A construction risk assessment identifies what could injure people, delay the project or create liability on a specific site, rates how likely and how serious each risk is, and sets controls before work starts. For a general contractor it has two halves: the hazards of the work itself, and the contractors and subcontractors who will do that work.
This guide walks through both, with a five-step method you can apply to any project and a short list of the risks that most often go wrong on site.
How to do a construction risk assessment in five steps
- Identify the hazards, task by task. Walk the site and go through the schedule. Typical construction hazards include work at heights, excavation and trenching, mobile equipment and traffic, electrical contact, hazardous materials, confined spaces, lifting and hoisting, and weather.
- Identify who could be harmed. Your own workers, every subcontractor’s workers, other trades working nearby, and the public. Pedestrians and neighbours are easy to miss; the Ontario case that went to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2023 began when a pedestrian was killed next to a downtown water main repair.
- Rate each risk. Score likelihood and severity on a simple scale (for example 1 to 5 each) and multiply. The score tells you where to spend time and money first, and gives you a record of why.
- Set controls using the hierarchy of controls. Eliminate the hazard if you can, substitute something less dangerous, then engineer it out (guardrails, shoring, barriers), then use administrative controls (procedures, training, permits), and use personal protective equipment as the last line, not the first.
- Record, communicate and review. Write the assessment down, brief the crews and subcontractors on it, and review it whenever the scope, the site, the weather or the people change.
Contractor risk assessment: the companies you bring on site
A site can be well planned and still fail because a subcontractor was not insured, not cleared or not trained. Assess each contractor before award and keep the record current:
- Insurance: a current certificate of insurance with general liability and auto limits that meet your contract, and additional insured wording naming your organization. See how contractor insurance lapses put your business at legal risk.
- Workers’ compensation: a clearance from the provincial board (WSIB in Ontario, WCB in Alberta, WorkSafeBC, CNESST) or proof of state coverage in the US.
- Licences and permits for the trade and the jurisdiction.
- Health and safety program and history: a written program, recent incidents, and any orders or charges.
- Worker training: proof that the people on site are trained for their tasks, such as Working at Heights, WHMIS, equipment tickets and first aid.
The assessment does not end at award. Policies are cancelled, limits change and clearances expire during the project, so the contractor record needs its own monitoring.
Common construction risks and the controls that address them
| Risk | Typical controls |
|---|---|
| Falls from height | Guardrails and covers first, then fall arrest; current Working at Heights training for anyone using fall protection |
| Struck by mobile equipment | Traffic plan, separated pedestrian routes, spotters, reversing alarms |
| Trench or excavation collapse | Utility locates, sloping or shoring, inspection before each shift |
| Electrical contact | Locates, clearances from overhead lines, lockout and tagging |
| Uninsured or lapsed subcontractor | Certificate of insurance reviewed before work starts; expiry dates monitored through the project |
| Missing workers’ compensation clearance | Clearance on file before work starts; WSIB clearances re-checked at least every 90 days |
Keeping the risk assessment current
Most construction risk assessments are accurate on the day they are written. The hard part is the months that follow: new subcontractors arrive, crews rotate and documents expire. Keep a risk register with an owner and a review date for each item, and keep contractor documents in one system that tracks expiry dates rather than in email attachments. If you also need to show what you did and when, that record is your due diligence — see what OHSA due diligence means for businesses hiring contractors.
How Entuitive Workforce Inc. supports contractor risk assessment
Entuitive collects each contractor’s insurance, workers’ compensation clearance, licences and training records in one place. A person on our compliance team reviews every certificate a contractor uploads for coverage, limits, additional insured wording and expiry dates; the platform monitors expiry dates daily, and each review is time-stamped. More than 70,000 companies manage contractor compliance through Entuitive, using the same compliance tracking software across every site.
Keep your contractor risk assessment current after award.
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FAQ
What is a construction risk assessment?
A construction risk assessment identifies the hazards on a specific site, the people who could be harmed, how likely and how serious each risk is, and the controls that will be in place before work starts. It is recorded, shared with the crews and reviewed whenever the scope, site or contractors change.
How do you conduct a risk assessment for contractors?
Assess the company before it starts work: current certificate of insurance with the right limits and additional insured wording, workers’ compensation clearance, licences, a written health and safety program, incident history and proof that its workers are trained for the tasks they will do. Then keep checking, because insurance and clearances expire during the project.
What are the five steps of a construction risk assessment?
Identify the hazards task by task, identify who could be harmed, rate each risk by likelihood and severity, set controls following the hierarchy of controls, and record, communicate and review the assessment as the project changes.
How often should a construction risk assessment be reviewed?
Review it before work starts and whenever something material changes: a new phase or task, a new subcontractor, a change in site conditions or weather, or after an incident or near miss. Contractor documents need their own schedule, since certificates and clearances can lapse mid-project.
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