Access a quick summary of what hazard analysis means with AI
What is hazard analysis?
Hazard analysis refers to the detailed process of identifying and evaluating hazards in the workplace and putting in effective control measures to reduce the risk of the hazards causing harm to an individual, property, or the environment.
There are four key steps involved:
- Identification – Recognising the hazard(s)
- Evaluation – Assessing the level of risk this poses, its severity, and the likelihood that it will happen
- Control – Considering and implementing effective control measures to eliminate the risk, or reduce it to as low a reasonably practicable
- Review – Continually monitoring how effective such control measures have been and re-evaluating if required
What are the four main hazards in the workplace
All workplaces are different, and the types of hazards can vary hugely between locations. However, hazards can broadly be grouped into four main categories:
- Chemical hazards – Harmful substances that you may breathe in, ingest, or touch (e.g., fumes, gases, cleaning chemicals, smoke)
- Biological hazards – Living organisms or biological materials that can cause harm (e.g., bacteria, viruses, mould, bodily fluids, needles)
- Ergonomic hazards – Risks linked to poor workplace design or the way work is performed (e.g., repetitive movements, heavy lifting, poorly set-up workstations)
- Physical hazards – Risks arising from the environment, equipment, or situations (e.g., slips, trips, and falls, machinery, extreme temperatures, vehicles)
Note – Psychosocial hazards are increasingly recognised as a fifth category, although not all frameworks include them yet. These include factors such as stress, bullying and fatigue. Organisations that use the traditional four categories may choose to capture psychosocial risks within their broader physical hazard category.
How to perform a hazard analysis
An effective hazard analysis typically involves four key steps: identify hazards, evaluate risk, implement controls, and review.
Document the process, stay objective (not optimistic), and involve a range of people – including the workers who carry out the task(s).
1.) Identify hazards
Think about what could cause harm in this context. Useful ways to do this include:
- Observing the work as it’s carried out
- Speaking to the teams who do the work
- Reviewing your safety data for close calls, near misses and accidents
- Considering non-routine situations such as maintenance, cleaning, or night shifts
- Looking across all hazard types: chemical, biological, ergonomic, physical and psychosocial
2.) Evaluate risk level
Consider who could be harmed and how – including not just frontline workers, but also cleaners, contractors, visitors and technicians.
For each hazard, assess:
- Likelihood: How probable is an incident (from extremely unlikely to extremely likely)?
- Severity: How serious could the outcome be (e.g., minimal impact, minor injury/illness, serious injury/illness or damage, catastrophic outcome)?
Use likelihood and severity to prioritise hazards so you know where to focus first. Many organisations use a risk matrix to document and visualise this (likelihood on one axis, severity on the other).
At this stage, also review any existing controls and whether they are effective or could be improved.
3.) Implement controls
Choose control measures to manage the hazards, following the hierarchy of controls:
- Elimination – Remove the hazard or stop the high-risk activity entirely (e.g., remove a trip hazard, use tools that avoid working at height)
- Substitution – Replace with something less hazardous (e.g., switch to a non-toxic chemical, upgrade machinery with improved safety features)
- Engineering controls – Isolate people from the hazard (e.g., machine guarding, barriers, ventilation systems).
- Administrative controls – Change how work is done (e.g., training, safe systems of work, signage, supervision).
- PPE – Reduce exposure with equipment (e.g., gloves, goggles, respirators).
Many organisations jump straight to training and PPE as default control measures, when there are other more effective controls available higher up the hierarchy. Check out other common risk assessment mistakes to avoid.
4.) Review, update, and improve
Review hazard analyses regularly to confirm controls remain appropriate and effective – annually is common. You should also review when circumstances change, such as:
- New equipment, processes or materials
- New starters or changes to staffing
- A near miss, incident, or emerging trend in safety data
Key benefits of hazard analysis
An effective hazard analysis review strengthens workplace health and safety practices. It can help in several ways:
Risk mitigation – Identifying and controlling hazards helps you address risks before they cause harm. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of incidents, leading to fewer injuries and, ultimately, lives saved.
Demonstrating compliance – Taking practical steps to manage health and safety supports regulatory requirements. A documented hazard analysis helps evidence your duty of care.
Operational benefits – A safer, healthier workforce can improve productivity and reduce costs associated with downtime, insurance claims and retraining.
People benefits – When employees see that their safety is prioritised, they’re more likely to feel valued. This can boost morale, improve communication and strengthen safety culture.
Who is responsible for hazard analysis?
It is the employer’s responsibility to manage health and safety, so they are ultimately responsible for ensuring hazard analysis is carried out. They may delegate this work to a competent person within the organisation, or appoint an external consultant, but overall accountability remains with the employer.
