A dynamic risk assessment is the one you make on the spot, when the work in front of you no longer matches the plan. The written risk assessment and method statement were prepared at a desk, for the conditions someone expected. Then the wind picks up, the excavation finds an unmarked cable, a school lets out next to the site, or the crane you were promised has broken down. This template records what changed, the hazards as they are now, the controls you put in, and a clear decision on whether the work goes ahead — so there is a written trail of the judgement, not just a memory of it. Fill it in here and download a PDF, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
When a dynamic risk assessment is needed
Any time the situation moves away from what the written assessment assumed. Typical triggers are a change in the weather, ground or structure that is not what was expected, something found that nobody knew about, members of the public or other trades turning up in the work area, a key piece of equipment or a key person missing, or an emergency where people have to act before there is time to plan.
It does not replace the written assessment. In UK law the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 expect employers to assess risks in advance, and a dynamic assessment is how the people on the ground keep that assessment honest when reality changes. If the change is going to last, the form asks whether the written assessment needs revising, and that becomes an action.
Start with what changed
Many dynamic risk assessment forms open with "describe the task", which is the one thing that has not changed. This one starts with the trigger: what is different, when you noticed, and whether the existing paperwork still describes the job. If it does, you may only need a short record. If it no longer fits, the rest of the form is where the new plan gets written.
A photo of the changed conditions is worth more than a paragraph. Take it before anything is moved, so the record shows what the team actually faced.
Rating hazards before and after controls
Each hazard is rated twice. First as it stands, combining how badly someone could be hurt with how likely that is. Then again once the controls you have chosen are in place. The gap between the two shows whether the controls are doing real work. A hazard still rated High or Intolerable after controls appears in the summary of findings, because that is a hazard the team is being asked to work alongside.
Controls are chosen from the top of the hierarchy down: remove the hazard if you can, swap the method or material for a safer one, put a barrier or guard between people and the danger, change how the work is organised, and only then rely on personal protective equipment. Ticking only PPE for a serious hazard is a sign the assessment should go back a step.
Go or stop — and say which
The form ends with a decision, not a comment box. Work goes ahead, goes ahead once named controls are in place, or stops. A stop is recorded as a finding and opens two questions: who it was escalated to, and what has to happen before anyone restarts. Stopping is a legitimate outcome of a risk assessment, and the record should show it as a decision rather than a failure.
Before signing, brief everyone affected. The team list at the end lets each person sign to say they have heard the changed plan, which matters most when people from different firms are working side by side.
Common questions
What is the difference between a dynamic risk assessment and a normal risk assessment?
A normal risk assessment is prepared in advance for a planned task. A dynamic risk assessment is made on site, at the time, when conditions differ from the plan or when there is no plan because events have overtaken it. It records the judgement made in the moment and whether the work continued.
Who should carry out a dynamic risk assessment?
The competent person in charge of the work at the time — usually a supervisor, team leader or charge hand — with input from the people doing the task. Everyone on site should be able to stop work and ask for one when something does not look right.
Is a dynamic risk assessment a legal requirement in the UK?
UK law requires a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks. It does not prescribe a dynamic form, but when conditions change the original assessment may no longer be suitable, and recording how the risk was reassessed on the day is good evidence that the duty was taken seriously. This template records what was done; it does not certify compliance.
Does the form score the assessment?
No. It is a record of a decision. Answers that need attention — a stop, controls not yet in place, a hazard still high after controls, a team not briefed — are lifted into the summary of findings so they cannot be missed.
How long should a dynamic risk assessment take?
As long as the change deserves. A shower of rain on a dry job might take two minutes and one hazard. An unexpected gas smell in an excavation should stop the work, and the form is then a record of who was called and what has to happen before anyone goes back in.