Employers and operational leaders
For decision-makers responsible for how work is planned, controlled and reviewed.
OHS risk assessments
Understand the risk. Plan the controls.
Identify workplace hazards, evaluate risk and define practical controls.
Who this service is for
Support for your team and your projects.
This route is for organisations that need to understand risk before selecting controls, planning work or reviewing an existing assessment. A useful assessment reflects the work people actually perform, including changes, less frequent activities and interactions with other teams. Explain whether you are planning new work, revisiting an existing assessment or responding to a change in operating conditions.
Your project
Do you need to identify and evaluate risk for a workplace, activity, operation or project?The final scope is defined for the organisation, workplace or project involved.
SHEQ and workplace teams
For teams coordinating worker knowledge, operational information and action tracking.
Project and facility teams
For defined project, site, activity or workplace contexts that need a structured assessment.
Clear risk language
Hazard, risk and control are connected but distinct.
Using the terms consistently helps teams understand what was identified, how the risk was considered and what should happen next. A concise description of each connection is more useful than a list of hazard names alone. It should help the reader follow the activity, the possible exposure, the reason for concern and the control decision being considered.
- 01
Hazard
A source, situation or activity with the potential to cause harm.
- 02
Exposure and consequence
Who or what may be affected, how contact may occur and what harm could result.
- 03
Risk
The assessed significance of the potential harm within the defined context and method.
- 04
Control
The measures selected to eliminate the hazard where possible or otherwise reduce and manage the risk.
Service scope
What the work can include.
The assessment category, work boundaries, participants and expected record are defined for the engagement. Specialist measurements or certifications are not assumed.
Assessment context
Define the workplace, task, project, operation or change being assessed and the decisions the assessment must support. State what is included and where the assessment stops. A whole workplace, one process and a single maintenance task can require different levels of detail. Identifying the decision to be supported helps participants bring relevant information and prevents a broad title from hiding important exclusions.
Hazard identification
Use relevant workplace knowledge, observations and participant input to identify sources and situations that may cause harm. Describe the sequence of work and consider who is involved at each stage. Include people who may be nearby or affected by the activity, not only those carrying it out. Existing records can inform the discussion, but they should be checked against the current operating context.
Risk evaluation
Consider the agreed risk factors and existing controls in a consistent, explainable way. Agree how the method will be understood by participants and how assumptions will be recorded. The discussion should explain why a risk is being prioritised, rather than relying on a number alone. Uncertain information can then be identified for clarification or separately scoped specialist input.
Control and review planning
Record control decisions, ownership and the circumstances that should trigger review. Distinguish controls already in place from proposed changes, and identify who will decide on and implement each further action. A clear record links the measure to the hazard or exposure it addresses. It also helps the organisation revisit assumptions when work or circumstances change.
Engagement process
How we get started.
- 01
Define the assessment
Confirm the workplace or project context, locations, activities, participants and reason for the assessment. Describe the actual activity, its frequency and any unusual conditions that affect how it is done. Identify the people who understand the work and the manager who can make decisions about proposed changes.
- 02
Gather relevant input
Use available records, workplace knowledge and the experience of people familiar with the work. Bring existing assessments, relevant procedures and known concerns into the discussion. Invite operational input about differences between the documented method and normal practice. Where information is incomplete, record the uncertainty rather than filling it with assumptions.
- 03
Evaluate risk and controls
Apply the agreed method consistently and distinguish existing controls from further action. Consider how current measures operate in the real setting and what further information is needed. Keep proposed actions separate from existing controls, so the record does not imply that an improvement has already been implemented.
- 04
Record and review
Document decisions, assign action ownership and identify when the assessment should be revisited. Make the assessment accessible to the people who need to use it. Record the agreed review triggers and where action progress will be tracked. Revisit the relevant parts when changes affect the assumptions or controls on which the assessment depends.
Scope and limitations
Scope and responsibilities.
- The assessment is limited to the context, activities, information and participation included in the agreed scope.
- It does not imply occupational-hygiene exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, engineering certification or another specialist service.
- A risk assessment does not guarantee that all risk is removed and does not replace management responsibility for implementing controls.
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What can an OHS risk assessment cover?
The engagement can be scoped around a workplace, task, activity, operation or project context. The exact assessment category and boundaries are agreed before work begins.
Who should participate?
Participation should include people who understand the work, workplace and controls relevant to the scope. The appropriate group depends on the organisation and activity.
When should an assessment be reviewed?
Review should be considered when the work, workplace, equipment, process, people, information or risk context changes, or when the organisation’s approved review process requires it.
Does this include exposure monitoring?
Not by default. Occupational-hygiene measurements, medical surveillance and engineering certification require separately verified specialist scope and are not implied by this service.
Can an existing assessment be used as the starting point?
Yes, an existing assessment can provide useful context if its date, scope and assumptions are understood. Compare it with the current activity, workplace and controls, and identify what has changed. A document from another site or a different task may offer prompts, but it should not be treated as evidence that the current situation has been assessed. Explain whether you need a focused review of changed work or a broader reassessment so the engagement can be scoped accordingly.
How can we make the assessment useful after the workshop or site review?
Agree who will receive the record, who owns further actions and how workers or other affected teams will be informed of relevant decisions. Keep proposed controls separate from measures already operating, and identify the evidence needed to show that an action has been completed. An assessment is easier to use when the descriptions match the work people recognise. If support with implementation or a later review is required, include that need in the discussion before the initial engagement is confirmed.
Talk to Diba BES
Plan your next step with Diba BES.
Tell us about your project, location and timing. We will help you identify the right service and agree the scope.