Workplace Safety Risk Assessment for General Occupational Activities

Assessment Date: [DATE]

Assessor: [ASSESSOR NAME]

Department/Area: [DEPARTMENT/AREA]

Review Date: [REVIEW DATE]

1. Assessment Scope

This risk assessment covers routine workplace activities associated with general occupational safety management, including hazard identification, risk evaluation, control selection, mitigation planning, incident prevention, and ongoing monitoring of controls. It applies to normal operations and foreseeable non-routine conditions such as maintenance, cleaning, task changes, field-level work adjustments, and temporary changes in work conditions. The assessment is intended to support safe work planning across typical workplace environments where employees may be exposed to physical, ergonomic, chemical, environmental, and procedural hazards. It excludes detailed engineering design reviews, medical diagnosis, and site-specific administrative placeholders that must be completed by the employer after document generation. It also excludes hazards that are entirely unrelated to workplace operations or that require a separate specialist assessment unless they are identified during task-based review. [1] [1]

2. Risk Assessment Methodology

A task-based job hazard analysis approach was used, consistent with established risk assessment practice. The work is first broken into tasks or basic steps, hazards are identified for each step, and the likelihood and severity of harm are evaluated using a consistent qualitative scale. Controls are selected using the hierarchy of controls, beginning with elimination and progressing through substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. The assessment also considers non-routine conditions, field-level changes, incident history, worker feedback, inspections, and applicable legal requirements. A 5x5 risk matrix reference is included to support consistent risk ranking and prioritization. [1] [1] [2] [5]

3. Risk Matrix Reference

The following matrix is used to evaluate risk levels based on likelihood and severity:

		Likelihood
Rare	Unlikely	Possible	Likely	Almost Certain
Severity	Catastrophic	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low
Major	Low	Low	Low	Medium	Medium
Moderate	Low	Low	Medium	High	High
Minor	Low	Medium	High	High	Extreme
Negligible	Medium	High	High	Extreme	Extreme

4. Hazard Identification and Risk Evaluation

1. Slips, trips, and falls on the same level caused by wet floors, cluttered walkways, uneven surfaces, poor housekeeping, or temporary obstructions during work activities.

Potential Consequences: Workers may suffer sprains, fractures, head injuries, or secondary injuries from striking nearby objects. In severe cases, falls can result in lost-time injuries or long-term disability. [5] [5]

Affected Persons: Workers, supervisors, contractors, visitors, and any person moving through the work area.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: Remove unnecessary obstacles, spills, and trailing materials from walkways before work begins.
• Substitution: Use less slippery cleaning products or floor treatments where feasible.
• Engineering controls: Install anti-slip flooring, drainage improvements, mats, and physical barriers around wet areas.
• Administrative controls: Implement housekeeping standards, inspection routines, spill response procedures, and clear pedestrian routes.
• PPE: Provide slip-resistant footwear where exposure remains.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Minor	Low

2. Falls from height when working on ladders, platforms, roofs, elevated edges, or unguarded surfaces.

Potential Consequences: A fall from height can cause serious trauma, fractures, spinal injury, permanent disability, or fatality. [4] [4] [12]

Affected Persons: Workers performing elevated tasks, nearby workers, and persons below the work area.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• Elimination: Perform work from ground level whenever possible.
• Substitution: Use an elevating work platform or other safer access method instead of a ladder where appropriate.
• Engineering controls: Install guardrails, toe boards, fall arrest anchor points, and edge protection.
• Administrative controls: Require fall protection planning, competent supervision, pre-use inspections, safe access procedures, and rescue planning.
• PPE: Use a properly selected fall arrest or fall restraint system, along with head protection and suitable footwear.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	High

3. Struck-by hazards from moving vehicles, mobile equipment, carts, or suspended loads during material handling and site movement.

