Workplace Safety & Health Risk Assessment Guide
A practical WSH guide aligned to Singapore’s Code of Practice on Workplace Safety and Health Risk Management to help users understand the risk management process, identify workplace hazards, evaluate risks, select suitable control measures and know when review or professional support may be needed.
Risk assessment is not only a form. It is part of a structured risk management process.
This guideline helps workplaces understand the Singapore WSH risk management process: preparation, risk assessment, risk control implementation, record-keeping, review and communication. Users can use this page to understand key RA concepts, identify common hazards, consider risk factors and select controls using the hierarchy of controls.
Identify hazards
Use the hazard finder to review common workplace safety hazards across operations, maintenance, logistics, offices and contractor activities.
Evaluate risk
Consider the possible severity of harm and the likelihood of occurrence so that risks can be prioritised for action.
Improve controls
Review whether elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE have been considered before accepting remaining risk.
A practical sequence for WSH risk management.
Singapore’s WSH risk management process covers preparation, risk assessment, risk control implementation, record-keeping, review and communication. A complete risk assessment should consider the task, people exposed, work environment, equipment, existing controls, foreseeable failures and required follow-up actions. It should also be reviewed when work changes, after accidents, incidents, near-misses or dangerous occurrences, when new WSH information becomes available, and at least once every three years.
Define task
Describe the work activity, location, people involved and work conditions.
Identify hazard
Recognise sources of harm such as energy, movement, height, heat, vehicles or hazardous substances.
Assess risk
Estimate potential severity and likelihood before additional controls are applied.
Select controls
Prioritise elimination, substitution and engineering controls before relying on procedures or PPE.
Review residual risk
Confirm whether the remaining risk is acceptable, documented, communicated and periodically reviewed.
Common Workplace Hazard Finder
Search and compare common WSH hazards, typical consequences and examples of control measures.
| Hazard | Typical Activities | Possible Consequences | Example Controls | Typical Priority | Review Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work at height | Roof access, ladder work, scaffold use, maintenance above ground level. | Falls from height, fractures, fatal injury, falling objects. | Eliminate work at height where possible, use proper working platform, edge protection, fall prevention, rescue plan, trained workers and inspection. | High | Change in access method, weather, platform condition or worker competence. |
| Slips, trips and falls | Walking routes, wet floors, uneven surfaces, cables, poor housekeeping. | Sprains, fractures, head injury, lost time injury. | Good housekeeping, drainage, anti-slip surfaces, cable management, lighting, inspections and prompt spill response. | Medium | Recurring near-misses, wet weather, layout changes or new pedestrian routes. |
| Machinery and moving parts | Operation, cleaning, maintenance, clearing jams and adjustment of machinery. | Crushing, entanglement, amputation, cuts and fatal injury. | Machine guarding, interlocks, lockout/tagout, safe operating procedures, emergency stops, training and supervision. | High | Guard removal, bypassed interlock, machine modification or maintenance activity. |
| Electrical hazard | Electrical maintenance, damaged cables, temporary power, work near live parts. | Electric shock, burns, arc flash, fire and fatal injury. | Isolation, lockout/tagout, competent electrical worker, inspection, residual current protection and insulated tools where appropriate. | High | Live work, damaged equipment, wet conditions or temporary installation. |
| Vehicle and forklift movement | Loading bays, warehouses, traffic routes, reversing, delivery areas. | Collision, struck-by injury, crushing, property damage and fatal injury. | Traffic management plan, pedestrian segregation, speed limits, mirrors, reversing controls, banksman and operator competency. | High | New route, congestion, poor visibility, reversing activity or near-miss. |
| Hot work and ignition sources | Welding, cutting, grinding, soldering and work near combustible materials. | Fire, explosion, burns, smoke inhalation and property loss. | Permit-to-work, remove combustibles, fire watch, gas testing where needed, extinguishers, isolation and post-work monitoring. | High | Change in location, combustible loading, gas risk or fire protection impairment. |
| Confined space | Entry into tanks, pits, vessels, sewers, ducts or enclosed spaces. | Oxygen deficiency, toxic exposure, engulfment, fire, explosion and fatality. | Avoid entry, permit-to-work, atmospheric testing, ventilation, isolation, standby person, communication and rescue plan. | Critical | Any entry, atmosphere change, isolation change, rescue concern or change in work scope. |
| Chemical exposure | Handling, mixing, cleaning, spraying, transfer and storage of chemicals. | Irritation, poisoning, burns, sensitisation, fire and environmental release. | Substitute hazardous chemicals, local exhaust ventilation, closed transfer, SDS review, labelling, spill response and suitable PPE. | Medium | New chemical, new process, exposure symptoms, spill or ventilation change. |
| Manual handling | Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, awkward posture and repetitive handling. | Musculoskeletal disorders, strains, sprains and fatigue. | Mechanical aids, reduce load weight, redesign layout, team lifting, task rotation and manual handling training. | Medium | Reported discomfort, increased load, new work layout or repeated manual task. |
| Terrorism or security-related threat | Public-facing premises, vehicle access points, crowded areas, events, delivery zones and critical business operations. | Mass casualty, panic, business disruption, property damage and psychological harm. | Security risk review, access control, hostile vehicle mitigation where relevant, emergency response planning, communication and staff awareness. | High | Change in threat level, new public event, site layout change, security incident or new vulnerability. |
| Disease outbreak or infectious disease transmission | Shared workspaces, close-contact work, customer-facing work, dormitory-linked operations and business continuity scenarios. | Infection spread, workforce absence, business disruption and vulnerable worker impact. | Ventilation, hygiene arrangements, health monitoring, cleaning, communication, vaccination or medical guidance where applicable, and business continuity planning. | Medium | Outbreak alert, new public health guidance, increased cases, vulnerable worker concern or operational change. |
| Mental well-being and psychosocial risk | High workload, fatigue, lone work, shift work, traumatic exposure, poor role clarity, harassment or organisational change. | Stress, burnout, reduced attention, mental ill-health, absenteeism and increased error risk. | Workload review, role clarity, fatigue management, respectful workplace practices, supervisor support, reporting channels and access to assistance. | Medium | Employee feedback, repeated fatigue reports, organisational change, incident trend or well-being concern. |
| Falling objects | Storage racks, overhead work, lifting operations and stacked materials. | Head injury, fractures, fatal injury and equipment damage. | Secure storage, toe boards, exclusion zones, lifting plan, load inspection, helmets and good stacking practices. | Medium | Overhead work, damaged racks, unstable loads or lifting changes. |
Choose stronger controls before relying on PPE.
