A Practical Sample Risk Register for Australian Worksites

If you're still using a basic spreadsheet for your risk register, you’re not just making life hard for yourself, you're creating problems. That static Excel file is a nightmare for your team to access, a pain to keep updated, and gives you zero real-time view of what's happening on site.

Why Your Excel Risk Register Is Holding You Back

Let’s be honest, that old spreadsheet just isn't cutting it anymore. In fast-moving industries like construction and manufacturing, managing risk is a dynamic, constant process. An Excel sheet is the complete opposite; it’s a snapshot in time that’s often outdated the moment you hit 'save'.

This old-school approach creates serious headaches on the ground. Picture managing a dozen subcontractors on a busy construction site. How do you make sure every single person has seen the latest version of the risk register? Emailing a new file every few days is a recipe for confusion, version control chaos, and the very real risk of a worker using old, incorrect information.

The Problem with Static Information

The heart of the issue is that spreadsheets are passive. They can’t ping you when a control measure is due for review or flag a new hazard someone has just identified. This puts the entire burden on you to manually track every moving part, which is pretty much impossible on a complex project.

This static nature leads to some critical failures:

• Poor Accessibility: A worker on the factory floor or a remote site can't just pull up an Excel file on their phone to double-check a control before starting a high-risk job. It's clunky and impractical.
• Compliance Headaches: Trying to prove compliance with WHS regulations becomes a painful paper chase. Auditors want to see a living, breathing history of risk management, not a disconnected series of spreadsheets.
• Zero Real-Time Visibility: You have no immediate insight into whether controls are actually being used. A spreadsheet might say a machine guard needs a daily check, but it can't tell you if that check ever happened.

A risk register isn't just an administrative box to tick for regulations. It's a critical operational tool that should be actively helping you prevent incidents, avoid project delays, and protect your team. When it's stuck in a spreadsheet, it fails at its most important job.

Moving Beyond the Spreadsheet

It's clear a better system is needed. The Australian risk management market is already valued at USD 270 million and is on track to hit USD 782.48 million by 2033. This boom is driven by tougher regulatory demands and the simple fact that old methods just don't work for today's complex job sites. For any health and safety manager, keeping an accurate and live risk register has become a non-negotiable part of the role.

At the end of the day, a functional risk register helps you manage hazards proactively instead of just reacting to incidents after they happen. When you ditch the static document for a live system, you give your entire team the information they need to work safer and smarter. You can see for yourself how dedicated software for risk management moves far beyond the limits of a simple spreadsheet.

The Core Components of a Functional Risk Register

Forget about those ridiculously complicated, 20-column spreadsheets that no one ever looks at. A truly functional risk register is practical. It focuses on a few key pieces of information that actually help your people on the ground.

Its job is simple: clearly state the problem, what you’re doing about it, and who is responsible for getting it done. Anything more is usually just administrative noise. Let's break down the essential columns you actually need to build a register that your team can understand and use to make better decisions.

Hazard Identification and Risk Description

This is your starting point, and you have to be specific. Vague descriptions are completely useless. Don't just write "Fall Hazard"; describe what makes it a hazard in that specific situation.

A much better entry would be something like: “Unprotected open trench (2 metres deep) for plumbing installation in a high-traffic area.”

Right away, anyone reading that gets the context they need. They understand the "what" (open trench), the "why it's dangerous" (2 metres deep), and the "where" (high-traffic area). This level of detail is critical for accurately assessing the risk later on.

Think of it as setting the scene. A good risk description paints a clear picture for a supervisor who might be new to that part of the site. It’s the difference between a generic warning sign and a detailed safety briefing.

Existing and Additional Controls

Once you've identified the hazard, you need to document what you're already doing about it. These are your existing controls.

For our trench example, existing controls might be:

• Administrative: "Site induction includes a warning about open excavations."
• PPE: "All personnel on site are required to wear steel-capped boots and high-vis clothing."

These are the baseline measures currently in place. But are they enough? Probably not. This is where you list additional controls: the specific actions you'll take to lower the risk even further. For the trench, these would be much more direct and robust.

The most practical risk registers clearly separate what's already being done from what needs to be done. This simple separation turns the document from a simple list into an active task manager for your safety team.

Clear Responsibility and Due Dates

A risk without an owner is a risk that won't get fixed. Every single entry needs a person’s name next to it. This isn't about playing the blame game; it's about creating clear accountability so things actually get done.

Assigning a Risk Owner ensures someone is responsible for seeing the additional controls through. "Management" is not a person. It should be a specific role, like "Site Supervisor" or "John Smith, Project Manager."

