12 Common Risk Assessment Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them

Top tips from Work Wallet to get risk assessments right - avoid these common Risk Assessment mistakes.

Are your risk assessments doing the job? Work Wallet reveals the top 12 mistakes and how smarter risk assessment software can help you reduce risk and boost compliance.

Practical risk assessment is the foundation of a safe, legally compliant workplace. At Work Wallet, we support businesses in transforming their health and safety processes through intuitive, digital-first solutions. One of the most frequent issues we encounter? Poorly executed risk assessments.

From vague language to outdated reviews, even minor mistakes in a risk assessment can lead to serious incidents, legal consequences, and operational disruption. That's why we've put together this guide to the 12 most common risk assessment mistakes and how to get them right.

Why Risk Assessments Matter

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are legally required to carry out "suitable and sufficient" risk assessments. However, beyond compliance, quality risk assessments also help prevent incidents, protect people, and foster a strong safety culture.

Despite this, we continue to see the same avoidable errors across organisations of all sizes. Often, assessments are too generic, incomplete, or sit unused on a shelf. Our platform and expertise are here to change that.

12 Common Risk Assessment Mistakes to Avoid

1. Working in isolation

A risk assessment should never be a solo activity. Involving at least two or three team members provides better insight, accountability, and decision-making.

2. Not involving the right people

Those performing the task or using the equipment often have the most practical knowledge. Their input is essential when compiling and reviewing risk assessments.

3. Lack of competence

While formal qualifications aren't legally required, anyone carrying out a risk assessment must be competent, possessing the Knowledge, Ability, Training and Experience (KATE) needed to identify hazards and apply sensible control measures.

4. Vague or missing injury details

It's not enough to list hazards. A robust assessment clearly describes how someone could be harmed, such as "risk of hand injury from sharp edges."

5. Ignoring guidance

Refer to official resources such as HSE guidance and relevant industry standards. This helps ensure your assessments are both thorough and defendable.

6. Duplication across documents

Avoid repetitive or conflicting assessments by cross-referencing what already exists. This ensures consistency and saves time.

7. Using unclear language

Terms like "heavy" or "PPE" are too ambiguous. Specify weights (e.g. "items over 25kg") and exact PPE types and safety standards to remove uncertainty.

8. Missing key assessment areas

A complete risk assessment should consider:

• Access and egress
• Maintenance, inspections and pre-use checks
• Health monitoring and surveillance
• Training requirements
• Safe systems of work
• Isolation procedures
• Past incidents or near-misses

9. Confusing scoring systems

If using a risk matrix, ensure the scoring system is precise and well-defined. Everyone involved should understand how likelihood and severity are measured.

10. Poor communication

Once created, the findings of a risk assessment must be shared with relevant team members. Keep a clear record of who has seen and acknowledged the content.

11. Failing to review regularly

Risk assessments should be dynamic documents, not one-time efforts. Schedule reviews at least annually or sooner if tasks, equipment or environments change.

12. No central register

Maintain an indexed list of all risk assessments, including review dates. This makes it easier to track compliance and respond quickly during audits or inspections.

How Work Wallet helps you get it right and avoid common Risk Assessment mistakes

At Work Wallet, risk assessments should be helpful, not just a tick-box exercise. That's why our risk assessment software is built to simplify and strengthen your entire safety process.

Our platform lets you:

• Build, customise and update risk assessments with ease
• Link to supporting documents, hazards and safe systems of work
• Assign actions and monitor completion in real-time
• Access everything securely from mobile or desktop
• Automate review dates and audit trails
• Share assessments digitally with your workforce

Whether you're a small team managing basic assessments or a multi-site organisation handling complex risks, Work Wallet provides the tools to stay compliant, consistent, and confident in your approach.

---

Share post