A sample page of the actual document
A risk assessment is the legal record that proves you spotted the hazards in your actual workplace and did something about them; if someone is injured, it is the first document an inspector or court asks to see. The gaps that cause real harm are almost always the ones nobody wrote down, so a generic template that names no location, no real hazards and no controls protects no one and defends nothing.
This free risk assessment template walks the HSE's five steps: spot the hazards, decide who might be harmed and how, put sensible controls in place, record what you found, and review it when things change. Download it free, no card needed.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3242), Reg 3 (suitable and sufficient assessment), Reg 3(6) (written-record threshold of 5 employees), Reg 7 (competent person); Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/2792), Regs 2 and 4, with HSE guidance L26 and hse.gov.uk DSE work-routine guidance (5 to 10 minute break per 50 to 60 minutes); Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541), Arts 9 and 18, as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, with the recording duty in force from 1 October 2023; Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1471), Regs 4 and 12 (over-7-day reportable within 15 days vs over-3-day recordable); HSE guidance INDG163 (Risk assessment) and the HSE Management Standards for work-related stress.
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What’s on it
Everything that matters, nothing that does not. Here is the full list, exactly as it appears on the template.
Good to know
The written-record duty does not apply to every employer: under Regulation 3(6) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 it only starts once you have 5 or more employees. Below that there is no legal duty to write it down (though it is good practice). The catch runs the other way too: at 5 or more, the written record must specifically name any groups at heightened risk, and informal arrangements no longer count. Note the separate fire rule: since 1 October 2023 the fire risk assessment must be recorded regardless of how many people you employ.
Source: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3242), Reg 3 (suitable and sufficient assessment), Reg 3(6) (written-record threshold of 5 employees), Reg 7 (competent person); Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/2792), Regs 2 and 4, with HSE guidance L26 and hse.gov.uk DSE work-routine guidance (5 to 10 minute break per 50 to 60 minutes); Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541), Arts 9 and 18, as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, with the recording duty in force from 1 October 2023; Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1471), Regs 4 and 12 (over-7-day reportable within 15 days vs over-3-day recordable); HSE guidance INDG163 (Risk assessment) and the HSE Management Standards for work-related stress.
Good to know
Yes. The download is free and it is the full template, not a sample. If you want the matching daily version with a place to sign every shift, the Daily Risk Assessment is available as a single, and the sector packs include the full set for your kind of place.
Identify the hazards; decide who might be harmed and how; evaluate the risks and decide on control measures; record your significant findings; and review the assessment when anything changes. That is the structure HSE guidance describes, and it is exactly how this template is laid out.
A risk assessment is the legal record that proves you spotted the hazards in your actual workplace and did something about them; if someone is injured, it is the first document an inspector or court asks to see. The gaps that cause real harm are almost always the ones nobody wrote down, so a generic template that names no location, no real hazards and no controls protects no one and defends nothing.
The written-record duty does not apply to every employer: under Regulation 3(6) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 it only starts once you have 5 or more employees. Below that there is no legal duty to write it down (though it is good practice). The catch runs the other way too: at 5 or more, the written record must specifically name any groups at heightened risk, and informal arrangements no longer count. Note the separate fire rule: since 1 October 2023 the fire risk assessment must be recorded regardless of how many people you employ.
The PDF downloads the moment you check out, prints sharp in black and white, and opens on any phone. It is reviewed for August 2026 and you get any future update free when the official guidance changes.
A discharged or depressurised extinguisher found during a real fire is no better than having no extinguisher at all. The monthly visual check catches the common pre-failure states (lost pressure, broken tamper seal, blocked access, overdue service) before they matter, and it gives the responsible person the maintenance records the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires.
A fire door only works if it closes fully, latches, and seals the gaps; one door that fails to do that lets smoke and fire spread through a building in minutes and removes people's time to escape. These checks catch the specific, common failures (props, blown gaps, missing closers, painted-up seals) that turn a survivable fire into a fatal one.
An under-stocked or expired first aid kit means the person treating an injury reaches for a dressing and finds an empty slot, a perished wrapper, or latex gloves that trigger an allergic reaction. A regular documented check fixes that in advance and gives an HSE or Ofsted inspector evidence that your first aid provision is genuinely maintained, not just present.