Alongside the owner, every additional control needs a Due Date. This creates urgency and gives you a simple way to track progress. Without a deadline, important safety actions can drift indefinitely and eventually fall through the cracks.

Annotated Sample Risk Register Entry

Let’s put it all together. Here’s what a practical entry for a manufacturing scenario might look like in a well-structured risk register. This example focuses on a common piece of factory equipment, showing how these core components work together.

Here is a practical, filled-out example of a single risk register entry for a common manufacturing hazard, with explanations for each column.

Annotated Sample Risk Register Entry (Manufacturing Scenario) This table shows a practical, filled-out example of a single risk register entry for a common manufacturing hazard, with explanations for each column.

In this sample risk register, notice how the "Additional Controls" column contains specific, actionable items. It doesn't just say "improve safety"; it lists concrete steps like installing a specific type of guard and creating new training. This is the level of practical detail that makes a risk register a truly useful tool rather than just another document filed away and forgotten.

How to Identify and Score Risks Accurately

A risk register is only as good as the information you put into it. Nailing down the hazards on your site is the first step, but scoring them properly is what turns your register from a simple list into a powerful tool for making decisions. This isn't guesswork; there's a practical, repeatable way to do it.

The best place to find hazards isn't an office, it's out on the floor or on the site. To get the full picture, you really need to combine a few different methods.

Finding What Could Go Wrong

Start with workplace inspections. Get out there and walk the site with the specific goal of spotting things that could hurt someone. Look for the obvious stuff like unguarded machinery, unsafe storage of materials, or trip hazards. The key is to document what you see immediately. Take photos if you can.

Next, talk to your team. The people doing the work every single day have the most valuable insights. They know what's actually dangerous, what slows them down, or what "near misses" they've seen but never reported. This ground-level feedback is absolute gold.

Finally, dig into your incident and injury reports. Your past incidents are the clearest indicators of future risks. Are most of your reported injuries related to manual handling? Is one specific piece of equipment a recurring theme? This data points you directly to your biggest problems.

This simple process: Identify, Describe, and Control, is the foundation of any effective risk management system.

This isn't a one-off task. Think of it as a continuous loop, a core part of keeping your operations strong and your people safe.

Using a 5x5 Risk Matrix to Score Hazards

Once you have your list of hazards, you need to score them. A 5x5 risk matrix is a straightforward and consistent way to do this. It helps you calculate a risk score by multiplying two key factors: the likelihood of something happening and the consequence (or severity) if it does.

This gives you a number, usually from 1 to 25, that instantly helps you prioritise. A high score means a risk needs your immediate attention. You can find out more about how this works by exploring the basics of a risk assessment rating system.

A standard matrix uses a simple scoring system:

• Likelihood (How likely is it to happen?)

  • 1 (Rare): Only happens in exceptional circumstances.
  • 2 (Unlikely): Could happen, but probably won't.
  • 3 (Possible): Might happen at some point.
  • 4 (Likely): Will probably happen.
  • 5 (Almost Certain): It's expected to happen.

• Consequence (How bad will it be?)

  • 1 (Insignificant): First aid injury, no time off work.
  • 2 (Minor): Medical treatment needed, minor property damage.
  • 3 (Moderate): Lost time injury, significant equipment damage.
  • 4 (Major): Serious injury, permanent disability, major operational shutdown.
  • 5 (Catastrophic): A fatality, extensive destruction of property.

The goal of scoring isn't to be perfectly scientific. It's about creating a logical, consistent framework so that a risk scored in one department can be fairly compared to a risk scored in another.

To visualise this, a simple 5x5 matrix makes it easy to see where your risks land. You simply find the row for Likelihood and the column for Consequence to get your score.

Simple 5x5 Risk Scoring Matrix

As you can see, a combination of high likelihood and severe consequence quickly pushes a risk into the Extreme category, demanding immediate action.

Scoring Risks in Practice

Let’s apply this to a couple of real-world examples to see how it works.

Construction Example: Fall From Height

• Hazard: Someone working on an unprotected edge on the second storey of a building.
• Likelihood: With no fall protection, a fall is Likely (4). It's just a matter of time.
• Consequence: A fall from that height would almost certainly be a serious injury or fatality, making the consequence Catastrophic (5).
• Risk Score: 4 (Likelihood) x 5 (Consequence) = 20 (Extreme Risk). This needs to be dealt with right now.

Manufacturing Example: Forklift Collision

• Hazard: A forklift operating in a busy pedestrian walkway with no designated, separated path.
• Likelihood: In a bustling factory, a collision is Possible (3) over the course of a year.
• Consequence: Being hit by a forklift can cause very serious injuries, so the consequence is Major (4).
• Risk Score: 3 (Likelihood) x 4 (Consequence) = 12 (High Risk). This is another one that needs urgent attention.

