Why There Is More Than One Type of Risk Assessment
In the UK, ‘risk assessment’ is not a single document — it is a legal category covering several distinct types of assessment, each required by a different piece of legislation. Understanding which type applies to your business is the starting point for compliance. The general duty to carry out a risk assessment comes from Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR 1999), but sector-specific regulations layer additional, named assessment requirements on top of that baseline.
This guide covers every significant type of risk assessment required in UK workplaces, the specific regulation that mandates it, and who it applies to.
Regulatory Risk Assessment Types (Legally Required)
General Workplace Risk Assessment (MHSWR 1999)
The baseline requirement for all UK employers. Regulation 3(1) of MHSWR 1999 requires every employer to make a ‘suitable and sufficient’ assessment of the risks to employees and any other persons affected by their work activities. Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings in writing under Regulation 3(6). This is the assessment most people mean when they say ‘risk assessment’ — it covers physical hazards, ergonomic risks, chemical exposure, lone working, stress, and anything else that could cause harm in the particular workplace.
COSHH Risk Assessment (COSHH 2002)
A COSHH risk assessment is a legally distinct type of assessment required under Regulation 6 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. It must be completed before any work involving hazardous substances begins — including chemicals, cleaning products, paints, solvents, dusts, fumes, and biological agents. The assessment must identify the hazardous substance, assess the route and level of exposure, consider who might be affected, and set out adequate control measures. COSHH applies across an enormous range of industries: cleaning services, hairdressing, printing, food production, manufacturing, and construction. Using a generic COSHH template that is not specific to the actual substance and task will not satisfy the ‘suitable and sufficient’ standard. See our COSHH Regulations 2002 guide for full detail.
DSE Risk Assessment (DSE Regulations 1992)
A DSE (Display Screen Equipment) risk assessment is required under Regulation 2 of the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 for any employee who is classified as a ‘user’ — that is, someone who habitually uses display screen equipment (computers, laptops, tablets) as a significant part of their normal work. The assessment must cover screen position and distance, keyboard and mouse arrangement, seating and posture, lighting and glare, rest breaks, and eyesight. With hybrid working now the norm for many office-based businesses, DSE assessments must cover home workstations as well as the office. Failure to carry out DSE assessments is one of the most common H&S compliance gaps for small businesses.
Fire Risk Assessment (RRO 2005)
A fire risk assessment is a legally separate and mandatory requirement for all non-domestic premises under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO 2005). It must be carried out by a ‘responsible person’ — typically the employer, owner, or occupier. The assessment must identify fire hazards, identify people at risk, evaluate, remove or reduce fire risks, record findings, prepare an emergency plan, and review and update regularly. For premises with sleeping accommodation (HMOs, hotels, care homes) or where more than five people are employed, the fire risk assessment must be recorded in writing. A general MHSWR risk assessment does not satisfy the RRO 2005 obligation — a separate fire risk assessment is always required. See our fire risk assessment guide and the RRO 2005 explainer.
Manual Handling Risk Assessment (Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992)
Under Regulation 4(1)(b)(i) of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid manual handling tasks that involve a risk of injury, employers must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of those tasks. The assessment must consider the task itself, the load, the working environment, and individual capability — the ‘TILE’ framework. Manual handling is the most common cause of workplace injury in the UK. The assessment must be specific to the task and load — not a generic statement that ‘manual handling may occur’. See our manual handling risk assessment guide.
PUWER Risk Assessment (PUWER 1998)
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require employers to ensure that all work equipment is suitable for its intended purpose, maintained in a safe condition, and that operators are adequately trained and informed. Under Regulation 4, any employer using work equipment must assess the risks arising from its use. In practice, a PUWER assessment for a piece of machinery covers: suitability for purpose, guarding and safety devices, energy isolation procedures, maintenance requirements, operator competence, and the environment in which it is used. PUWER applies to virtually every business that uses tools, machinery, or equipment — from angle grinders on a construction site to commercial catering equipment in a restaurant kitchen.
Work at Height Risk Assessment (WAH Regulations 2005)
Under Regulation 6 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must ensure that all work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out safely. The risk assessment for work at height must consider whether work at height can be avoided entirely (hierarchy of controls), and if not, must assess the equipment to be used, the competence of the workers, the condition of the surface being worked from, and the risk of falling objects. ‘Work at height’ includes any place where a person could fall and injure themselves — including low-level work on stepladders. See our Work at Height Regulations guide.
