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Health and Safety Risk Assessment Types: What UK Businesses Need to Know

Health and safety risk assessment is often treated as a single requirement, but in reality there are several different types. Some look at everyday workplace risks, while others are only needed when certain activities take place, specific equipment is used, or particular groups of people may be affected. This is where uncertainty often starts for employers and managers.

Understanding the different types of risk assessment helps clarify what is relevant to a particular workplace, where additional assessments may be needed, and how risks are typically addressed in practice. Having this clarity makes it easier to avoid gaps, reduce confusion, and take a more proportionate approach to managing health and safety.

Key Takeaways:

The main types of health and safety risk assessment

Different types of health and safety risk assessment exist because workplace risks are not all the same. Some assessments apply to most workplaces, while others are only needed in specific situations.

General (workplace) risk assessment

What it covers:

A general workplace risk assessment looks at the everyday hazards that come from how work is carried out on a day-to-day basis. It focuses on common risks rather than specialist activities, such as slips and trips, manual handling, use of equipment, fire safety arrangements, and how people move around the workplace.

Typical workplaces:

This type of assessment is used across a wide range of settings, including: 

It often forms the starting point for managing health and safety, particularly where work activities are relatively stable.

When it’s needed:

A general workplace risk assessment is usually required when a business starts operating and should be reviewed when there are changes to the workplace, layout, equipment, or way work is done. It may also need updating after an incident, near miss, or significant change in staffing or activities.

Fire risk assessment

What makes this different from general assessments:

A fire risk assessment focuses specifically on the risk of fire and how people would escape safely if a fire occurred. While a general workplace risk assessment may reference fire hazards, a fire risk assessment looks in more detail at ignition sources, fuel, fire detection and warning systems, escape routes, emergency lighting, and fire safety management.

When it’s legally required:

A fire risk assessment is required for most non-domestic premises in the UK. This includes workplaces, shared areas of residential buildings, and premises open to the public. Responsibility usually sits with the employer, building owner, or person in control of the premises, depending on how the building is used.

Typical environments:

Fire risk assessments are commonly required in offices, shops, warehouses, factories, care settings, schools, and hospitality venues. They are also needed in shared areas of blocks of flats and buildings where members of the public are present.

Manual handling risk assessment

What counts as manual handling:

Manual handling covers more than heavy lifting. It includes lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, pulling, holding, or moving loads by hand or bodily force. Loads may be objects, people, animals, or equipment, and risk can come from the weight, size, shape, or how often the task is carried out.

When it’s needed:

A manual handling risk assessment is needed where work activities involve handling that could cause injury. This includes repetitive tasks, awkward postures, handling at height or floor level, and situations where space is restricted. Risk is not limited to heavy items, as lighter loads can still cause harm if they are handled frequently or incorrectly.

Common risk factors:

Manual handling risk assessments often consider factors such as the weight and stability of the load, the physical effort required, the working environment, and the capability of the person carrying out the task. Addressing these factors helps reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, which are a common cause of work-related ill health.

COSHH risk assessment

What COSHH means:

COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. A COSHH risk assessment looks at substances used or created at work that could cause harm if people are exposed to them. This includes substances that are breathed in, come into contact with the skin, or are swallowed.

Types of substances covered:

Substances covered by COSHH include chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases, biological agents, and some cleaning products. It also applies to substances produced during work activities, such as welding fumes, wood dust, or flour dust, not just products that are deliberately used.

Common workplaces:

COSHH risk assessments are commonly needed in: 

Offices may also require COSHH assessments where cleaning chemicals, printer toners, or other substances pose a risk.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) risk assessment

Who it applies to:

A DSE risk assessment applies to workers who use display screen equipment as a significant part of their job. This includes people who regularly use computers, laptops, tablets, or similar devices for prolonged periods. The assessment looks at posture, screen setup, seating, lighting, and how work is organised.

Common misconceptions:

DSE risk assessments are often seen as office-only, but they can apply in many settings. Home workers, hybrid workers, and people using screens in retail, control rooms, or industrial environments may also be covered. The key factor is regular screen use, not where the work takes place.

Young persons risk assessment

Who counts as a young person:

In health and safety terms, a young person is anyone under the age of 18. This includes:

When it’s required:

A young persons risk assessment is required when employing or engaging someone under 18. It focuses on risks that may affect younger workers differently, such as lack of experience, physical development, and exposure to certain hazards. This assessment should be completed before work starts and reviewed if tasks or conditions change.

New and expectant mothers risk assessment

What triggers this assessment:

A new and expectant mothers risk assessment is triggered when an employee notifies their employer that they are pregnant, have recently given birth, or are breastfeeding. The purpose is to identify any work-related risks that could affect the health and safety of the mother or child.

