Free template
The risk assessment, without the dread
A risk assessment is four honest questions in a table: what could hurt someone, who, what you already do about it, and what you will do next. This template is that table with worked examples from club life, so a session organiser can complete one without pretending to be a safety consultant.
What is in the document
- The five-column table: hazard, who is at risk, existing controls, further action, review date
- Worked example rows for a training session, an event and facility hazards
- A severity and likelihood guide in plain words rather than a matrix nobody uses
- A sign-off and review block, because an unreviewed assessment quietly expires
Making it yours
Walk the actual activity
The useful assessment comes from walking the session or venue and writing down what you see, not from imagining hazards at a desk. The examples show the level of detail that works.
Use your governing body's guidance
Most governing bodies publish sport-specific hazards and expected controls. Fold their current guidance into your rows; assessors know it and it is usually right.
Review on a date, not a memory
Put the review date in the club calendar when you sign the assessment. An assessment from three seasons ago protects nobody, including the committee.
Questions
What does a club risk assessment need to include?
For each activity or area: the hazards, who could be harmed, the controls already in place, any further action with an owner, and a review date. Written plainly enough that a new volunteer could follow it.
Who should write the club's risk assessments?
Someone who knows the activity, typically the session organiser or a committee member, using governing body guidance for the sport-specific parts. It is a knowledge exercise, not a legal one.
Is this template free to use?
Yes. Download it and complete it for your next session or event. No signup is required.