Risk assessment template for trades and field service

A risk assessment is a structured look at a job before it starts: what could hurt someone, how likely and how badly, and what you will do about it. For trade and field service work it is usually short, practical and specific to the site. This template gives you a layout that works on a phone or a printout, and the notes below point to what regulators in the UK, Australia and the US actually ask for.

What the regulators ask for

• United Kingdom. The Health and Safety Executive sets out the minimum an employer must do under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999: identify what could cause injury or illness, decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously, and take action to eliminate the hazard or, if that is not possible, control the risk.
• Australia. For high-risk construction work, a safe work method statement (SWMS) must be prepared. Safe Work Australia lists the activities, which include work with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres, work on or near energised electrical installations, on or near pressurised gas mains, and on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines.
• United States. OSHA describes a job hazard analysis as a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur, looking at the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools and the work environment.

Rules differ by country, state and business size, and change over time. Check with the regulator where you work, and use a competent person for high-risk work.

The template

Fill in one row per hazard. Keep it to the hazards that matter on this job, not every hazard that exists.

Also record: the site address, date, the person who did the assessment, the workers briefed, and a line to confirm it was reviewed if conditions changed during the job.

A simple risk matrix

Score likelihood (L) and severity (S) from 1 to 3 and multiply them. Anything scoring 6 or more needs a control before work starts.

Hazards that come up most in trade work

• Working at height: ladders, roofs, scaffolds.
• Electricity: live conductors, unknown circuits, damaged tools.
• Gas, fuel, chemicals and refrigerants.
• Confined spaces: roof voids, crawl spaces, tanks, trenches.
• Manual handling: heavy units, awkward positions.
• Working alone, driving, and occupied homes with children or pets.

Controls work best in order: remove the hazard, replace it with something safer, isolate people from it, change how the work is done, and only then rely on protective equipment. Pair the assessment with the right site checklist, such as the electrical safety checklist or the gas appliance safety checklist.

Using it in Primemgr

In Primemgr, a risk assessment can be built as a form and attached to a job, so the technician fills it in on a phone before starting, with photos. Each completed form is kept on the job with who filled it in and when. See inspection and checklist forms.