The hierarchy of controls helps organisations prioritise risk reduction at source. Higher-order controls generally provide more reliable risk reduction than administrative controls and PPE alone.
Elimination
Remove the hazard completely, such as avoiding work at height by completing the task from ground level.
Substitution
Replace the hazard with a safer option, such as using a less hazardous chemical or lower-risk work method.
Engineering controls
Isolate people from the hazard using guarding, ventilation, barriers, interlocks or mechanical aids.
Administrative controls
Use safe work procedures, permits, training, supervision, signage, job rotation and planned inspections.
PPE
Provide suitable personal protective equipment as the last line of defence, supported by fit, training and maintenance.
Verify effectiveness
Check that controls are actually implemented, maintained, understood and effective under real work conditions.
Common weaknesses in workplace risk assessments.
A risk assessment may look complete but still be weak if the hazard is poorly described, controls are generic, responsible persons are unclear or residual risk is not justified.
Weak risk assessment signs
- Hazards described too generally, such as “unsafe act” or “workplace accident”.
- Controls rely mainly on reminders, training or PPE without higher-order controls.
- Likelihood is reduced without explaining what control has changed.
- Residual risk is marked acceptable although serious gaps remain.
- No responsible person, deadline or verification method is assigned.
Stronger risk assessment practice
- Describe the task, hazard, exposure route and foreseeable failure clearly.
- Use the hierarchy of controls to strengthen risk reduction.
- Link every risk reduction to a specific control measure.
- Review the assessment after incidents, process changes or near-misses.
- Communicate controls to workers and verify implementation in the field.
Some risk assessments need deeper technical support.
Professional WSH review is recommended when the activity involves high-consequence hazards, complex operations, contractors, process change, repeated incidents or uncertainty over whether controls are sufficient.
High-risk work
Work at height, confined space, lifting, excavation, hot work, electrical work and hazardous energy control.
Incident follow-up
Activities with recent incidents, dangerous occurrences, near-misses or recurring unsafe conditions.
Contractor activities
Work involving multiple parties, unclear supervision, interface risks or permit-to-work requirements.
Technical uncertainty
Situations requiring engineering, occupational hygiene, ergonomics, fire safety or human factors input.
Use this tool together with your organisation’s approved WSH procedures.
This IEH tool provides a practical risk assessment framework for awareness and planning. Formal risk assessments should follow applicable legal requirements, company procedures and competent professional judgement.
Singapore reference: This page is aligned to the Code of Practice on Workplace Safety and Health Risk Management, Third Revision 2021, issued by the Workplace Safety and Health Council and Ministry of Manpower.
Risk management process: The Code of Practice frames risk management around preparation, risk assessment, implementation, record-keeping, review and communication.
Risk assessment method: This tool uses a simple 5 × 5 severity and likelihood matrix for practical risk ranking. The Code of Practice recommends the 5 × 5 matrix but does not restrict companies from using other suitable risk assessment methodologies and matrices.
Review trigger: Risk assessments should be reviewed when work activities change, after any accident, incident, near-miss or dangerous occurrence, when new WSH risk information becomes available, and at least once every three years.
Control selection: The control guide follows the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.
Expanded WSH considerations: The 2021 revision includes broader considerations such as occupational health hazards, terrorism threats, disease outbreaks and mental well-being.
Professional note: Risk ratings should not be treated as exact science. The quality of the assessment depends on the accuracy of hazard identification, field observations, worker consultation, control verification and management follow-up.
Need help strengthening your workplace risk management process?
IEH can support WSH risk assessment review, workplace inspections, incident prevention, contractor safety management, permit-to-work review, risk management procedure review and practical safety improvement planning.