Risk Assessments

Practical, expert-led risk assessments that help your business identify hazards, control risks and stay on top of compliance.

What we do and who it is for

A risk assessment is a structured process for identifying what could cause harm in your workplace, evaluating how likely and serious that harm could be, and putting sensible controls in place. Done properly, it is a practical tool that helps you manage your business safely not just a document to file away.

Safety Assistance supports businesses across a range of sectors where meaningful risk exists, including construction, logistics, agriculture, mechanical and electrical, arboriculture, and hospitality and events. Whether you have a single site or multiple locations, our team can work with you to produce assessments that reflect how your business actually operates.

Our team includes qualified professionals including Chartered Members of IOSH (CMIOSH) holding the NEBOSH Diploma or Level 6 Safety Qualification and all advisors hold relevant safety qualifications and experience in the fields they are assigned to. Support is available nationwide from our Liverpool base.

What is included in our risk assessment service

Hazard identification - structured review of what could cause harm in your workplace
Risk assessment - evaluating likelihood and severity, with clear control measures
Risk profiling - understanding your overall risk picture across activities or sites
HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Studies) - available as a standalone service for complex processes or plant
Risk management procedures - documented processes to help you manage risk consistently
COSHH assessments - covering hazardous substances, chemicals and biological agents
RAMS (Risk Assessments and Method Statements) - standalone documents for specific tasks or projects
Findings documented clearly and reviewed with you so the output is usable, not just a paper exercise

Hazard identification and HAZOP - going beyond the standard checklist

A standard risk assessment works well for most workplace activities. You identify the hazards, assess the risks, record your controls and review them regularly. For many businesses, this is exactly what is needed and our team can carry this out efficiently, either on site or working with information you provide.

For more complex situations particularly where a process, system or piece of plant involves multiple interacting variables a more structured approach is often appropriate. Hazard identification workshops bring together the people who know the work best to systematically work through what could go wrong, before it does. This is particularly useful when introducing new processes, equipment or working arrangements.

HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) takes this further. It is a team-based, systematic technique for examining a process or operation in detail, looking at how deviations from the intended design or operation could create hazards or operability problems. HAZOP is well established in sectors such as aviation, oil and gas, and rail, where the consequences of process failures are significant. Safety Assistance offers HAZOP as a standalone service, and our team has applied this methodology in those sectors.

The right approach depends on the complexity of your operations, the level of risk involved, and what you need to demonstrate to clients, regulators or your own management. If you are unsure which approach suits your situation, a short discovery call is the best starting point.

Manage your risk assessments with Safety Mate or Fast RAMS

A risk assessment is only useful if it is kept up to date and acted on. Safety Assistance also offers practical software tools so clients can manage risk assessments on an ongoing basis not just as a one-off exercise.

Safety Mate is a workplace health and safety management platform that brings together risk assessments, RAMS, corrective actions, audit trails, COSHH records and more in one place. It is designed for managers, supervisors and frontline workers not just health and safety professionals. AI-assisted drafting is available as a starting point, with all output reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.

Fast RAMS is the mobile-first tool for producing Risk Assessments and Method Statements quickly on site. It guides users through a structured process, supports digital signatures and approval workflows, and exports professional branded PDFs useful for small contractors and site teams who need to produce documentation without going back to the office.

Common questions about risk assessments

Do I legally need to carry out risk assessments?

In the UK, the law expects employers to assess the risks to the health and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their work. This duty is set out in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Additional requirements apply under other legislation depending on the nature of your work for example, where hazardous substances, working at height or manual handling are involved. If you are unsure what applies to your business, we can help you work through it.

How often should risk assessments be reviewed?

There is no single statutory frequency that applies to all risk assessments. As a practical guide, you should review them when something significant changes new equipment, new processes, changes to the workforce or working environment and after any incident or near miss. It is also good practice to review them at regular intervals even if nothing obvious has changed, to make sure they still reflect how work is actually carried out.

What is the difference between a risk assessment and a RAMS?

A risk assessment identifies the hazards associated with an activity and sets out the controls needed to manage them. A Method Statement describes, step by step, how a specific task will be carried out safely. RAMS combines both documents and is commonly required in construction and contracting work, where clients or principal contractors need to see how a task will be managed before work begins. Safety Assistance can produce both as standalone documents or as a combined RAMS.

Can you carry out risk assessments on our site?

Yes. Our team works nationwide and can visit your site to carry out risk assessments, hazard identification workshops or HAZOP studies. We can also work remotely where the nature of the assessment allows. We will agree the most practical approach with you during the discovery call.

What sectors do you work in?

We work with businesses in construction, mechanical and electrical, logistics, agriculture, arboriculture, and hospitality and events. We also have experience in sectors such as aviation, oil and gas, and rail, particularly in relation to HAZOP and structured hazard identification. If your sector is not listed, get in touch — we are happy to discuss whether we can help.

Sectors we support

Construction

Site-specific risk assessments, RAMS and HAZOP for construction activities, from groundworks to fit-out.

Mechanical and Electrical

Risk assessments for installation, maintenance and commissioning work where electrical and mechanical hazards are present.

Logistics

Assessments covering vehicle movements, manual handling, loading and unloading, and warehouse operations.

Agriculture

Practical risk assessments for farm operations, machinery, chemicals and seasonal workers.

Arboriculture

Risk assessments and RAMS for tree surgery, aerial work and ground operations.

Hospitality and Events

Risk assessments for venues, events, catering operations and temporary structures.

Related services

RAMS and Documentation

Standalone Risk Assessments and Method Statements produced quickly and clearly.

COSHH Assessments

Assessments covering hazardous substances, chemicals and biological agents.

Health and Safety Auditing

Independent audits to check how well your safety management system is working.

Incident Investigation

Structured investigation support following accidents, near misses or dangerous occurrences.

Health and Safety Management

Ongoing consultancy support to help you build and maintain a sound safety management system.

Fire Safety

Fire risk assessments for a range of premises types, with a written report and action plan.

Ready to get your risk assessments in order?

Book a free discovery call and we will talk through what you need no obligation, no jargon.