Examples of hazard analysis
Construction site – working at height (scaffolding)
1.) Identification
- Task: installing cladding on upper floors
- Hazards spotted: falls from edges, unstable scaffold boards, dropped tools, poor weather, untrained workers using scaffolding
2.) Evaluation
- Likelihood: medium–high (height work daily, multiple workers)
- Severity: very high (a fall could be fatal)
- Risk level: high/intolerable without controls
3.) Implementation
- Eliminate/substitute: use MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms) where feasible instead of scaffolding
- Engineering controls: guardrails, toe boards, fully decked platforms, scaffolding tagged after inspection
- Administrative: working at height training, working at heigh permits, competency checks, warning signs, exclusion zones
- PPE: harness and lanyard when required, hard hat, non-slip boots
4.) Review
- Daily pre-use checks and formal weekly inspections
- After any near miss (e.g., dropped object), re-assess and tighten exclusion zones or tool control
- Review whenever the layout, height, or contractor crew changes
Manufacturing plant – machine guarding/entanglement risk
1.) Identification
- Task: operating a conveyor-fed cutting machine
- Hazards: moving belts/blades, nip points, bypassed guards, unexpected start-up during cleaning, loose clothing/hair entanglement
2.) Evaluation
- Likelihood: medium (frequent interaction)
- Severity: high (amputation/crush injury possible)
- Risk level: high
3.) Implementation
- Engineering: fixed/interlocked guards, light curtains, emergency stops within reach
- Administrative: lockout/tagout for cleaning and maintenance, clear SOPs, training, ‘no gloves/loose clothing’ rule near rotating parts
- PPE: close-fitting workwear (specific requirements will vary by task)
4.) Review
- Monthly guard integrity audits
- Review lockout/tagout compliance after maintenance events
- Track near misses (e.g., guard found open) and update training and enforcement
Office – ergonomic/workstation strain
1.) Identification
- Work activity: daily computer work, long periods of sitting
- Hazards: poor chair and laptop setup, repetitive typing, awkward monitor height, eye strain, sedentary fatigue
2.) Evaluation
- Likelihood: high (everyone exposed daily)
- Severity: low–medium (musculoskeletal issues develop over time)
- Risk level: medium (chronic harm)
3.) Implementation
- Engineering: adjustable chairs and desks, monitor risers, external keyboards and mice, improved lighting, screen glare reduction
- Administrative: DSE (display screen equipment) assessments, micro-break prompts, posture guidance, workload variation
- PPE: not typically required (blue-light glasses may be used if appropriate)
4.) Review
- Re-assess when someone changes role, location, or equipment
- Check sickness and complaint trends every quarter (neck/back pain, headaches)
- Annual ergonomic training refresher
Transport/logistics – warehouse vehicle–pedestrian interface
1.) Identification
- Task: forklifts moving pallets in shared loading bay
- Hazards: pedestrians struck/crushed, blind spots, reversing, poor lighting, speeding, fatigue
2.) Evaluation
- Likelihood: medium–high (busy areas)
- Severity: very high (serious injury/fatality)
- Risk level: high
3.) Implementation
- Eliminate: separate pedestrian-only routes; no walking through loading bays
- Engineering: barriers, guardrails, marked walkways, one-way systems, speed limiters, mirrors, alarms, safety lighting
- Administrative: traffic management plan, trained/authorised drivers only, hi-vis zone rules, spotters during peak periods
- PPE: hi-vis vests, safety boots, hard hats where overhead loads exist
4.) Review
- Weekly traffic flow inspections
- Review after any near miss or layout change (new racking, or doors)
- Monitor telematics/speed reports monthly
Is hazard analysis the same as a risk assessment?
The two processes are closely related, but they aren’t exactly the same.
Hazard analysis is the broader process of identifying hazards, understanding how they could cause harm, and deciding what needs to be done to control them.
Risk assessment is a key part inside that process. It’s where you evaluate the level of risk (likelihood × severity), select appropriate controls, and record and review the results.
So, in practice:
Hazard analysis = identify hazards + assess risks + choose controls + review.
Risk assessment = the ‘evaluate and control the risk’ step, usually documented in a formal template.
Why people mix the terms
Many workplaces use the terms interchangeably, or use ‘risk assessment’ to refer to the whole hazard-analysis workflow. So, you’ll often hear: “Do a risk assessment” meaning “Do a hazard analysis and document it.”
Read a more detailed breakdown of what a risk assessment is.
What is a hazard checklist?
A hazard checklist is a pre-made list of common workplace hazards that helps someone carry out a structured review. Typically, a person walks around the workplace and checks whether each hazard is present, whether it’s being effectively controlled, and whether any action is needed.
It’s a useful tool for:
- Prompting your memory – so you don’t miss obvious hazards
- Standardising inspections – so everyone checks the same things
- Speed – it’s quicker than starting from scratch each time
- Training – it helps new supervisors or workers learn what to look for
A hazard checklist usually covers hazards by type, the level of risk, controls in place, and any follow-up actions. It isn’t the same as a full hazard analysis or risk assessment, but it’s a practical way to help you spot hazards consistently.