Lone Worker Risk Assessment (MHSWR 1999)
There is no single dedicated ‘lone worker regulation’ in the UK, but the obligation to assess lone working risks flows directly from MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3 and HSWA 1974 Section 2. A lone worker risk assessment must consider: the nature of the work (is it intrinsically more dangerous when done alone?), the location (remote, outside normal hours, in someone else’s home), emergency procedures (how will the worker summon help?), communication arrangements, and the individual’s suitability for lone work. Certain activities (working in confined spaces, live electrical work, some construction activities) must not be done alone under any circumstances. See our lone worker risk assessment guide.
Methodological Types of Risk Assessment
Alongside the legally named types above, risk assessments are also categorised by the methodology used to carry them out. Understanding the different approaches helps you choose the right one for your activity.
Qualitative Risk Assessment
The most common method used by UK employers and required by HSE guidance for general workplaces. Qualitative assessment uses descriptive judgement rather than numerical modelling: hazards are identified by inspection and observation, and risks are rated as high, medium, or low based on the assessor’s evaluation of likelihood and severity. A 3x3 or 5x5 risk matrix is typically used to record ratings. Qualitative assessment is appropriate for the vast majority of UK workplaces and is what MHSWR 1999 has in mind when it refers to a ‘suitable and sufficient’ assessment.
Quantitative Risk Assessment
Quantitative methods assign numerical probabilities to the likelihood and consequence of harm, producing a numerical risk figure (often expressed as a probability per year). This approach is used in high-hazard industries — nuclear, chemical processing, offshore oil and gas, and major accident hazard sites regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH). For most small and medium businesses, quantitative assessment is disproportionate and unnecessary; qualitative assessment is the expected standard.
Generic Risk Assessment
A generic risk assessment covers the standard hazards associated with a common type of work activity and can be used as a starting point across multiple sites or workers carrying out the same task. HSE encourages trade associations and industry bodies to produce generic assessments as templates. However, a generic assessment must always be reviewed and adapted to the specific workplace before use — HSE is explicit that an un-adapted generic template does not meet the suitable and sufficient standard. Generic assessments are particularly useful for mobile workers (cleaners, maintenance engineers, delivery drivers) who work in many different locations.
Site-Specific Risk Assessment
A site-specific assessment is tailored to a particular activity in a particular location. It takes account of the specific layout, equipment, people, and conditions at that site. Site-specific assessments are required where generic assessments cannot adequately address the hazards present — for example, on construction sites (required under CDM 2015 as part of the construction phase plan) or for events at a specific venue. See our CDM 2015 guide for construction-specific requirements.
Dynamic Risk Assessment
A dynamic risk assessment is carried out in real time as circumstances change, rather than in advance from a desk. It is the method used by emergency services, security personnel, social care workers, and anyone working in environments where conditions cannot be fully predicted beforehand. Dynamic risk assessment does not replace a pre-planned written assessment — it is what a trained worker does when they encounter an unforeseen hazard during a task. Workers must be trained to identify, assess and respond to emerging hazards on the spot. For high-risk industries, training workers in dynamic risk assessment is itself a legal obligation under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 13 (capabilities and training).
Which Type of Risk Assessment Do I Need?
Most UK businesses need more than one type. A pub, for example, needs: a general MHSWR risk assessment covering slips, manual handling and lone working; a COSHH assessment for cleaning chemicals; a fire risk assessment under RRO 2005; and PUWER assessments for any commercial kitchen equipment. A construction contractor needs: a general MHSWR assessment; site-specific assessments under CDM 2015; COSHH assessments for any hazardous substances (solvents, silica dust, cement); manual handling assessments; work at height assessments; and PUWER assessments for plant and equipment.
Use our interactive decision tool to find out which assessments apply to your specific business and activity.
Also See
The ultimate guide to risk assessment — the legal framework, 5-step process and hierarchy of controls. Risk assessment legal requirements — HSWA 1974, MHSWR 1999 and penalties. COSHH Regulations 2002 guide — for businesses using hazardous substances. Fire risk assessments — RRO 2005 requirements for all non-domestic premises.
