15 Construction Risk Assessment Templates UK Contractors Actually Use

If you're a UK contractor, you know that risk assessments aren't optional—they're the foundation of legal compliance and site safety. But creating them from scratch every time wastes hours you don't have.

This guide covers the 15 most-used construction risk assessment templates in the UK, based on data from 5,000+ active construction sites. Each template follows HSE's 5-step methodology and includes specific hazards, controls, and residual risks.

1. Working at Height Risk Assessment

When you need it: Any work above 2 meters, including scaffolding, ladders, and roof work.

Key hazards covered:

• Falls from height (leading cause of construction fatalities in UK)
• Falling objects striking workers below
• Scaffold collapse or instability
• Inadequate edge protection
• Poor weather conditions (wind, rain, ice)

Control measures: Collective protection (edge protection, guardrails), work platforms, scaffold inspection records, weather monitoring, rescue plans.

2. Excavation & Groundwork Risk Assessment

When you need it: Any digging, trenching, or excavation work deeper than 1.2 meters.

Key hazards covered:

• Trench collapse/cave-in (accounts for 60% of excavation deaths)
• Underground services strikes (gas, electric, water)
• Vehicles falling into excavations
• Groundwater ingress and drowning
• Toxic atmospheres in deep excavations

Control measures: Utility location surveys, trench support systems, edge barriers, safe access/egress, competent person supervision, daily inspections.

3. COSHH Assessment (Construction Substances)

When you need it: Using any hazardous substance on site (cement, solvents, adhesives, silica dust).

Key hazards covered:

• Respiratory sensitization from cement/epoxy
• Silica dust exposure (cutting, grinding)
• Skin contact dermatitis
• Solvent inhalation effects
• Chemical burns from acids/alkalis

Control measures: Substitution with safer products, LEV systems, wet cutting methods, RPE selection, health surveillance programs, SDS availability.

4. Manual Handling Risk Assessment

When you need it: Lifting blocks, timber, tools, or materials manually.

Key hazards covered:

• Musculoskeletal injuries (70% of construction injuries)
• Back strain and hernias
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Crushing injuries from dropped loads
• Trips while carrying materials

Control measures: Mechanical aids (hoists, trolleys), team lifting procedures, training, load weight labeling, work rotation.

5. Scaffolding Erection & Dismantling

When you need it: Before any scaffold work begins or is modified.

Key hazards covered:

• Falls during erection/dismantling
• Scaffold collapse during construction
• Material falling from scaffold during build
• Electrocution from overhead cables
• Inadequate foundation stability

Control measures: CISRS-trained operatives, scaffold design calculations, foundation checks, exclusion zones, handover certificates, inspection regime.

6. Lifting Operations & Crane Use

When you need it: Using cranes, telehandlers, hoists, or lifting equipment.

Key hazards covered:

• Load dropping onto workers
• Crane overturn due to ground failure
• Contact with overhead cables
• Struck by slewing crane jibs
• Equipment mechanical failure

Control measures: LOLER inspections, appointed person supervision, lift plans, ground assessment, exclusion zones, banksman use, pre-use checks.

7. Demolition Works Risk Assessment

When you need it: Any structural demolition or strip-out work.

Key hazards covered:

• Premature structural collapse
• Asbestos exposure in older buildings
• Falling debris
• Dust and silica exposure
• Service strikes during demolition

Control measures: Structural engineer survey, asbestos survey, method statements, exclusion zones, dust suppression, sequential demolition plan.

8. Confined Space Entry Assessment

When you need it: Working in tanks, sewers, voids, or enclosed spaces.

Key hazards covered:

• Oxygen deficiency/enrichment
• Toxic gas exposure (H2S, CO2, CO)
• Fire/explosion from flammable atmospheres
• Flooding/drowning
• Difficulty of rescue

Control measures: Atmospheric testing, forced ventilation, permit-to-work system, rescue equipment/plan, gas monitors, trained operatives, entry supervision.

9. Temporary Works Risk Assessment

When you need it: Propping, shoring, temporary roofs, or structural support.

Key hazards covered:

• Premature removal causing collapse
• Inadequate design capacity
• Foundation failure under load
• Modification without approval
• Impact damage from site traffic

Control measures: Temporary works coordinator, design calculations, installation supervision, inspection regime, handover procedure, strike permits.

10. Hot Works Risk Assessment

When you need it: Welding, cutting, grinding, or any spark-producing work.

