WHS Risk Assessment — Meeting Your Legal Obligations
A managed WHS risk assessment service for Australian PCBUs and SMEs. Advisor-guided, aligned to the WHS Act, and designed to produce documentation that satisfies regulators and insurers.
The obligation every PCBU carries
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires PCBUs to ensure the health and safety of workers and others as far as reasonably practicable. This obligation is not limited to preventing incidents — it includes demonstrating that risks were identified and managed through a documented process.
Safe Work Australia and state regulators can audit your risk management arrangements at any time — not only following an incident. Businesses that cannot produce adequate documentation face improvement notices, fines, and personal liability for officers.
A WHS risk assessment is the foundational piece of that documentation.
What a WHS risk assessment covers
Hazard identification
Identifying all hazards relevant to your workplace, plant, equipment, systems of work, and worker activities.
Risk evaluation
Assessing the likelihood and consequence of each hazard causing harm, using a recognised risk matrix.
Control selection
Identifying controls from the hierarchy — from elimination through to PPE — and documenting the rationale for each.
Residual risk assessment
Assessing the risk that remains after controls are implemented, and confirming it is as low as reasonably practicable.
Review schedule
Setting a schedule for reassessment — including triggers such as incidents, near misses, or changes to operations.
Documentation
Producing a document that records the full assessment in a format suitable for regulatory review and insurer assessment.
Why self-managed assessment creates exposure
Many businesses conduct their own risk assessments using templates or guidance from industry associations. This approach is common — and commonly inadequate.
The WHS Regulations require that the person conducting the assessment has the knowledge to identify hazards and apply controls appropriate to the specific work. A business owner or manager completing a template rarely meets this standard, even with good intentions.
When an incident occurs, the adequacy of the risk assessment is one of the first things investigated. Self-assessed documentation that cannot demonstrate site-specific, competent assessment is a significant liability — for the business and for individual officers.
What advisor-guided assessment provides
- Competent assessment: Conducted by a risk advisor with knowledge of WHS obligations and your industry, not by a template.
- Regulatory alignment: Methodology aligned to Safe Work Australia guidance and applicable state WHS regulations.
- Defensible documentation: A documented record of how hazards were identified, risks were scored, and controls were selected — suitable for regulators, insurers, and incident investigation.
- Officer-level evidence: Documentation that supports officer due diligence obligations — demonstrating that the PCBU has appropriate systems and that they were followed.
Speak with a Risk Advisor
Talk to a risk advisor about your WHS obligations and what a managed risk assessment would involve for your business.
Contact a Risk Advisor