Potential Consequences: Impact injuries may include bruising, fractures, crush injuries, head trauma, or fatality if a person is pinned or struck by heavy equipment. [14]

Affected Persons: Operators, spotters, pedestrians, contractors, and visitors in shared work zones.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: Separate pedestrian activity from vehicle routes where possible.
• Substitution: Use smaller or less hazardous handling methods when feasible.
• Engineering controls: Install barriers, marked travel lanes, mirrors, alarms, and exclusion zones.
• Administrative controls: Use traffic management plans, spotters, speed limits, communication protocols, and restricted access controls.
• PPE: Require high-visibility clothing and task-appropriate protective footwear.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Moderate	Medium

4. Caught-in, caught-between, and entanglement hazards from unguarded machinery, rotating parts, pinch points, or moving components.

Potential Consequences: Workers may experience lacerations, amputations, crushing injuries, fractures, or fatal entrapment. [5] [14]

Affected Persons: Machine operators, maintenance personnel, cleaners, and nearby workers.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• Elimination: Remove the need for manual intervention near moving parts where possible.
• Substitution: Use safer tools or automated handling methods that reduce exposure to pinch points.
• Engineering controls: Install machine guards, interlocks, emergency stops, and physical barriers.
• Administrative controls: Apply lockout/tagout, safe work procedures, competency checks, and restricted maintenance access.
• PPE: Use task-specific PPE such as gloves, eye protection, and protective footwear where compatible with the task.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	High

5. Electrical hazards from damaged cords, exposed conductors, energized equipment, improper use of extension leads, or work near live circuits.

Potential Consequences: Exposure may cause electric shock, burns, arc flash injury, fire, or fatal electrocution. [5] [1]

Affected Persons: Electricians, maintenance staff, operators, contractors, and anyone working near energized equipment.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Catastrophic	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: De-energize equipment before work whenever possible.
• Substitution: Use low-voltage or battery-powered tools where appropriate.
• Engineering controls: Install grounding, circuit protection, insulation, covers, and lockable disconnects.
• Administrative controls: Require electrical permits, inspection of cords and tools, qualified-person work only, and lockout/tagout procedures.
• PPE: Use insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing, eye and face protection, and insulated footwear as required by the task.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Rare	Major	Medium

6. Manual handling and ergonomic strain from lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, repetitive motion, or awkward postures.

Potential Consequences: Workers may develop strains, sprains, musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, reduced productivity, and cumulative injury. [3]

Affected Persons: Workers performing material handling, assembly, cleaning, stocking, or repetitive tasks.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: Remove unnecessary manual handling by redesigning the task or workflow.
• Substitution: Use lighter materials, smaller containers, or pre-assembled components where feasible.
• Engineering controls: Provide carts, lift assists, adjustable workstations, and mechanical handling aids.
• Administrative controls: Rotate tasks, limit load weights, train on safe lifting techniques, and plan work to avoid awkward postures.
• PPE: Use grip-enhancing gloves or supportive footwear where appropriate, recognizing PPE does not replace ergonomic controls.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Minor	Medium

7. Exposure to hazardous substances such as cleaning chemicals, solvents, dusts, fumes, or vapors during storage, mixing, application, or cleanup.

Potential Consequences: Exposure may cause skin irritation, eye injury, respiratory irritation, poisoning, sensitization, or long-term occupational illness. [6] [6]

Affected Persons: Workers handling chemicals, nearby employees, cleaners, maintenance staff, and contractors.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: Avoid hazardous chemicals where a safer process or product can be used.
• Substitution: Replace more hazardous substances with less hazardous alternatives.
• Engineering controls: Use local exhaust ventilation, closed transfer systems, and secure storage cabinets.
• Administrative controls: Maintain SDS access, labeling, training, spill procedures, and restricted handling rules.
• PPE: Provide chemical-resistant gloves, eye and face protection, respiratory protection where required, and protective clothing.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Moderate	Medium

8. Noise exposure from machinery, tools, alarms, or production processes that may exceed safe exposure levels.

Potential Consequences: Prolonged exposure can cause temporary threshold shift, permanent hearing loss, communication failure, and increased incident risk due to reduced situational awareness. [10] [11]

