List of services

Risk Assessment

Workplace Risk Assessment Auckland

An on-site assessment of the hazards in your workplace, how likely they are to cause harm, and whether your current controls are adequate. Delivered as a written report with a risk register and prioritised action plan.

Reuben Brooker, Lead Consultant · Last updated: September 2026
A workplace risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards in your workplace, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm from each one, and determining whether your existing controls are sufficient. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016, every PCBU must identify hazards, assess risks, and either eliminate or minimise them so far as is reasonably practicable.
Find out what your actual risks are
We visit your workplace, assess your hazards, and give you a clear picture of what needs attention.
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Why You Need One

Risk assessment is not optional. Regulations 5 to 8 of the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 set out a prescribed risk management process: identify hazards, assess risks, decide on controls using the hierarchy of controls, and review that those controls are working.

Many businesses have a hazard register somewhere, but it was written when the business started and has not been updated since. Activities change, equipment changes, people change, and the register stays the same. That is how gaps develop between what you think is controlled and what actually is.

A risk assessment gives you an independent, current picture. It is also the evidence you need if WorkSafe investigates, a client asks for your safety documentation, or a prequalification scheme wants proof that you actively manage risk.

Risk Assessment, Site Audit, or Gap Analysis?

These three services overlap in people's minds, but they answer different questions.

Service What it focuses on Format
Risk Assessment (this page) Specific hazards in your workplace, how likely they are to cause harm, and whether controls are adequate On-site visit, report with risk register
Workplace Site Audit Broader compliance check of physical site conditions and on-site documentation On-site inspection, report within 24 hours
Gap Analysis Your documented H&S system as a whole, checked against HSWA 2015 Documentation review, no site visit

A risk assessment is hands-on. Reuben visits your workplace, observes how the work is actually done, identifies what could go wrong, and evaluates whether your current controls match the real risk. A site audit checks broader compliance across the site. A gap analysis reviews your paperwork. Many businesses benefit from more than one, but they are separate pieces of work.

What We Assess

Every workplace is different, but these are the areas typically covered during an on-site risk assessment.

  • Physical hazards: working at height, moving plant and machinery, manual handling, noise, confined spaces
  • Chemical and substance hazards: hazardous substances, dust, fumes, and exposure risks
  • Environmental hazards: lighting, ventilation, temperature, housekeeping, and access/egress
  • Ergonomic hazards: workstation setup, repetitive tasks, and manual handling practices
  • Psychosocial hazards: fatigue, stress, lone working, and workplace violence risks
  • Emergency preparedness: evacuation routes, first aid provisions, and emergency equipment
  • Existing controls: whether current controls are actually in use, adequate, and maintained

The specific scope depends on your industry and workplace. We confirm what will be covered during the scoping call.

What You Receive

📋
Risk assessment report
A written report covering every hazard identified during the site visit, the assessed risk level for each, your existing controls, and where those controls fall short.
📊
Risk register
A risk register built from the assessment findings, either new or updating your existing one. Delivered as an editable file so you can maintain it as your business changes.
🎯
Prioritised action plan
Recommended controls ranked by priority, using the hierarchy of controls: eliminate first, then minimise, then PPE as a last resort.
🤝
Follow-up conversation
We walk you through the findings and discuss your options for addressing the highest-priority risks.
Not sure which service you need?
Tell us about your situation and we will recommend the right starting point.
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How It Works

1
Scoping call
We talk through your business, the type of work you do, and what has prompted the assessment. This is also when we confirm the fee.
2
On-site visit
Reuben visits your workplace to observe how work is actually carried out, talk with your people, and identify hazards that a desk review would miss.
3
Assess and rate each risk
Each identified hazard is assessed for likelihood and severity, rated using a standard risk matrix, and compared against your existing controls.
4
Report, register, and action plan delivered
You receive the written report, an updated or new risk register, and a prioritised action plan with recommended controls.
5
Follow-up conversation
We talk through the findings and, if you need help implementing the recommendations, outline your options.

How Risks Are Controlled

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requires risks to be managed using the hierarchy of controls. This is the framework we apply when recommending actions in your report.

Level Control type Example
1. Eliminate Remove the hazard entirely Replacing a manual lifting task with a mechanical hoist
2. Substitute Replace with something less hazardous Switching to a less toxic cleaning chemical
3. Isolate Separate people from the hazard Installing guarding around moving machinery
4. Engineering controls Redesign the work environment Installing extraction ventilation for dust or fumes
5. Administrative controls Change how people work Job rotation, safe work procedures, training
6. PPE Personal protective equipment Hearing protection, safety glasses, gloves

WorkSafe expects higher-order controls to be considered first. PPE is a last resort, not a first response. Our recommendations follow this hierarchy so you address the root cause, not just the symptom.

Who Carries Out Your Assessment

Your risk assessment is carried out on site by Reuben Brooker, Lead Consultant at Health & Safety Consultants Auckland, with more than 15 years of experience in workplace health and safety.

You deal with the person doing the work. Reuben visits your workplace, writes the report, and walks you through the findings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and regulations 5 to 8 of the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016, every PCBU must identify hazards, assess risks, and implement controls. Risk assessment is how you meet that duty in practice.
A risk assessment focuses on specific hazards, their likelihood and severity, and whether your controls are adequate. A site audit is a broader compliance check of physical conditions and documentation across the whole site. Both are on-site services, but they answer different questions.
A risk assessment is an on-site visit focused on real hazards in your workplace. A gap analysis is a documentation review of your entire H&S system against HSWA 2015, with no site visit. The risk assessment checks the workplace itself. The gap analysis checks the paperwork.
The fee depends on the size and complexity of your workplace. We confirm a fixed quote after a short scoping call, so you know the cost before we visit.
There is no fixed frequency in the law, but WorkSafe expects risk assessments to be reviewed whenever something changes: new equipment, new processes, new staff, a near miss, or an incident. As a minimum, most businesses should review their risk assessments at least annually.
You might. Many businesses have one from when their system was first set up. If it exists, we review and update it with the findings from the assessment. If it does not exist, we build one from scratch as part of the service.
Any industry. Risk assessment applies to every workplace, from construction sites and warehouses to offices and retail. The specific hazards differ, but the process and legal requirements are the same.
Risk assessments require an on-site visit, so we primarily serve Auckland workplaces. For businesses outside Auckland, get in touch and we can discuss options.

Sources

  • Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, section 30: duty to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. legislation.govt.nz
  • Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016, regulations 5 to 8: the prescribed risk management process for identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing controls. legislation.govt.nz
  • WorkSafe New Zealand, risk management guidance: practical guidance on the risk management process, including the hierarchy of controls. worksafe.govt.nz
  • WorkSafe New Zealand, risk register template: the standard risk register format published by WorkSafe. worksafe.govt.nz
Know what your actual risks are
Tell us about your workplace. We will scope the assessment, confirm a fixed quote, and visit your site.
Get a quote

Last reviewed: September 2026