How to Do a Risk Assessment: Steps, Matrix and Example
How to do a risk assessment at work: watch the job, describe each hazard, score it on a 5x5 risk matrix, set controls and check them. With a worked example.
To do a risk assessment, you work out what could hurt someone, who could be affected, how likely and how serious that harm is, and what needs to change. A template gives you somewhere to record it; the useful detail comes from the job itself.
“Manual handling. Wear gloves. Take care.” You could paste that row into almost any assessment. It tells the next shift very little. Which load? Which movement? Where does the person put it down?
A good risk assessment answers those questions. Start with the task your team actually performs, then make room for the decisions and follow-up it needs.
You can use Bulk’s free risk assessment form as a starting point. It is a PDF download. Keep it beside you as you work through the example below, or use the same fields in your own document or spreadsheet.
What belongs in a risk assessment template?
A workplace risk assessment records hazards, evaluates the risks they create, and sets out controls. A hazard is something that can cause harm, such as a sharp edge. Risk considers how likely that harm is and how serious it could be.
For a practical form, keep these details together:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Task and location | The job, work area and equipment covered |
| People involved | Who does the work and who else may be exposed |
| Hazard and possible harm | What could happen, how and to whom |
| Existing controls | What is already in place and working |
| Current risk | The rating and the reason for it |
| Further action | The specific change needed |
| Owner and deadline | A named person and a clear completion date |
| Verification and residual risk | How the change was checked and what risk remains |
| Review details | Assessor, version, review date and reasons to review sooner |
If your current form has one large “comments” box, pull actions and owners into their own fields. Otherwise, the next person has to read every paragraph to find out what is still open.
Risk assessment, JSA or JHA: which form do you need?
A general risk assessment can cover an area, activity or proposed change. A job safety analysis (JSA) or job hazard analysis (JHA) examines an individual job step by step. OSHA uses both names for this task-based approach. Its hazard identification guidance also calls for considering routine work, unusual tasks and foreseeable emergencies.
Choose a job hazard analysis template when the order of work matters. Moving a batch of parts, setting up equipment and cleaning a work area expose people to different hazards at different steps. A job safety analysis form gives each step its own space.
“Job safety assessment” and “job risk assessment” are also terms you may encounter. Put a scope statement at the top so nobody has to guess what your team means. For example: “Moving sealed component totes from receiving to the inspection bench. Powered vehicle unloading is assessed separately.”
A project risk analysis template may track budget, schedule and delivery problems. Those fields serve a different purpose. If you use it for worker safety, you will need space for exposure, possible injury or illness, and controls.
How to do a risk assessment, step by step
1. Watch the job with the people who do it
Bring the blank form to the work area. Ask an experienced worker to talk through the task, including setup and cleanup. Check your draft with another shift if their conditions differ.
OSHA’s Job Hazard Analysis guide recommends involving workers and recording the basic steps in sequence. It also recommends reviewing those steps with the worker to catch omissions.
Write “transfer a tote from the lower shelf to the inspection bench” rather than “handle stock.” Ask what happens when the normal cart is missing or the shelf is full. Those details help you define the assessment’s limits.
2. Describe the hazard in a full sentence
Give the reader enough detail to recognize the situation.
Instead of “trip hazard,” write: “An empty tote left in the inspection aisle could trip someone carrying parts, whose view of the floor is blocked.”
That sentence identifies an object, a location, a person and a possible event. It also gives you something specific to inspect later. You can check whether the aisle is clear and whether empty totes have somewhere to go.
3. Score the risk on a risk assessment matrix
A risk assessment matrix rates each hazard on two scales: how likely the harm is and how severe it would be. Multiply the two for a risk score. On a 5x5 matrix both scales run from 1 to 5, so scores run from 1 to 25. Bulk’s risk assessment form bands them as low (1–4), medium (5–12) and high (15–25).
| Likelihood × severity | 1 Negligible | 2 Minor | 3 Moderate | 4 Major | 5 Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Almost certain | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| 4 Likely | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| 3 Possible | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 2 Unlikely | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| 1 Rare | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
The labels only work when everyone reads them the same way. Write a one-line definition for each number with your safety lead. For example, severity 1 might be a first-aid case and severity 5 a fatality or permanent disability. Decide what each band triggers: who must approve a high score, and whether work can continue while it is reduced.
Put the scoring definitions next to the form. Explain whether the initial score assumes no controls or includes controls already in place. Use the same basis throughout.
For this article’s example, “current risk” means the risk with existing controls. “Residual risk” means what remains after additional controls have been implemented and checked.
Add a short reason beside each score. “The tote is moved repeatedly during each shift” is more useful than a number on its own. Do not lower a rating because someone has ordered equipment that has not arrived. If you estimate a future rating, label it planned and leave the verified rating open.
Use your organization’s approved method and escalation rules. A score helps organize decisions; it does not establish that the work is safe or that applicable requirements have been met.
4. Write controls that change the work
Work through the NIOSH hierarchy of controls in this order:
- Elimination: remove the hazard.
- Substitution: use a safer alternative, checking for new risks.
- Engineering controls: change equipment or the workplace to reduce exposure.
- Administrative controls: change work practices, access or training.
- Personal protective equipment: select protection for the hazards that remain.
NIOSH explains that the first three generally depend less on people taking the right action every time. PPE can still be necessary, including while other controls are being developed.
