Office Risk Assessment Checklist

As part of managing the health and safety of your business, you must routinely assess and control the risks in your workplace.

The purpose of a risk assessment is to ensure that the correct precautions are in place to address risks posed by potential hazards. This could be anything from electrical equipment defects to poor posture that impacts the health of office employees.

A good rule of thumb is to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment once a year, though risks should also be assessed every time a new machine, substance or procedure is put in place, as they could lead to new hazards.

Run this checklist at least once a year to perform a full risk assessment of an entire office workspace. By doing so, you will create a safe environment for happy and productive employees.

Let’s get going!

Before beginning the risk assessment, record a few basic details regarding the office.

Take a slow walk all around the office, carefully examining the flooring. Pay particular attention to busy walkways as they are more likely to be damaged and pose safety risks. 

Below is a list of safety concerns to look out for. Check each item off once you have inspected all areas. If there are some that are present, note them down in the form field below and have them addressed upon completion of the checklist. 

If there are wet surfaces without hazard signs or spills that haven't been cleared up, this is due to poor housekeeping and should be addressed immediately by consulting the cleaning service. 

Ensure that every room in the office is well lit and that employees are comfortable with the level of brightness. 

If there are defective lightbulbs or panels, or if employees are complaining that the lighting gives them headaches, make a note and evaluate if any changes should be made once the checklist has been completed. 

Check all around desks and common areas, making sure that cables are well grounded and hidden away as best as possible.

Trailing leads and cables create trip hazards that can be easily avoided if neatly organized. 

All stairways and corridors must be free of obstructions.

Daily cleaning is essential to maintaining a healthy and safe working environment. 

Check that the office is being cleaned every evening, either by employed cleaners or by a contracted cleaning service.

Large and heavy items should not be stored on high shelves. They should be stored on low shelves or on the ground to prevent the risk of falling and causing serious injury.

If there are any heavy items that need to be lowered, make a note of them below and have them addressed when you review the assessment with other members of staff.

This is particularly important if you are in a state that is prone to earthquakes such as California, Oregon or Nevada.

Check that all mechanical safeguards are in place and functioning properly (e.g. paper cutter guards). 

Boxes of paper and other heavy items should be handled with care when delivered to the office.

There should be an easily accessible trolley to transport heavy items upon collection. This is to prevent the risk of back pain or injury from handling bulky objects. 

Employees should be reminded that they should not try to lift objects that look or appear too heavy to handle. 

All employees who work at a desk should have a fully adjustable chair so they can sit comfortably and with good posture. 

This is becoming a very important aspect of office health and safety as many workers are experiencing neck and back pain due to poor alignment while working at their desks for long periods of time.

Providing a fully adjustable chair is just half of the work. Employees should be encouraged to get in the habit of sitting with good posture that keeps their spine straight throughout the working day.  

Take half an hour or so to monitor employees and make a note of individuals that are sitting in a way that is clearly harmful in the long-term and should be addressed.

Check out these 7 simple ways to improve your posture at work

When evaluating display screen equipment, here is a list of what needs to be considered:

Check that all cables and plugs are in good condition. Any signs of damage should be noted down and addressed immediately.

Defective electrical equipment could cause electrical shocks, burns, or lead to fires. 

Staff should be trained to spot and report any defective plugs, discolored sockets or damaged cables to the office manager or administrator.

All extension cords should be well grounded and hidden away as best as possible. 

If there are any cords running through doors, walkways, or loosely attached to walls/ceilings, see to it that they are removed. 

As mentioned earlier, all staff should be trained to identify and report any defective plugs, faulty sockets or damaged cables as they pose a potentially serious safety hazard. 

By reviewing the reporting procedure, ensure that employees are aware of their responsibility to report faulty electrical equipment and are provided with open communication channels to do so quickly and efficiently. 

Check that exit signs are well lit and in clear line of sight for all employees. 

All fire alarms in the office should be tested at least every 6 months. 

Find out more about inspection and testing requirements of fire alarm systems.

Check that all fire extinguishers in the office are in good condition and received up-to-date servicing to ensure they are in working order. 

There are 3 main ways to report a hazard:

• A verbal report to a supervisor
• Completing a hazard report form (sample attached below)
• Raising the issue at a staff meeting

Be clear about the consequences of failing to report a hazard and the positive incentives to report a hazard as soon as possible. 

Hazards that pose an acute threat should, of course, be reported immediately to an office manager, administrator or delegated workplace health and safety officer. 

Hazards that are less urgent may simply require filling out a hazard report form and forwarding it to the appropriate person.

A hazard report form should be emailed to all employees and stored on their desktop for easy access.  

Check out this article on how to encourage employees to report hazards.

All employees must be familiar with the emergency evacuation procedure. 

You can attach your specific procedure below and email it to all workers.

For more details, check out OSHA's official guide on how to plan for workplace emergencies and evacuations

All members of staff must know who to contact for first aid assistance. 

A contact number should be available on every phone in the office.

Now that the risk assessment has been completed, it's time to review all of the information that has been gathered so that it can be presented to other members of staff along with specific action items.

Safety concerns - Flooring: {{form.Safety_concerns_-_Flooring}}

Safety concerns - Lighting: {{form.Concerns_regarding_lighting_(repair_needs,_employee_complaints_etc.)}}

Safety concerns - Heavy objects: {{form.Heavy_items_that_need_to_be_moved_to_lower_storage}}

Safety concerns - Cables and plugs: {{form.Safety_concerns_-_Cables_and_plugs}}

Safety concerns - Fire equipment: {{form.Safety_concerns_-_Fire_equipment}}

Safety concerns - Employee posture: {{form.Employees_with_particularly_bad_posture}}

Schedule a meeting with other key members of staff to discuss the assessment in more detail and create an action plan for how to move forward.

Be sure to hand out copies of the assessment to all meeting attendees and consider sending the report to all employees for them to look through in their own time.

• i-Sight - 5 Simple Ways to Conduct a Risk Assessment
• i-Sight - Benefits of Workplace Risk Assessments
• The University of Birmingham - Guidance for Risk Assessment in Offices
• The University of Edinburgh - Generic Risk Assessment for Offices
• Health and Safety Authority - Office: Common Hazards
• Forward into Health - Conducting an Office Risk Assessment
• Health and Safety Executive - Controlling the Risks in the Workplace
• Health and Safety Executive - Example Risk Assessment for an Office-Based Business
• Community Door - Hazard Reporting Procedures
• Injury Claim Coach - Fatal Workplace Injuries

• Office Safety Inspection Checklist
• Employee Discipline Checklist
• Office Conflict Resolution Checklist
• Employment Termination Checklist
• Performance Review Checklist
• Records Disposal Checklist
• Budget Preparation Checklist