For example, a warehouse hazard checklist might include:
Vehicle and pedestrian safety
How Notify can help with hazard analysis
Notify makes hazard analysis easier to plan, complete and maintain by giving you one place to manage everything related to health and safety.
With our Risk Assessments module, you can create digital one-off or recurring risk assessments, so hazard analysis becomes a consistent, repeatable process. This helps you stay in control and feel confident that the right measures are in place to protect colleagues, contractors, and visitors. Risk assessments are stored centrally, making it easy for teams to find the right document for the job and confirm they’ve read and understood procedures by signing digitally. You can track and export completion of the read-and-sign process, creating a clear audit trail that supports transparency, accountability, and compliance. Proactive reminders also help prevent assessments from going stale by prompting timely reviews and updates.
To strengthen hazard identification at the front line, Notify’s Incident Reporting software and mobile app empower employees, contractors, and visitors to report hazards as soon as they’re spotted. Users can quickly log hazards, near misses, and unsafe conditions in seconds, supported by photos, geotagging, and speech-to-text. This makes it easier for everyone to contribute to hazard analysis in real time, reducing reliance on paperwork and ensuring risks are captured before they lead to incidents.
To support more structured reviews, Notify’s Audits and Inspections module lets you build and run hazard checklists for any work area, helping standardise inspections and spot risks early.
And with Safety Intelligence Dashboards, you can bring all this data together in a real-time, centralised view of safety performance. This helps you identify trends, prioritise controls, and continuously improve your hazard analysis process.
Built as a user-friendly platform for digitising SHEQ management, Notify is highly customisable and scalable, so you can shape the system around your organisation’s needs and keep hazard analysis embedded in day-to-day operations.
FAQs
Notify Technology is a great fit for UK construction companies that want a practical, site-ready way to manage hazards and risk.
It’s mobile-first, making it easy for teams to capture hazards, near misses, and incidents in real time, complete inspections on the go, and keep documentation consistent across multiple sites.
With built-in risk assessments and RAMS tools, you can standardise templates, apply control measures, and prioritise high-risk activities using simple scoring.
Notify also streamlines follow-up through action management, so corrective tasks are assigned, tracked and closed out – rather than just recorded.
Finally, dashboards and trend insights help you spot recurring issues, measure improvement, and focus effort where it reduces risk most, while document control supports compliance and keeps teams working from the latest guidance.
Notify Technology is an affordable health and safety software solution for managing hazards, incidents, and risks.
Pricing is tailored to your organisation’s needs. You can choose the modules you require, the number of users who need access, and any configuration needed to align the platform with your processes. Notify also offers a free version of the incident reporting software, which can be a helpful starting point if you’re exploring digital tools.
Our friendly customer support team, based in Newcastle upon Tyne is ready to help whenever you need it – and their expertise is frequently praised in reviews.
Yes, there are a number of hazard analysis and risk management software platforms that work effectively in the logistics and transportation sectors. These solutions help organisations proactively identify and control operational hazards and support compliance with safety regulations.
One example is Notify Technology, which enables you to:
Carry out remote inspections – Using the Audits and Inspections module and intuitive mobile app, you can create, schedule and complete routine checks such as audits, inspections, and vehicle checklists while on the move (with online and offline functionality).
Report incidents and near misses in real time – If a worker is on a remote stretch of land when something happens, they can use the Incident Management mobile app to report the event immediately, capture photos, and share their GPS location. You can also escalate alerts by ‘event type’ so senior stakeholders are notified promptly for serious incidents.
Demonstrate compliance with confidence – Maintain an auditable trail of corrective actions, show that controls are in place, and produce clear reports to support HSE reporting and client requirements.
Make better decisions with real-time safety insight – Interactive dashboards help you track trends, reduce blind spots, and use leading indicators to prevent issues before they escalate.
Notify helps keep your people, vehicles, and equipment safe, whether you operate across depots, warehouses, fleets, or remote worksites.
Notify Technology’s H&S software is designed to help organisations align with key management system standards, including ISO 45001 (health and safety), ISO 14001 (environmental management), and ISO 9001 (quality management).
The platform supports a structured approach to hazard and risk management, often aligned to the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle, through:
Centralised document control – Digitise and store policies, procedures and risk assessments in one place, with version control so teams always access the latest approved documents, supporting consistent implementation.
Audit-ready traceability – Maintain a clear, time-stamped record of safety activity, including investigations, inspections and corrective actions. This provides the evidence trail auditors and regulators expect.
Real-time incident and hazard reporting – Mobile apps enable employees to report hazards, near misses and incidents quickly from the field (online or offline), helping strengthen participation and safety culture, an important element of ISO 45001.
Risk assessment and action management – Create and standardise risk assessments, assign control measures, and track corrective actions through to close-out, supporting both risk planning and continual improvement.
Dashboards and performance insight – Use live reporting and analytics to monitor trends, identify recurring issues, and target preventative activity, supporting ongoing review and improvement of your management system.