Updated June 2025
Risk assessment training is critical to building a safe and compliant workplace — but who actually needs it? In this guide, we’ll explain what risk assessment training is, who should take it and why it’s essential in high-risk and low-risk environments.
Whether you’re a business owner, site manager, or HR professional, understanding your role in workplace safety starts here.
What Is Risk Assessment Training?
Risk assessment training is designed to teach individuals how to identify hazards, evaluate potential risks and implement effective control measures in the workplace. This type of training provides workers with the knowledge and skills they need to carry out risk assessments confidently and in line with legal obligations.
Whether delivered online or in person, training in risk assessment ensures your staff understand the fundamentals of workplace risk management and helps your organisation build a culture of safety and compliance.
Whilst employers, for the most part, are responsible for assessing risks in the workplace, this is just one aspect of the overall process of controlling risks in the workplace. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) notes that no one person is exclusively responsible for maintaining workplace health and safety — it’s a job that has to be shared by business owners, managers, supervisors, contractors and even employees.
Related Reading: The 5 Steps to Risk Assessment Explained
In fact, the HSE states: “Workers have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions at work.”
Related Reading: Who Is Responsible for Workplace Health and Safety?
Risk assessment training enables employers to equip workers with the essential skills needed to identify, assess, and control hazards within their work environment. In today’s uncertain business landscape, risk assessment training plays a crucial role in maintaining a safe and productive workplace.
What Is Risk Assessment Training?
Risk assessment training is designed to teach individuals how to identify hazards, evaluate potential risks and implement effective control measures in the workplace. This type of training provides workers with the knowledge and skills they need to carry out risk assessments confidently and in line with legal obligations.
Whether delivered online or in person, training in risk assessment ensures your staff understand the fundamentals of workplace risk management and helps your organisation build a culture of safety and compliance.
What Do Risk Assessment Training Courses Cover?
Risk assessment training courses vary in depth, but they typically cover the following:
- Hazard identification – recognising physical, chemical, ergonomic or psychological risks
- Risk analysis – understanding likelihood and severity of harm
- Risk evaluation – prioritising actions and identifying unacceptable risks
- Risk control – implementing practical control measures
- Documentation – recording findings using compliant risk assessment templates
- Review and monitoring – knowing when to review or update risk assessments
Some courses also focus on specific risks, such as:
- Fire risk assessment training
- COSHH (hazardous substances) training
- Manual handling risk assessment
- Display screen equipment (DSE) assessments
- Mental health and stress risk assessment
Why Is Risk Assessment Training Important?
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, all employers in Great Britain must assess risks to workers and anyone affected by their activities. This includes:
- Identifying potential hazards
- Evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm
- Taking action to eliminate or control risks
While employers are responsible for ensuring assessments are carried out, they can delegate this task to competent individuals. Risk assessment training courses are one of the most effective ways to ensure those individuals are equipped to carry out their duties properly.
Benefits Of Risk Assessment Training
| For Employers | For Employees |
| Demonstrates legal compliance | Builds confidence in spotting risks |
| Reduces workplace accidents | Improves career skills |
| Lowers insurance premiums | Improves decision-making |
| Promotes a safety-first culture | Empowers ownership of safety |
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Who Should Receive Risk Assessment Training?
Risk assessment training is essential for anyone who is responsible for safety or decision-making in the workplace. This includes:
Common Job Roles That Require Risk Assessment Training:
- Health and Safety Officers — responsible for workplace inspections and compliance
- Managers and Supervisors — overseeing operations and team wellbeing
- Project Managers — assessing operational and environmental risks
- Team Leaders — identifying day-to-day hazards on the ground
- Facilities Managers — managing site risks and building safety
- Business Owners — ensuring their duty of care is met
- HR Professionals — managing people-related risk, such as mental health or workplace disputes
- Self-Employed Individuals — who must assess risks to themselves and others
Whether you’re running a construction site, managing an office, or leading a small team, risk training provides essential knowledge to help keep people safe and businesses compliant.
Related Reading — Guide To Workplace Health And Safety Training In Construction
Industries That Need Risk Assessment Training
While all employers need to consider risks, training in risk assessment is particularly vital in high-risk industries, including:
Construction
Working at height, moving machinery and site hazards make formal training a must.
Get our FREE Risk Assessment Example In Construction — complete with hazards, risks, and control measures pre-filled for a typical site scenario.
Healthcare
Professionals must assess risks like infection, manual handling and patient safety.
Manufacturing
From machinery to hazardous materials, risk assessments are critical.
IT and Cybersecurity
Risk training helps professionals identify vulnerabilities, including those caused by human error — a factor in over 90% of cyber breaches.
Finance
Financial analysts benefit from risk assessment skills when evaluating economic and operational threats.
Human Resources
Training in workplace risk helps HR manage employee-related risks, such as harassment or burnout.
In any industry, empowering employees with the proper training reduces incidents, improves compliance and builds a safer working culture.
How To Choose The Right Risk Assessment Training
When choosing a training course, consider the following:
- Awarding body — Is it backed by a recognised body (e.g., IOSH, NEBOSH)?
- Relevance — Is it specific to your role or industry?
- Delivery method — Online, face-to-face, or hybrid?
- Certification — Will you receive proof of competency?
- Length — From short awareness courses to full certificates.
Some providers, like the British Safety Council, offer short risk assessment training courses that issue certificates upon completion.
For small businesses or self-employed professionals, online risk assessment training is often the most cost-effective and flexible option.
FAQs: Training In Risk Assessment
Is risk assessment training mandatory?
While there is no specific law stating “risk assessment training is required,” the legal duty to carry out competent risk assessments means training is often the best way to meet that requirement.
Can I do risk assessment training online?
Yes — many providers offer online risk assessment training that covers the same content as in-person courses and provides a certificate of completion.
How often should I refresh risk assessment training?
Training should be refreshed:
- After an incident
- When new processes are introduced
- Every 1–3 years, depending on the risk level of your industry.
Who is responsible for risk assessments in the workplace?
Ultimately, employers are responsible. However, they can delegate the task to competent employees — and training helps ensure those employees meet the standard of competency expected by the HSE.
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