies; spills cleaned at once; good lighting	Add a "wet floor" sign to the kitchen
Display screen equipment	Staff: neck, back and eye strain	Workstation checks for new starters; adjustable chairs	Offer eye tests to regular screen users
Fire	Everyone: smoke and burns	Fire risk assessment; alarm tested weekly; clear exits	Fire drill this quarter
Injury or sudden illness	Anyone on site, including visitors	Trained first aider on each floor; stocked first aid kit; first aid needs assessment	Cover first aiders' leave and part-time days

2. Warehouse

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	Controls in place	Further action
Lift trucks and pedestrians	Staff and drivers: collisions, crush injuries	Marked walkways; trained, authorised drivers; speed limits	Add a barrier at the main crossing point
Manual handling	Staff: back injuries from lifting	Lifting aids; team lifts over a set weight; training	Review the heaviest pick lines
Falls from height	Staff: racking access	Ladders inspected; no climbing racking	Replace two damaged step ladders
Injury or sudden illness	Anyone on site, including drivers	First aiders on every shift; defibrillator by reception	Check cover on nights and weekends

3. Nursery

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	Controls in place	Further action
Choking	Children: food and small objects	Food cut to size; staff in the room while children eat; small items stored out of reach	Refresh choking drills each term
Allergies	Children: severe reactions	Allergy list in every room; care plans; adrenaline auto-injectors in date	Monthly check of auto-injector expiry dates
Outings	Children: road traffic, getting lost	Outings risk assessed; ratios kept; register taken	Add a headcount at every stop
Injury or sudden illness	Children and staff	Full paediatric first aid certificate holder on site and on outings, as the EYFS requires	Book renewals before certificates expire

4. Care home

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	Controls in place	Further action
Moving and handling residents	Staff and residents: injuries during transfers	Hoists serviced; care plans set out handling needs; training	Two staff on every hoist transfer
Falls	Residents: fractures	Falls risk assessed on admission; sensor mats; good lighting	Review residents after any fall
Infection	Residents and staff	Cleaning schedules; hand hygiene; personal protective equipment	Audit hand hygiene monthly
Injury or sudden illness	Residents, staff and visitors	First aiders on every shift; defibrillator; emergency procedures	Practise the cardiac arrest response

5. Restaurant kitchen

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	Controls in place	Further action
Burns and scalds	Kitchen staff: hot oil, steam, ovens	Training; oven gloves; no running; fryer lids	Fit a splash guard on the fryer
Knives	Kitchen staff: cuts	Knives kept sharp and stored safely; training	Add a cut-resistant glove for slicing
Slips	Staff: wet and greasy floors	Non-slip flooring; spills cleaned at once; suitable footwear	Deep-clean the floor weekly
Injury or sudden illness	Staff and customers	First aider on each service; burns dressings in the kit	Add a burns dressing check to the closing list

6. Construction site

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	Controls in place	Further action
Work at height	Workers: falls from scaffolds and ladders	Scaffold inspected and tagged; edge protection; trained workers	Weekly scaffold inspection recorded
Moving vehicles and plant	Workers and public: struck by vehicles	Banksman for reversing; segregated routes; site hoarding	Review the delivery route
Dust and noise	Workers: lung damage, hearing loss	Water suppression; extraction; hearing protection	Health surveillance for exposed workers
Injury or sudden illness	Workers and visitors	First aiders matched to the size and risk of the site; first aid kits; site emergency plan	Confirm the nearest A&E and the site's access point for ambulances

Construction sites usually need more first aid cover than offices of the same size, because the hazards are higher and help can be further away. Our guide to first aid on construction sites sets out what the law requires.

Make it your own

1. Start from our free risk assessment template. Choose your type of workplace, tick the hazards that apply and edit the suggested controls.
2. Add first aid properly. Your risk assessment shows what could go wrong. Our first aid needs calculator and needs assessment guide turn that into the number of first aiders, the training and the equipment you need.
3. Review it after any accident, near miss or change, and set a date to look at it again.

When your assessment shows you need trained first aiders, we deliver Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work on site for up to 12 staff per session, anywhere in England. Request a free quote and we will reply within 24 hours.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Use HSE's guidance on managing risk alongside it.