Use this general construction risk assessment to document any potential hazards and risks in construction projects. This template allows you to provide a brief description of the hazard and identify procedures or equipment involved (i.e. working at heights, scaffolding, PPE, LOTO procedures, crane/ forklift etc.), as well as recommend corrective measures.
Conduct a building site risk assessment with these four simple steps:
A construction risk assessment is designed to identify potential workplace hazards and risks in construction projects, delegate responsibilities, and implement control measures to address the risks. Conducting regular construction risk assessments helps stakeholders comply with health and safety regulations while empowering teams to protect workers from health and safety threats.
The construction industry poses numerous hazards and risks accounting for a high number of serious injuries and accidents. Most accidents are due to the Fatal Four, namely falls, electrocution, struck by object and caught in/ between objects.
To help you avoid such incidents, we have listed each of the fatal four, their common causes and some safety best practices to follow.
Injuries from falls are the most common cause of construction site fatalities. Incidents mainly account to lack of personal fall arrest systems, poor general safety equipment (safety net, guardrails etc), and improper use of ladders or scaffolds. Employers should establish effective fall preventive measures to protect employees from such risks:
Struck-by hazards are the second highest cause of fatalities among construction workers. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), struck-by injuries accounted for 80 construction worker deaths in 2017. Struck-by object incidents include workers getting accidentally hit by a falling debris or by equipment moving parts. The following safety practices can help mitigate struck-by-objects injuries:
Electrical hazards account for more than 300 deaths and 4,000 injuries each year. Injuries and other incidents are often caused by faulty wires or equipment, unsafe location of electrical outlets and improper use of extension or cords. Here are safety tips to follow to reduce risks from electrical hazards:
According to OSHA, accidents caused by getting caught in or between objects accounted for 50 construction worker deaths in 2017. Caught in/ between object accidents may happen when a worker’s body or hand’s gets caught, pinched, squeezed or crushed in moving parts of unguarded machinery. Prevent caught in/ between risks through these safety tips:
Construction risk assessments contain 5 elements:
One example of when a construction risk assessment would be performed is when a company is pouring concrete. There are a lot of safety and quality risks associated with this activity. Once the concrete is poured it is very difficult and expensive to correct, so getting it right the first time is critical. A concrete pour risk assessment would look something like this:
| Task | Risk | Probability | Impact | Response |
| Set up and planning | The weather could be too cold for the concrete to cure properly | 75% | High | Mitigate – Make sure the concrete plant has cold mix on hand just in case |
| Curing | Concrete hasn’t fully cured before putting weight on it | 65% | Medium | Accept – Perform concrete break tests at 7, 14, and 21 days or until break strength minimums are met |
| Pour | The location of the pour could be off from the plans | 70% | High | Avoid – Hire a survey company to lay out the location of the pour |
| Pour | Concrete can get on the skin, causing burns and irritation | 90% | Medium | Mitigate – Wear proper PPE to cover the skin and prevent contact |
In this example, managers and field personnel would review the steps of pouring concrete and collaborate to identify all possible risks associated with them. From there, strategies and plans are developed on how to proceed in a manner that reduces the likelihood or impact of those risks.
Knowing the risks associated with construction sites such as falling, getting struck by or caught in between objects, and electrocution, employers are responsible for ensuring workers have a safe construction site. The best practice is to conduct a risk assessment that includes inspecting the key areas for hazards and risks that can cause incidents.
To create a comprehensive construction risk assessment, follow these simple steps:
SafetyCulture is an inspection app that can help streamline your construction risk assessments. No need to carry sheets of paper for your inspections; create and conduct risk assessments using your mobile device. With SafetyCulture, you can:
Use this construction risk assessment template to examine key areas (i.e. scaffold, PPE, stairways, power operated tools and equipment) of the construction site by answering critical questions.
Inspection template Powered byAvoid fatalities in the construction site by identifying safety precautions and hazards present in your site. Utilize this construction safety observation report by going through the following points:
The general risk assessment template can be used on any workplace environment including construction sites where details of risk rating, controls, and residual details would greatly help organization planning.
Jona Tarlengco is a content writer and researcher for SafetyCulture since 2018. She usually writes about safety and quality topics, contributing to the creation of well-researched articles. Her years of experience in one of the world’s leading business news organisations helps enrich the quality of the information in her work.
Use this construction risk assessment template to examine key areas (i.e. scaffold, PPE, stairways, power operated tools and equipment) of the construction site by answering critical questions.
Avoid fatalities in the construction site by identifying safety precautions and hazards present in your site. Utilize this construction safety observation report by going through the following points: Take a safety walk in the site and identify areas/ procedures and list them according to categories (Safety Mentions, Opportunities for Improvement, or Critical Items) Click “Add” to list items Provide a brief description once an item has been identified If needed, add detailed comments in notes and assign corrective measures through actions Write additional recommendations if necessary Leave your digital signature
The general risk assessment template can be used on any workplace environment including construction sites where details of risk rating, controls, and residual details would greatly help organization planning. Observe and identify hazards in the construction site and click “Add” to list all the items; Provide a brief description of the hazard, take and annotate photos if needed; Identify applicable controls and risk rating. References are shown at the bottom of this template for the inspector’s reference; Choose appropriate residual risk rating and; Leave recommendation and your digital signature.