How it fits alongside others:

This assessment does not replace existing risk assessments. It sits alongside general and task-specific assessments and focuses on how existing risks may need to be managed differently. Controls may include adjustments to duties, working hours, or the working environment to reduce risk during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Lone working risk assessment

What lone working actually includes:

Lone working refers to situations where someone works by themselves without close or direct supervision. This can happen for all or part of a working day and does not always mean working in isolation from other people. Risk can increase where help would not be immediately available in an emergency.

Common examples:

Common lone working situations include working from home, travelling for work, visiting clients or members of the public alone, working outside normal hours, and working in remote or confined locations. Lone working can occur across many sectors, not just in traditionally high-risk roles.

Task-specific or site-specific risk assessments

Why generic assessments aren’t always enough:

Generic risk assessments can help identify common hazards, but they do not always reflect the conditions of a specific task or location. 

Risks can change depending on the environment, equipment used, people involved, and how work is carried out on the day. Task-specific or site-specific assessments allow these factors to be considered in more detail.

Common use cases:

These assessments are commonly used in construction, maintenance, and project-based work, where activities change regularly. They are also important when contractors are involved, when work is carried out at client premises, or where conditions vary between sites. 

Using task-specific or site-specific assessments helps ensure risks are identified and managed in line with real working conditions.

How do you know which risk assessments apply to your business?

The types of risk assessment a business needs are based on what people do at work, not their job titles or the name of the industry. Two organisations in the same sector may require different assessments if their activities, equipment, or working conditions are not the same.

Most businesses need more than one type of risk assessment. A general workplace assessment often sits alongside more specific assessments that focus on particular risks, tasks, or groups of people. These assessments can overlap, but each one looks at risk from a different angle and helps build a more complete picture.

Not sure whether anything else applies beyond a general workplace assessment? These kinds of questions are usually a good place to start:

If any of these sound familiar, it is worth looking more closely at whether additional assessments are needed for those situations.

Who should carry out a health and safety risk assessment?

In most cases, the employer is responsible for making sure risk assessments are done. That does not mean one named person has to write them, but someone does need to take responsibility for them happening and being kept up to date.

The person carrying out a risk assessment needs to understand the work, the environment, and where things could realistically go wrong. That matters more than job title. A manager or supervisor may be well placed to do this in some settings, but only if they have the knowledge and time to do it properly.

There are plenty of situations where bringing in outside support makes sense. This is often the case where work is higher risk, spread across different sites, or changes frequently. An external health and safety specialist can spot issues that are easy to miss internally and help make sure assessments reflect what actually happens at work, not just what is supposed to happen.

How often should risk assessments be reviewed?

Risk assessments are not a one-off task. They need to be looked at again whenever something changes or when it becomes clear that existing controls are not working as well as they should.

A review is usually needed if the way work is done changes, new equipment or materials are introduced, or processes are updated. Incidents and near misses are another clear trigger, as they often highlight risks that were missed or underestimated.

Even where nothing obvious has changed, it still makes sense to review assessments from time to time as small changes to processes and the workforce can add up.

Understanding which risk assessments apply

Different types of risk assessment exist because workplace risks are not all the same. Most businesses need more than one assessment, and the right combination depends on the activities taking place and who may be affected by them.

Clarity comes from understanding how work is actually done and where risks can arise. When that picture is clear, it becomes much easier to focus on the assessments that matter and avoid relying on something too general.

Not sure whether your current risk assessments are good enough? Download this risk assessment guide to sense-check what you have and where gaps often appear.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Health and Safety Risk Assessment Types

How many types of risk assessment are there in health and safety?

There isn’t a fixed number. The types of risk assessment needed depend on the risks present in a workplace. Most businesses use a general workplace assessment alongside more specific assessments for things like fire, manual handling, substances, or lone working.

Is a fire risk assessment separate from a health and safety risk assessment?

Yes. A fire risk assessment is a separate assessment with its own focus. While fire may be mentioned in a general workplace assessment, a fire risk assessment looks specifically at fire hazards, evacuation, and fire safety arrangements in more detail.

What is the difference between COSHH and a general risk assessment?

A general risk assessment looks at overall workplace hazards. A COSHH risk assessment focuses only on substances that could harm health, including chemicals, dusts, fumes, and biological agents. COSHH assessments are used when substances create a specific health risk that needs closer control.

Do office-based businesses still need multiple risk assessments?

Often, yes. Offices may still need separate assessments for display screen equipment, fire safety, manual handling, or lone working. The need is based on activities and risks, not whether the work is considered low risk.

Can one risk assessment cover multiple risks?

Some risks can be covered together, but others need separate assessments. For example, a general workplace assessment may sit alongside COSHH, fire, or task-specific assessments. The aim is to make sure risks are properly understood, not to reduce paperwork at the expense of clarity.

What happens if the wrong type of risk assessment is used?

Using the wrong type of assessment can mean certain risks are not properly identified or controlled. This can lead to gaps in safety arrangements and problems if an incident occurs or if assessments are reviewed during an inspection.