Risk register worksheet
A free, printable companion to How to create a risk register. It takes you through the six steps and gives you room to list, score and act on your first five risks. No sign-up needed.
Print a copy, sit down with the people who do the work, and fill it in together.
| Business, site or project | |
|---|---|
| Kept up to date by | |
| Date | |
| Next review date |
Step 1. Decide what it covers
- Agreed whether this covers the whole business, one site or one project
- Named one person to keep it up to date
- Told everyone that nobody will ever be criticised for raising a risk
Step 2. Find what could go wrong
Ask these questions with the people who do the work, and jot down every answer. You will pick the top five in step 3.
Step 3. Describe and score each risk
Pick the five that worry you most. For each one, say what could go wrong and why, what it would do to the business, and what you already do to control it. Then score how likely it is (L) and how much harm it would do (I), each from 1 to 5, and multiply the two.
| Score | How likely (L) | How much harm (I) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rare: hard to imagine this year | Minor: sorted within a day |
| 2 | Unlikely: you would be surprised | Moderate: some time or money lost |
| 3 | Possible: could well happen this year | Serious: a customer let down |
| 4 | Likely: will probably happen this year | Major: a customer or contract lost |
| 5 | Almost certain: happening already | Severe: the business at risk, or someone badly hurt |
Risk score: 1 to 4 Low, keep an eye on it. 5 to 9 Medium, plan an action. 10 to 25 High, act now.
| No. | What could go wrong, and why | Effect on the business | Controls already in place | L | I | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 |
Step 4. Decide what to do
For each risk, choose a response: reduce it with an action, accept it, transfer it (for example by insurance or a contract), or avoid it by stopping the activity. Give each one an owner and a due date.
| No. | Response | Action | Owner | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 |
Step 5. Check it worked
Once each action is done, check whether it worked and score the risk again.
| No. | Did it work? | New score | Open or closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 |
Step 6. Review it every month
- Put a monthly review in the diary
- Added any new risks
- Closed any risks that have gone away
- Told the people who need to know
Take it further
Plain Standards: plain-English ISO templates and unaccredited remote certification, built by a company director of over 30 years.
- Risk Register Template: the full risk register in Word, with a scoring guide, response options, a review log and a worked example to copy. plainstandards.com/products/risk-register-template
- SOP Template: when the action is a missing or unclear way of working, write it into a procedure your staff will actually want to use. plainstandards.com/products/sop-template
- The ISO 9001:2026 Certification-Ready System: every procedure, form and register your business needs for ISO 9001, including the Risk and Opportunity Register. plainstandards.com/products/iso-9001-certification-ready-system
More free Learn pages and printables at plainstandards.com