Implementing Practical Control Measures That Work

Once you've scored a risk as ‘High’ or ‘Extreme’, the obvious question is: what are you going to do about it? This is where your risk register shifts from a document into an action plan. You need to choose control measures that will genuinely make a difference.

Simply writing "use PPE" isn't good enough. An effective risk register details controls that actually reduce the risk, not just tick a compliance box.

The best way to tackle this is with the hierarchy of controls. It’s a simple but powerful framework that prioritises the most effective actions (at the top) over the least effective (at the bottom). Your goal should always be to use the highest-level control that is reasonably practicable.

Start at the Top: Elimination and Substitution

The gold standard controls are Elimination (getting rid of the hazard completely) and Substitution (swapping it for something less dangerous). Let's be honest, these are often the hardest to implement, but they deliver the biggest safety payoff.

On a construction site, for example, workers cutting concrete blocks create dangerous silica dust. Instead of just managing the dust, you could eliminate the task altogether by ordering prefabricated components cut to size off-site. The hazardous job is simply gone.

In a manufacturing plant, substitution might look like replacing a toxic solvent used for cleaning machine parts with a non-toxic, water-based alternative. You still need to clean the parts, but you've swapped out the dangerous chemical for a safer one.

Think of it this way: PPE is like giving a worker a better shield. Elimination is like making sure they don't have to go into battle in the first place. Always aim to remove the fight entirely before handing out armour.

Mid-Level Controls: Engineering and Administration

If you can't eliminate or substitute a hazard, you move down the hierarchy to Engineering and Administrative controls. These are all about changing the physical environment or the way people work within it.

• Engineering Controls: These are physical changes to the workplace. In a noisy factory, instead of just handing out earplugs, you could install acoustic enclosures around the loudest machines. This physically isolates the hazard from your people.
• Administrative Controls: These are all about procedures. For that same noisy factory, an admin control would be creating a robust hearing protection program. This means regular hearing tests, training on why protection is so important, and clear signage in loud areas.

These two levels of control work best when you combine them. The acoustic enclosure (engineering) lowers the overall noise, while the hearing program (admin) manages the remaining risk for those who have to be in the area. You can find more practical examples in our guide on implementing control measures for risks.

PPE as the Last Resort

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sits at the very bottom of the hierarchy for a good reason. It’s the least effective control because it depends entirely on the worker using it correctly, every single time, without fail. A dust mask is useless if it isn't worn properly and doesn't create a perfect seal.

Going back to our construction example, relying only on dust masks for silica exposure is a weak, last-ditch effort. A far stronger approach is to combine on-tool dust extraction (an engineering control) with limiting the time workers spend cutting (an administrative control), leaving the mask as the final layer of protection.

Finding experienced staff to manage and verify these controls can be a major hurdle. With Australia's unemployment rate hovering around 4.1% and average full-time weekly earnings at $2,010, the competition for skilled safety professionals is fierce. This economic reality makes a strong case for using digital tools to document and track your control measures, ensuring they're being applied consistently across all sites.

Ultimately, your sample risk register becomes a much more powerful document when it shows a thoughtful, layered approach to controls. It should demonstrate a clear effort to use higher-level controls first, with PPE being the final safety net, not the starting point.

Keeping Your Risk Register a Living Document

A risk register stuffed in a filing cabinet or lost on a server is worse than useless. Its entire value comes from being a live, active tool that your team uses day in and day out. For it to be effective, it has to reflect the reality of your worksite right now, not what things looked like six months ago.

Getting this right doesn't have to be some monumental, time-sucking task. The secret is to build a simple, repeatable rhythm for your reviews and know exactly what events should trigger an immediate update. This is how you turn it from a static piece of paper into a dynamic tool that actively keeps people safe.

Setting a Regular Review Schedule

The easiest way to keep your risk register from gathering dust is to put review dates in the calendar and stick to them. How often you review should be directly linked to the level of risk. Not every task needs a weekly check-in, but your most critical risks can't be left for an annual review.

A practical, real-world schedule usually looks something like this:

• Quarterly Reviews: Lock these in for any and all activities you’ve scored as ‘High’ or ‘Extreme’. These are your biggest threats, and they need constant attention to make sure your controls are holding up.
• Annual Reviews: This is fine for all the other risks sitting in the ‘Medium’ or ‘Low’ categories. They still need a look-over, but they don't carry the same urgency.

This kind of structured approach makes the whole process manageable. It stops you from getting overwhelmed by trying to review everything at once and forces you to focus your energy where it’s needed most.