Give each proposed control its own action. “Review storage layout” needs a deliverable: which items will move, where they will go, and who will check the result. Keep proposed changes separate from controls already in use.
5. Add fields for the industry and setting
Keep the basic form consistent. Add questions that catch the conditions your team encounters.
Manufacturing: record the machine or workstation, material, operating mode and relevant procedure. Routine production, cleaning and maintenance may need separate assessments. A broad “machine operation” row can hide important differences. Where the task uses hazardous chemicals, keep a chemical inventory so the assessment can point to each product’s current safety data sheet.
Construction: include the work zone, other trades nearby and conditions that could change during the job. For a material delivery, prompts might cover the delivery route, unloading area and pedestrian access. State what would trigger another review, such as a changed access route. These are prompts for a site-specific assessment, not a complete delivery plan.
Healthcare: identify the task and setting before choosing fields. Moving supplies, handling used sharps and cleaning a treatment room need different questions. Depending on the task, add prompts for exposure routes, equipment and the relevant infection prevention or handling procedure. Keep patient identifiers out of a general safety form.
Have the person responsible for safety in that setting check the adapted form against the actual hazards and applicable requirements.
A worked risk assessment example
This fictional example covers one part of moving component totes to an inspection bench. It shows the level of detail to capture. It is not a complete assessment or a lifting procedure, and its controls need checking for the actual load and workplace.
| Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Task and scope | Move sealed component totes from the receiving shelf to inspection bench B. Vehicle unloading is outside this assessment. |
| People exposed | Receiving and inspection staff performing the transfer |
| Hazard and possible harm | Repeated lifting from a low shelf and turning toward the bench could cause a back or shoulder strain. |
| Existing controls | Tote weights are labeled. A cart is available, but its deck is below bench height. |
| Current risk assessment | Further assessment needed. Record actual weights, reach distances and transfer frequency before assigning a rating. |
| Proposed change | Assess a height-adjustable transfer cart and revise shelf positions to reduce low lifts and twisting. Check cart stability, load capacity and pinch points. |
| Action owner and deadline | Receiving supervisor. Complete equipment and layout review by October 2, 2026. |
| Interim decision | Do not introduce the proposed transfer arrangement until it has been assessed. Escalate concerns about the current task through the site’s safety process. |
| Verification | Safety lead and operators check the arrangement with representative loads and confirm that it introduces no new hazards. |
| Residual risk | Pending implementation and verification. No lower rating claimed yet. |
| Review trigger | Changed tote size or weight, shelf layout, equipment, reported discomfort or a near miss |
Some boxes are deliberately pending. This assessment is still in progress. Make that status visible so a signature is not mistaken for evidence that every control is working.
For your own risk assessment sample, choose a familiar task and fill in one row with the team. If two people interpret a field differently, improve its label or add an example before issuing the form more widely.
Turn the assessment into a plan people can follow
If you need a risk assessment plan template, add a small action register linked to the assessment number and version. Each action needs an owner, a deadline, a status and a verification record.
OSHA’s hazard prevention and control guidance recommends assigning responsibility, setting completion dates and planning how effectiveness will be checked. It also calls for immediate action on serious hazards. Paperwork should never delay that response.
Try the adapted form on one task first. Ask the next shift to read it without an explanation from the author. Can they find the scope, required controls and unresolved actions? Revise anything they have to guess.
Keep the current version where the work is planned and performed. When an assessment changes a procedure, update the related work instruction too. A supervisor should not have to decide which of two conflicting documents to follow.
Check whether the changes worked
Set a review date and record events that require an earlier review, such as a changed process, new equipment or an incident.
Look at more than the number of completed forms. Useful checks include overdue actions, controls awaiting verification, recurring hazards and workers’ feedback. OSHA’s program evaluation guidance recommends using both preventive measures and outcomes such as injuries or exposures to assess progress.
For the tote example, return to the workstation after the change. Is the selected cart available when it is needed? Does the revised shelf position suit the range of totes? Record what you found and reopen the action if the arrangement still needs work.
Frequently asked questions
What is a job hazard analysis sample PDF?
It is a worked example showing how a job has been divided into steps, with hazards and controls recorded alongside them. OSHA’s JHA guide PDF includes examples and a blank form. Use a sample to understand the format, then assess your own conditions.
How can a job safety analysis template be useful?
It gives workers and supervisors a shared record to discuss before a task. Its value depends on the detail: clear steps, recognizable hazards and controls that people can find and understand. A copied form with the wrong equipment or work area can cause confusion.
What are the benefits of using a risk analysis template?
A consistent layout makes assessments easier to compare and review. It also makes missing owners or unresolved actions easier to spot. Choose a template designed for the kind of risk you are assessing, and keep the rating definitions consistent.
Where can I find a free job safety analysis template?
The OSHA guide linked above contains a blank JHA form. Bulk also offers a free job hazard analysis template for step-by-step JSA work and a risk assessment form with a 5x5 matrix, both in PDF format. If you need to change column headings or automate calculations, use the fields as a guide for your own editable document or spreadsheet.
Does filling out a template satisfy OSHA requirements?
The form alone does not establish compliance. The assessment and resulting controls need to address the hazards and applicable standards for the work. OSHA’s JHA guide explains that its examples are illustrative and directs employers to the standards for their industry. Check applicable state requirements as well.
Start with one task
Take the risk assessment template to a job your team knows well. Write down what happens, agree what needs to change, and name the person who will check it. That first assessment will show you which fields your workplace needs.
