General Risk Assessment by Business Gateway

Updated 14 October 2025

The Business Gateway General Risk Assessment is used to identify potential hazards, evaluate associated risks, and record the control measures in place to ensure a safe working environment. It is a vital tool for promoting health and safety compliance, helping employers systematically assess and manage workplace risks to prevent accidents and protect all personnel.

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GENERAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Special care to be taken when training young persons on this risk assessment as this may be the first real life work/site experience and they will lack safety awareness and also consider their physical and psychological immaturity and inexperience before delegating tasks covered by this risk assessment. Also ensure training on safe use of all tools and equipment before commencement.

Section 1 – TASK/S

Ref No: [reference number]

Service: [employee service]

Employee/s Job Title: [employee job title]

Section 2 – HAZARDS IDENTIFIED: (if the hazard is present in the task/activity tick the relevant topic)

1	Aggression	16	Lone Working	31	Temperature
2	Animal Attack	17	Machinery	32	Vehicles/Traffic
3	Asbestos	18	Manual Handling/Lifting	33	Vibration
4	Fabric of Building	19	Shift Work	34	Violence/Assault
5	Contact with Body Fluids	20	Noise	35	Ventilation
6	Contamination/Disease	21	Falling Objects	36	Water Systems
7	Display Screen Equipment	22	Plant Rooms	37	Weather
8	Dust/Fumes	23	Pressure Systems	38	Welding Flash
9	Electricity	24	Radiation	39	Work Equip/Tools
10	Fire/Explosion	25	Repetitive Strain Injury	40	Working at Height
11	Flammable Material	26	Scaffolding/Ladders	41	Workplace Lighting
12	Furniture	27	Sharps	42	Working Practices
13	Gas	28	Slip/Trip/Fall	43	Other
14	Hazardous Substance	29	Stress
15	Infestation	30	Substance Misuse

Section 3- PERSONS AT RISK (Enter relevant numbers affected)

Employee		Non-Employee		Person/Child		Expectant/New Mother		Shift Worker
Home Worker		Disabled/ Special Needs		Contractor		Lone Worker

Section 4 – CONTROLS

Indicate below the reference no. of the hazard identified in section 2, the present control method(s) and if it is considered these are adequate.

Hazard No.	Method of Controls (Include Company & Service procedures, relevant records held including training courses employees have/are required to attend	Adequate? Yes or No

Note: add more sections if required.

Section 5 – COMMENTS

Identify hazards that have no means of control, or are not adequately controlled. List any recommendations that you feel may resolve the hazards.

Hazard No.	Recommendations

Note: add more sections if required.

Section 6 – OVERALL RISK RATING OF THE TASK/S TO BE UNDERTAKEN (Probable Frequency X Severity)

Frequency, Scale: Low 1 - High 5	1 Improbable, 2 Possible but unlikely, 3 Happens infrequently, 4 Happens quite frequently, 5 Happens very frequently
Severity, Scale: Low 1 - High 5	1 Trivial injury, 2 Minor injury, 3 Hospital Stay/Industrial illness, 4 Major injury, 5 Fatality
Reasons:

Section 7 – IDENTIFY OTHER RISK ASSESSMENTS REQUIRED/RELEVANT (circle)

COSHH/ Manual Handling/ Personal Protective Equipment/ Noise/ Vibration/ Asbestos/ Lead/ Display Screen Equipment/ Fire/ Other (*please state)

Assessor’s Name: [assessor name] Signature: ............................................... Date: [assessor date]

Section 8 – ACTION PLAN (where appropriate)

Hazard No.

Action Required

Person Nominated

Date Assigned

Date Completed

Manager’s Name: [manager name] Signature: ............................................... Date: [manager date]

Date of Next Assessment Review: [next review date] (NB at least annually)

Note: A copy of this risk Assessment must be kept at the place of work to which it refers and the risk factors and control measures brought to the attention of all employees carrying out and/or supervising or managing the work.

About this template

What is this template?

General Risk Assessment by Business Gateway is a free, ready-to-use Health and safety template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.

When should you use it?

Reach for this Health and safety template whenever you need a reliable agreement quickly and want to be sure the essentials are covered. It suits individuals, freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. Instead of paying for a document drafted from scratch, you can start here, tailor the details to your arrangement, and have a polished draft ready in minutes. This version is drafted with General and Scotland in mind, though you should always review the final wording against the laws that apply to you.

What's typically included?

A well-drafted Health and safety usually sets out the parties involved, the scope of the agreement, and each side's rights and responsibilities. Expect sections covering key terms and definitions, how long the agreement lasts, how it can be ended, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template brings those building blocks together in a sensible order, so you can focus on the specifics rather than worrying about what to include. Open it to read the full document, then sign up to edit, negotiate, and e-sign it directly in GitLaw.