Key Triggers for an Immediate Review

Beyond your scheduled check-ins, certain events on-site should be an instant red flag: a trigger to pull out the risk register and get to work. Waiting for the next quarterly meeting is not good enough when the ground has shifted.

You need to be updating your register immediately in these situations:

• After any incident or near miss: This one’s a no-brainer. An incident is hard proof that your controls failed or just weren't good enough. You have to reassess that risk, right now.
• When new equipment is introduced: That new press brake on the factory floor or a different model of excavator on site brings a whole set of new, unevaluated risks with it.
• If a work process changes: Even a seemingly small tweak to how a job gets done can introduce new hazards that simply weren't there before.
• When legislation or standards change: A new code of practice or WHS regulation can make your existing controls non-compliant overnight.
• Following consultation with your team: If your workers on the floor raise a new concern about a task, it needs to be taken seriously, formally assessed, and added to the register.

A risk register isn't about ticking boxes. It's about actively managing risk. When you treat it like a living document, it becomes a core part of your daily operations, not just an administrative chore you dust off when an auditor is on their way.

Making the Process Practical with Modern Tools

This is where the old-school spreadsheet starts to fall apart, and quickly. Manually tracking review dates, chasing up the people responsible, and trying to communicate updates across the whole team is a full-time job in itself. It's exactly why modern safety platforms have become so essential.

With a system like Safety Space, the whole process becomes ridiculously simple. You can set automated reminders for your quarterly and annual reviews, so nothing ever gets missed. When an incident is logged, the system can automatically prompt you to review the risk assessment tied to that task.

But more importantly, it makes the risk register accessible to everyone, everywhere. A supervisor can pull up the latest version on a tablet right there on the factory floor. This live, on-the-ground accessibility is what truly turns your sample risk register from a static document into a living, breathing tool that helps your team make safer decisions, every single day.

Got Questions About Risk Registers?

When it comes to actually building and using a risk register, a few questions always seem to pop up. Here are some straight, practical answers to the queries we hear most often from managers on Australian worksites.

How Many Risks Should I Be Listing?

Honestly, there's no magic number here. The goal isn’t to list every single tiny hazard. It’s about properly managing all the 'reasonably foreseeable' risks that could cause serious harm.

A small manufacturing workshop might have 20-30 significant risks on its register. A major construction project could easily have hundreds.

The key is to focus on your highest-risk activities first. A good register is about the quality of the assessment, not just the quantity of entries. Concentrate on the hazards that could genuinely stop your operations or, more importantly, seriously injure someone.

What's the Difference Between a Hazard and a Risk?

This is probably the most critical distinction to get right. People use these terms interchangeably all the time, but they mean very different things in safety management.

• A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm. Think of it as the thing or the situation itself, like a wet floor, an unguarded machine, or working at height.
• A risk is the likelihood that the hazard will actually cause harm, combined with how severe that harm could be. It's the chance plus the consequence.

So, the unguarded machine is the hazard. The risk is the 'high likelihood of a catastrophic amputation injury'. Your register documents the hazard, then scores the risk it creates.

Getting this right is fundamental. You identify hazards, but you assess and control risks. Nailing this distinction makes your entire risk management process clearer and far more effective.

Can I Just Use a Generic Risk Register Template?

Grabbing a generic template off the internet is a shortcut that can backfire spectacularly. It will never account for the specific equipment, unique processes, different people, and distinct environment of your particular worksite.

Think of a template as a starting point for the structure, not a finished solution. An effective sample risk register has to be customised to your operations. The basic columns might be the same, but the identified hazards, risk scores, and especially the control measures must be specific to your business to be compliant and genuinely useful.

A generic template can't tell you about that blind corner in your warehouse where the forklifts and pedestrians always seem to cross paths. Only your team knows that.

How Do I Get My Team to Actually Use the Thing?

Simple: if your risk register is locked away in a folder in the site office, it's already failed. Getting genuine buy-in from your team comes down to two things: accessibility and involvement.

First, make it dead simple to access. A digital platform that puts the live risk register directly on their phone or tablet is the best way to do this. When a worker can quickly check a control measure before starting a job, the register becomes a helpful tool, not just more paperwork.

Second, and this is the big one, involve them in the whole process. Your supervisors and workers on the ground are the true experts on what's dangerous out there. Ask for their help identifying hazards and brainstorming practical control measures. When they help build it, they take ownership of it. It becomes their tool, not just another document pushed down from management.

If you have broader questions about overarching strategies, our complete guide to risk security management offers a deeper dive.

Ready to move beyond static spreadsheets and build a living risk register your team will actually use? The Safety Space platform makes it simple to identify, score, and control risks in real-time. Book a free demo today and see how you can make your workplace safer and more compliant.