Affected Persons: Operators, maintenance staff, nearby workers, and visitors in noisy areas.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: Remove or isolate noisy equipment where possible.
• Substitution: Select quieter tools, processes, or equipment.
• Engineering controls: Install enclosures, dampening materials, silencers, and barriers.
• Administrative controls: Limit exposure time, post hearing protection zones, and conduct noise monitoring.
• PPE: Provide hearing protection with suitable attenuation and ensure proper fit and use.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Minor	Medium

9. Fire, explosion, or thermal injury from ignition sources, flammable materials, hot work, or poor storage of combustibles.

Potential Consequences: Consequences may include burns, smoke inhalation, property damage, business interruption, and fatality. [5] [14]

Affected Persons: Workers, contractors, visitors, emergency responders, and persons in adjacent areas.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Catastrophic	High

Control Measures

• Elimination: Remove unnecessary ignition sources and combustible accumulations.
• Substitution: Use less flammable materials or lower-risk processes where feasible.
• Engineering controls: Install fire detection, suppression systems, ventilation, and segregated storage.
• Administrative controls: Apply hot work permits, housekeeping standards, emergency drills, and flammable storage procedures.
• PPE: Use flame-resistant clothing, gloves, eye protection, and other task-specific thermal protection.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Rare	Major	Medium

5. General Control Measures

• Establish a formal hazard identification and reporting process so workers can report unsafe conditions, near misses, and changing hazards promptly.

Use routine inspections, worker feedback, and incident reviews to identify hazards early and update controls before work continues. [5] [5]

• Apply the hierarchy of controls consistently before relying on personal protective equipment.

Prioritize elimination and engineering controls first, then administrative controls, and use PPE as the last line of defense. [2] [5]

• Maintain safe work procedures, task briefings, and field-level risk assessments for non-routine or changing conditions.

Review the task before work starts and repeat the assessment when weather, staffing, equipment, or site conditions change. [2] [3]

• Keep equipment, tools, and protective devices in safe working condition through inspection and maintenance.

Remove damaged equipment from service immediately and verify guards, alarms, ventilation, and emergency devices are functional. [10] [5]

• Ensure workers are informed of hazards and control measures relevant to their tasks.

Communicate the assessment results to workers and supervisors, and keep records of the assessment, controls, and training. [1] [13]

6. Emergency Preparedness

• Develop and communicate emergency response procedures for falls, electrical shock, fire, chemical exposure, and serious injury. Procedures should identify alarm methods, evacuation routes, assembly points, and escalation steps for contacting emergency services. [4] [1]
• Provide task-specific rescue planning for work at height so a suspended or injured worker can be reached quickly and safely. Rescue arrangements should be practiced and available before work begins. [4] [9]
• Maintain spill response supplies and procedures for chemical releases, including isolation of the area, ventilation where appropriate, and prompt cleanup by trained personnel. [6] [6]
• Ensure first aid resources, fire extinguishers, and emergency communication methods are available and accessible in the work area, and verify workers know how to use them. [10] [1]
• Stop work immediately when an uncontrolled hazard is identified, secure the area, and re-assess the task before resuming operations. [7] [2]

