Step 1: Describe the activity clearly
The quality of your risk assessment depends almost entirely on how well you describe the activity. Anyrisks will ask: what is the activity? Where is it taking place? What sector does it fall under? How many people are involved? Are there any specific hazards you are already aware of?
The more specific your answers, the more accurate the output. Compare these two descriptions:
- Vague: “Working on a building site”
- Specific: “Groundworks contractor installing drainage on a residential development in Manchester. Excavating to 2.5 metres near existing services. Crew of four including one apprentice. Site adjacent to a live road.”
The specific version produces an assessment covering excavation near services, working depth risk, supervision of an apprentice, and proximity to a live road. The vague version produces a generic document that the HSE would not consider ‘suitable and sufficient’ for the actual work.
Step 2: Review the generated assessment
Once the form is submitted, Anyrisks produces a full risk assessment in under two minutes. The document covers: identified hazards, who is at risk and how, risk ratings before and after controls, the hierarchy of controls applied to each hazard, the specific UK regulations applicable to the activity, and an action plan with responsibilities.
Before using the document, read it with the actual workplace in mind. Ask: does this reflect what we actually do, in our actual location? Are there hazards present on our site that are not covered? Are the control measures listed ones we can genuinely implement? Are the people identified as at risk the correct groups for our situation? Add any gaps directly in the Word document.
Step 3: Download and file the documents
Anyrisks delivers every assessment as both a PDF and a Word document. The PDF is suitable for filing, emailing to clients, or presenting to HSE inspectors. The Word document is fully editable — use it to add company branding, insert site-specific photographs, or adjust the action plan following your review.
Under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(6), employers with five or more employees are legally required to record the significant findings of their risk assessment in writing. The Anyrisks PDF satisfies this requirement. For businesses with fewer than five employees, recording is best practice regardless — a written record protects you in the event of an incident or inspection.
Step 4: Share with your team and implement the controls
A risk assessment that is not communicated to the people doing the work has limited value. Under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 10, employers must provide employees with comprehensible and relevant information on the risks identified and the preventive measures in place. Share the completed assessment with everyone involved in the activity and walk through the key hazards and controls before work begins.
Implement the control measures listed in the document. If the assessment identifies a physical control — edge protection at height, a guard on machinery, extraction ventilation for dust — that control must be in place before work starts. Administrative controls — supervision ratios, permit-to-work systems, training requirements — must be followed throughout.
Step 5: Review when circumstances change
Under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(3), a risk assessment must be reviewed whenever there is reason to believe it is no longer valid, or when there has been a significant change in the work. Specific triggers include: a workplace accident or near-miss, a change in personnel, new equipment or substances, a change in the method of work, or an HSE enforcement notice. As a minimum, review all risk assessments annually.
What makes a good prompt
The single factor that most improves output quality is specificity about the people involved. Mentioning that workers include apprentices, pregnant employees, contractors unfamiliar with the site, or members of the public will cause the AI to address those groups specifically — which is what the HSE standard requires. Other details worth including: time of year, proximity to water or confined spaces, and any incidents that have occurred in the past.
Further reading
For the underlying legal framework, see our risk assessment legal requirements guide. For a full explanation of the 5-step process and hierarchy of controls, see the ultimate guide to risk assessment.