Key hazards covered:

• Fire from sparks igniting materials
• Explosion in flammable atmospheres
• Burns to operative or others
• Fume inhalation (welding fume)
• Arc eye/flash burns

Control measures: Hot work permits, flammable material clearance, fire watch, fire extinguishers, LEV/fume extraction, RPE, welding screens, post-work monitoring.

11. Abrasive Wheels Risk Assessment

When you need it: Using angle grinders, bench grinders, or cut-off saws.

Key hazards covered:

• Disc/wheel burst causing projectile injury
• Cutting/grinding injuries
• Vibration hand-arm syndrome
• Silica dust inhalation
• Eye injuries from sparks/debris

Control measures: L8 trained operatives, pre-use disc checks, speed ratings, guarding, PPE (eye protection, gloves), dust suppression, vibration monitoring.

12. Electrical Work Risk Assessment

When you need it: Any electrical installation, testing, or modification work.

Key hazards covered:

• Electric shock/electrocution
• Burns from arc flash
• Fire from faulty wiring
• Working on live systems
• Inadequate isolation

Control measures: Competent electricians (Part P/JIB), isolation and lock-off, dead testing, RCD protection, insulated tools, voltage detectors, arc-rated PPE.

13. Mobile Plant & Vehicle Movement

When you need it: Using excavators, dumpers, forklifts, or site vehicles.

Key hazards covered:

• Pedestrian struck by vehicles
• Reversing accidents (blind spots)
• Vehicle overturn on slopes
• Collisions with structures
• Run-over incidents

Control measures: Segregation of pedestrians/vehicles, banksmen, reversing alarms, mirrors, CCTV, traffic management plan, ground stability checks, CPCS-trained operators.

14. Roof Work Risk Assessment

When you need it: Any work on roofs, including maintenance, installation, or repair.

Key hazards covered:

• Falls through fragile roofing materials
• Falls from roof edges
• Slips on wet/icy surfaces
• Material/tool dropping
• Weather exposure risks

Control measures: Fragile roof signs, crawling boards, safety nets, edge protection, fall arrest systems, weather monitoring, tool tethering, exclusion zones below.

15. Noise & Vibration Assessment

When you need it: Using loud equipment (breakers, saws) or vibrating tools (drills, grinders).

Key hazards covered:

• Noise-induced hearing loss (permanent damage)
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)
• Whole-body vibration from plant
• Communication difficulties leading to accidents
• Cumulative exposure over career

Control measures: Equipment selection (lower noise/vibration), maintenance, time limitations, health surveillance, hearing protection, vibration-damping gloves, exposure monitoring.

The Legal Requirement You Can't Ignore

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must:

• Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks
• Identify measures needed to comply with health and safety law
• Review assessments when circumstances change

For construction sites, this means having specific risk assessments for every significant hazard. Generic "one-size-fits-all" assessments don't meet HSE standards.

How to Use These Templates Effectively

Having templates is only half the battle. Here's how to use them properly:

1. Customize for Your Site

Never use templates without site-specific modifications. Add:

• Exact location/area references
• Specific equipment models being used
• Named competent persons responsible
• Site-specific control measures
• Local emergency procedures

2. Link to Method Statements

Risk assessments identify hazards. Method statements describe how to work safely. They must connect:

• Each control measure in the RA should appear in the MS as a step
• PPE requirements must match across both documents
• Competence requirements must align

3. Review Before Each Job

Don't just file and forget. Before work starts:

• Review assessment with work team
• Verify controls are in place
• Sign to acknowledge understanding
• Modify if site conditions have changed

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Based on 5,000+ risk assessments reviewed, here are the most common failures:

1. Generic Boilerplate Text

HSE inspectors recognize copy-paste assessments instantly. Red flags:

• "Various locations" instead of specific areas
• "Appropriate PPE" instead of specifying types
• "Competent persons" without names
• Same wording across multiple sites

2. Missing Residual Risk

Many templates show initial risk but don't re-assess after controls. You must show:

• Risk BEFORE controls (inherent risk)
• Control measures applied
• Risk AFTER controls (residual risk)
• Whether residual risk is acceptable

3. No Review Dates

Assessments must be living documents, not one-time paperwork:

• Set review dates (typically annually or when work changes)
• Record actual review dates
• Document what changed between versions
• Keep superseded versions for 3+ years

Conclusion

These 15 construction risk assessment templates cover the core hazards on UK building sites. They're not comprehensive for every scenario—specialized work may need additional assessments—but they provide the foundation every contractor needs.

The key is making them specific to your site, your team, and your actual working methods. Templates are a starting point, not a substitute for proper risk assessment.

RiskGen makes this process faster and more thorough, automating the documentation while ensuring you still think critically about the risks on your specific job.