7. Training Requirements

• Task-Based Hazard Recognition Training: Workers and supervisors must be trained to identify hazards associated with their specific tasks, including slips, falls, struck-by hazards, caught-in hazards, electrical risks, chemical exposure, and ergonomic strain. Training should emphasize how to recognize changing conditions and when to stop work for reassessment. [3] [2]
  • Recognize task-specific hazards before starting work.
  • Report new hazards, near misses, and unsafe conditions immediately.
  • Understand when a field-level risk assessment is required.
• Hierarchy of Controls Training: Employees should understand the hierarchy of controls and why elimination and engineering controls are preferred over administrative controls and PPE. Training should reinforce that PPE is the last line of defense and must match the hazard. [5] [13]
  • Elimination and substitution are preferred where feasible.
  • Engineering controls reduce exposure by isolating the hazard.
  • PPE must be selected for the specific hazard and fit the worker properly.
• PPE Selection, Use, and Limitations: Workers must be trained on the correct selection, fit, inspection, use, care, and limitations of PPE required for their tasks. Training should cover when PPE is required, how to don and doff it, and when damaged PPE must be removed from service. [10] [10]
  • Use only PPE that matches the hazard.
  • Inspect PPE before each use.
  • Replace damaged or worn PPE promptly.
• Emergency Response and Rescue Training: Workers involved in higher-risk tasks should be trained in emergency procedures relevant to their work, including evacuation, spill response, fire response, first aid notification, and rescue planning for work at height or other high-consequence tasks. [4] [3]
  • Know alarm and evacuation procedures.
  • Understand rescue responsibilities and communication methods.
  • Practice emergency actions through drills or briefings.
• Safe Work Procedure and Equipment Training: Employees must be trained on safe operating procedures for tools, machinery, access equipment, and hazardous materials handling. Training should include pre-use inspections, guarding, lockout/tagout where applicable, and the correct use of work methods that reduce exposure. [5] [14]
  • Follow written procedures and supervisor instructions.
  • Use equipment only for its intended purpose.
  • Do not bypass guards or safety devices.

8. Monitoring and Review

Review Frequency: Annually, and immediately after incidents, near misses, significant process changes, new equipment introduction, or changes in work conditions.

Monitoring Type	Frequency	Responsible Party	Description
Regular Workplace Inspection	At least quarterly and whenever conditions change	Supervisors and trained workers	Inspect work areas, equipment, housekeeping, access routes, guarding, and PPE availability to confirm controls remain effective and to identify new hazards. [8] [8]
Field-Level Risk Assessment Review	Before non-routine work and at the start of each shift where conditions may change	Supervisor or competent person leading the task	Review the task steps, current hazards, weather, staffing, equipment condition, and site-specific changes before work begins and again if conditions change during the job. [2] [3]
Incident and Near-Miss Review	After every incident, near miss, or unsafe condition report	Supervisor, safety representative, and management	Investigate events to determine root causes, verify whether controls failed or were absent, and update the risk assessment and procedures as needed. [5]
PPE Inspection and Compliance Check	Daily before use and during routine supervision	Workers and supervisors	Confirm PPE is present, correctly fitted, in good condition, and used as required for the task. Remove damaged PPE from service immediately. [10] [10]
Control Effectiveness Audit	Annually and after significant process or equipment changes	Safety professional or competent management representative	Evaluate whether engineering, administrative, and PPE controls are reducing risk as intended and whether additional measures are needed. [1] [11]

9. Special Circumstances

• Weather conditions such as rain, ice, snow, heat, wind, or lightning can increase slip, fall, heat stress, visibility, and electrical risks. Work plans should be adjusted or suspended when conditions make controls ineffective. [1] [3]
• Night work or low-light conditions increase the likelihood of slips, struck-by incidents, and communication failures. Additional lighting, supervision, and traffic controls may be required. [2]
• Lone work increases response time in an emergency and may require check-in procedures, communication devices, and task restrictions for higher-risk activities. [1]
• Maintenance, shutdowns, and non-routine tasks often introduce higher exposure to energy sources, moving parts, and temporary hazards. These tasks require a fresh assessment before work starts. [1]
• Changes in staffing, contractor presence, or simultaneous operations can create interface hazards that must be coordinated through briefings and access control. [3] [14]

Approval and Sign-off

This risk assessment has been reviewed and approved by:

Assessor: _________________________ Date: __________

Manager/Supervisor: _________________________ Date: __________

Safety Representative: _________________________ Date: __________

This risk assessment must be reviewed annually, and immediately after incidents, near misses, significant process changes, new equipment introduction, or changes in work conditions. or when significant changes occur.

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