five or more people, they must record the significant findings. (HSE)

Risk Assessments for UK Businesses

Simple, Sensible and Legally Required

Every business has risks.

The important question is whether you have identified them, assessed them properly and taken sensible steps to control them.

A risk assessment helps you understand what could cause harm in your business, who could be affected, and what you need to do to keep people safe.

For directors, managers and business owners, risk assessments are not just paperwork. They are a key part of managing your legal duties, protecting your staff and showing that your business takes health and safety seriously.

At Safety is the Key Ltd, we make risk assessments clear, practical and relevant to your business.

Simple. Sensible. Safe.

Why Do You Need Risk Assessments?

UK employers have a legal duty to protect employees and others from harm.

This means you must identify hazards, consider who could be harmed, assess the level of risk and put suitable control measures in place.

If your business has five or more employees, you must record the significant findings of your risk assessments in writing.

That written evidence matters.

If there is an accident, complaint, insurance claim, client audit or visit from an inspector, your risk assessments may be one of the first things you are asked to provide.

A good risk assessment helps you answer three simple questions:

  • What could go wrong?
  • Who could be harmed?
  • What are we doing to prevent it?

If your current assessments do not answer those questions clearly, they may need reviewing.

What Must You Assess?

You must assess the health and safety risks created by your business activities.

This includes risks to:

  • Employees
  • Contractors
  • Visitors
  • Customers
  • Members of the public
  • Anyone else who may be affected by your work

The level of detail should be proportionate to the level of risk.

A small office will not need the same type of assessment as a construction site, warehouse, workshop, care setting or manufacturing business. However, every business still needs to consider the real risks that could cause harm.

If the Inspector Calls

If an HSE inspector, fire officer, insurer, auditor or client asks for evidence, you need to be able to show that your risk assessments are suitable, sufficient and up to date.

That does not mean producing complicated documents.

It means having clear records that show:

  • The hazards have been identified
  • The people at risk have been considered
  • Sensible controls are in place
  • Further actions have been recorded
  • Responsibilities are clear
  • Reviews are being carried out

Good records can make a significant difference after an incident or inspection.

If your risk assessments are missing, outdated or too generic, now is a sensible time to review them.

Who Can Carry Out a Risk Assessment?

A risk assessment should be carried out by someone competent.

That could be someone within your business who understands the work, equipment, premises and people involved.

It could also be an external health and safety consultant with suitable training, knowledge and experience.

The key point is that the person carrying out the assessment must understand the hazards, the risks and the controls needed.

At Safety is the Key Ltd, we write thousands of risk assessments every year for businesses across different sectors. We know how to keep them clear, relevant and proportionate.

Typical Risk Assessments Businesses May Need

The risk assessments your business needs will depend on what you do, where you work and who could be affected.

Common risk assessment topics include:

  • Workplace activities
  • Offices and premises
  • Fire safety
  • Manual handling
  • COSHH and hazardous substances
  • Legionella
  • Asbestos
  • Lone working
  • Display screen equipment
  • Workplace transport
  • Work at height
  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Young workers
  • Pregnant workers
  • Dust
  • Noise
  • Vibration
  • Machinery
  • Tools and equipment
  • Contractors
  • Maintenance work
  • Cleaning activities
  • Public access areas

You may not need all of these, but you do need the right assessments for your business.

We can help you identify what applies, what is missing and what should be prioritised.

How We Help

Safety is the Key Ltd provides practical risk assessment support for businesses that want clear and reliable health and safety documents.

We can:

  • Review your existing risk assessments
  • Identify gaps
  • Write new risk assessments
  • Update outdated documents
  • Provide task-specific assessments
  • Help with workplace inspections
  • Provide health and safety training
  • Support directors, managers and supervisors

Our aim is to make risk assessments useful, not complicated.

You will receive clear documents that your team can understand and use.

Need Risk Assessments for Your Business?

If you are unsure whether your risk assessments are suitable, sufficient or up to date, we can help.

Send us what you already have, or speak to us about your business activities, and we will guide you through the next sensible step.

Call: 020 8406 5039
Email: info@safetyisthekey.co.uk

Safety is the Key — Simple. Sensible. Safety.

Common Types of Risk Assessments Made Simple

Know What Applies to Your Business

Every workplace has risks.

The challenge is knowing which risk assessments apply to your business, what needs to be recorded, and how to manage everything without drowning in paperwork.

That is where our Simple. Sensible. Safe. approach helps.

At Safety is the Key Ltd, we help businesses, landlords, schools and organisations identify the risk assessments they need and make them clear, practical and easy to review.

Why Risk Assessments Matter

Risk assessments are not just a paperwork exercise.

They help you identify hazards, protect people, comply with the law and show that your business is taking health and safety seriously.

If you are responsible for a shop, office, factory, workshop, warehouse, hotel, restaurant, school, care home, garage, HMO, construction project or commercial premises, you are likely to need suitable risk assessments.

The right assessments help answer three important questions:

  • What could cause harm?
  • Who could be affected?
  • What are we doing to control the risk?

If your current assessments are missing, outdated or difficult to understand, we can help you put things right.

Common Risk Assessments We Support

Different businesses need different assessments. You may not need every assessment listed below, but you do need the ones that apply to your work, premises, people and activities.

Fire Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for many premises.

It considers fire hazards, people at risk, escape routes, fire alarms, emergency lighting, signage, fire doors, firefighting equipment and staff training.

Fire risk assessments are especially important for:

  • Commercial premises
  • HMOs
  • Schools
  • Care settings
  • Shared buildings
  • Blocks of flats
  • Hospitality venues
  • Warehouses and workshops

If your fire risk assessment is old, generic or has not been reviewed for some time, it may be worth checking whether it is still suitable.

