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Health and Safety Risk Assessment for Small Businesses — Generated Instantly for £29
UK small businesses with 5 or more employees must write down their risk assessment. Even if you employ fewer than 5, clients, contractors and insurers expect a professional document. Describe your business and we generate a complete, UK-compliant health and safety risk assessment in minutes.
Used by thousands of UK sole traders, small businesses, contractors and landlords
💼 Employ 5 or more people? You are legally required to write down your risk assessment under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Anyrisks produces the written document you need to comply.
Legal Requirements for Small Businesses
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies to all employers and self-employed people in the UK. Section 2 places a duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 make this duty more specific.
Under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer and self-employed person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and anyone else affected by their work. If you employ 5 or more people, you must record the significant findings of the assessment in writing. This is the legal threshold most small businesses reach when they take on their fifth employee.
Even if you employ fewer than 5 people — or work entirely alone — you are still required to carry out a risk assessment. You are simply not required to write it down. However, clients, principal contractors, landlords and insurers routinely expect written evidence of your assessment, regardless of your size. HSE inspectors will also ask to see your assessment process during inspections.
The HSE estimates that around 1.8 million workers in the UK suffer from a work-related illness, and 565,000 workers sustain a non-fatal injury at work each year. For small businesses, many of these incidents are preventable with proper risk assessment and basic control measures.
How It Works
1. Describe Your Business
Tell us what your business does, where you work (shop, office, workshop, mobile), how many people you employ, and any specific hazards (manual handling, machinery, customer interaction, lone working). The more detail you provide, the more specific and useful the assessment will be.
2. Let the app take the strain
Anyrisks produces a fully written, UK-compliant health and safety risk assessment covering all relevant hazards and referencing the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and other applicable legislation.
3. Instant Download and Use
Download as PDF and Word. Keep it on file for HSE inspections, show it to clients or insurers, or include it in your health and safety documentation. £29, no subscription.
What It Covers
Every small business health and safety risk assessment is written in full — covering all workplace hazards relevant to your business activity.
Slips, trips and falls — the most common workplace injury
Manual handling — lifting, carrying, repetitive tasks
Workplace transport — forklifts, delivery vehicles, car parks
Machinery and equipment safety — guards, maintenance, training
Display screen equipment (DSE) and office ergonomics
Lone working — employees working alone on or off site
Working at height — ladders, stepladders, access equipment
COSHH — hazardous substances, cleaning products, materials
Fire safety and emergency evacuation procedures
Violence and aggression — customer-facing and public-facing work
Stress and mental health — workload, working hours, support
Electrical safety — portable appliances, fixed installations
Noise, vibration and environmental hazards
Pregnant workers and new mothers — specific legal duties
Works For
From sole traders to growing small businesses, Anyrisks covers every type of UK business activity.
What Customers Say
"We hit 5 employees last year and realised we had no written risk assessment. Anyrisks sorted it in minutes — professional document, all the regulations referenced, and our insurer was satisfied."
Rachel T.
Small café owner, Brighton
"I run a one-man plumbing business. My clients kept asking for a health and safety risk assessment and I had nothing to show them. Now I have a proper document I can hand over every time."
David L.
Self-employed plumber, Manchester
"We employ 8 people across two retail sites. Anyrisks covered slips, manual handling, lone working and customer aggression — everything we needed in one assessment. Worth every penny."
Claire M.
Retail business owner, Cardiff
Anyrisks vs DIY Templates
| Anyrisks | DIY / Templates | |
|---|---|---|
| Written in full — not a blank form | ✓ | ✗ |
| Specific to your business activity and premises | ✓ | ✗ |
| Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 referenced | ✓ | ✗ |
| Covers all common small business hazards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Complies with the 5-employee legal threshold | ✓ | ✗ |
| Accepted by insurers, clients and HSE inspectors | ✓ | Sometimes |
| Ready in under 2 minutes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Instant PDF and Word download | ✓ | Sometimes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I legally need a written risk assessment if I employ fewer than 5 people?
Yes — the legal duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 applies to all employers and self-employed people regardless of size. However, if you employ fewer than 5 people, you are not required to write it down. That said, principal contractors, clients, insurers and landlords routinely expect written assessments, and HSE inspectors will ask to see evidence of your assessment process even if you employ nobody.
What if I am self-employed with no employees — do I still need this?
Yes — Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 applies to the self-employed. You must assess risks to yourself and anyone affected by your work. If you work on client premises, in shared buildings, or with other contractors, a written risk assessment is the accepted way to demonstrate compliance.
Does this cover office-based small businesses as well as trade businesses?
Yes — describe your business activity and workplace in detail. If you run a shop, office, workshop, café or any other small business, the assessment will reflect the specific hazards present (slips, manual handling, DSE work, customer interaction, etc.).
Can I use this for multiple sites or premises?
Each site or set of working conditions should have its own assessment if the risks differ significantly. For example, office work and warehouse work require separate assessments. If your business operates in multiple locations with similar conditions, one assessment can cover all sites — mention this in the description.
Will this satisfy my insurer or landlord?
Yes — insurers and landlords expect evidence of health and safety management, particularly a written risk assessment covering your business activity. Anyrisks produces a professional, regulation-referenced document accepted across the UK.
Do I need a separate fire risk assessment as well?
Yes — a general health and safety risk assessment does not replace a dedicated fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If you are responsible for business premises, you must complete a separate fire risk assessment. Anyrisks can generate a compliant fire risk assessment for your premises.
How long does it take to generate?
Under 2 minutes. Describe your business, premises and activities, and Anyrisks produces a complete, regulation-referenced health and safety risk assessment instantly.
Can I edit the document after download?
Yes — you receive both PDF and editable Word format. You can add site-specific details, employee names, review dates, or any other information required by your organisation or client.