COSHH Assessments

COSHH assessments are required where hazardous substances are used or created.

This can include cleaning products, paints, adhesives, solvents, dusts, fumes, oils, sprays, chemicals and industrial substances.

A COSHH assessment helps identify:

  • What substances are being used
  • Who could be exposed
  • How exposure could happen
  • What control measures are needed
  • How substances should be stored, used and disposed of safely
  • What PPE may be required

If your staff use chemicals or products with hazard symbols, your COSHH arrangements should be reviewed.

DSE Assessments

Display Screen Equipment assessments, often called DSE assessments, apply to people who regularly use screens as part of their work.

This includes office staff, remote workers, hybrid workers, administrators, managers and school office teams.

A DSE assessment considers:

  • Chair and desk setup
  • Screen position
  • Keyboard and mouse use
  • Glare and lighting
  • Posture
  • Breaks and work patterns
  • Homeworking arrangements

DSE assessments are a simple way to help reduce discomfort, poor posture and workstation-related problems.

Manual Handling Assessments

Manual handling includes lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying and moving loads by hand or bodily force.

A manual handling assessment helps reduce the risk of back injuries, strains and musculoskeletal problems.

It considers:

  • The task
  • The load
  • The working environment
  • The individual carrying out the work
  • How often the activity is carried out
  • Whether mechanical aids or changes to the task are needed

HSE guidance says employers must protect workers from the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling. (HSE)

First Aid Needs Assessment

Every workplace needs suitable first aid arrangements.

A first aid needs assessment helps decide what is appropriate for your business. This may include first aiders, appointed persons, first aid boxes, travel kits, defibrillators and emergency procedures.

The assessment should consider:

  • The number of employees
  • The type of work carried out
  • The level of risk
  • Shift patterns
  • Lone workers
  • Remote workers
  • Visitors and members of the public
  • Distance from emergency services

If your business has changed size, location or risk profile, your first aid arrangements may need updating.

PPE Assessments

Personal Protective Equipment should be suitable for the task, the person and the risk.

A PPE assessment helps confirm that the correct equipment is selected, provided, used, stored, maintained and replaced when needed.

This may include:

  • Gloves
  • Eye protection
  • Safety footwear
  • Hearing protection
  • Respiratory protective equipment
  • High-visibility clothing
  • Fall protection equipment
  • Protective clothing

PPE should usually be the last line of defence, not the only control measure.

Lone Working Assessments

Lone working applies when someone works by themselves without close or direct supervision.

This can include cleaners, maintenance workers, delivery drivers, security staff, mobile workers, remote workers and people opening or closing premises alone.

A lone working assessment should consider:

  • Communication arrangements
  • Emergency procedures
  • Supervision
  • Violence and aggression risks
  • Travel arrangements
  • Medical issues
  • High-risk tasks
  • Check-in systems

If someone works alone, even for part of the day, the risks should be properly assessed.

Workplace Transport Assessments

If vehicles move around your site, there may be a risk to pedestrians, drivers, visitors and contractors.

Workplace transport assessments can apply to forklifts, vans, cars, delivery vehicles, lorries, bicycles, powered pallet trucks and other moving vehicles.

The assessment may consider:

  • Vehicle routes
  • Pedestrian walkways
  • Reversing
  • Loading and unloading
  • Speed limits
  • Visibility
  • Segregation
  • Signage
  • Driver competence
  • Vehicle maintenance

Simple changes to layout, supervision and traffic management can significantly reduce risk.

Young Person Risk Assessments

If you employ anyone under 18, you must consider their age, maturity, experience and understanding of risk.

Young person risk assessments are particularly important for apprentices, work experience students, part-time workers and young employees.

The assessment should consider:

  • Supervision
  • Training
  • Restricted tasks
  • Exposure to hazardous substances
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Manual handling
  • Working hours
  • Emergency arrangements

Young workers often need clearer instruction, closer supervision and carefully controlled tasks.

Pregnant Worker Risk Assessments

When an employee notifies you that they are pregnant, have given birth in the last six months, or are breastfeeding, you may need to review the workplace risks that could affect them.

This can include:

  • Manual handling
  • Standing or sitting for long periods
  • Workstation setup
  • Chemicals
  • Stress
  • Fatigue
  • Temperature
  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Emergency evacuation
  • Lone working
  • Shift patterns

The assessment should be reviewed as the pregnancy progresses or if work circumstances change.

Work at Height Assessments

Work at height means any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury.

This includes work on ladders, steps, scaffolds, towers, podiums, roofs, mezzanines, platforms and vehicles.

A work at height assessment should consider:

  • Whether the work at height can be avoided
  • The right equipment for the task
  • Fall prevention
  • Edge protection
  • Ground conditions
  • Access and egress
  • Weather conditions
  • Fragile surfaces
  • Training and supervision
  • Rescue arrangements

Even short-duration work at height needs to be properly planned.

How We Help

Our health and safety support packages help take the confusion out of risk assessments.

We provide:

  • Clear, ready-to-use forms and checklists
  • Practical risk assessments written for your business
  • Sector-specific guidance for schools, landlords and SMEs
  • Help with reviewing and updating existing assessments
  • Advice on how to store and manage your documents
  • Guidance on when assessments should be reviewed
  • Support after changes, incidents, audits or inspections
  • Training for managers, supervisors and employees

Our aim is simple: to help you meet your duties and protect your people without unnecessary jargon or overcomplicated documents.

Not Sure Which Assessments You Need?

You do not need to guess.

We can review your business, premises, work activities and current documents, then help you identify what is required, what is missing and what should be prioritised.

Risk assessments should be useful, understandable and proportionate.

Let’s make safety simple.

Call: 020 8406 5039
Email: info@safetyisthekey.co.uk

Safety is the Key — Simple. Sensible. Safety.