What's in this template?
This free Hazard and Risk Register template gives Australian healthcare practices the central record required to manage WHS risks under sections 17 to 19 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. It is built directly from the four-step process in the Safe Work Australia How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice and pre-populated with 12 hazard examples specific to medical and allied health settings.
The template covers 9 sections plus a sign-off block:
- Purpose and authority — links the register to the PCBU's primary duty under s19
- Scope — workers, contractors, visitors and home visits
- Risk matrix — 5x5 likelihood-by-consequence matrix with action priorities
- Hierarchy of controls — Eliminate, Substitute, Isolate, Engineering, Admin, PPE
- Hazard register — pre-populated with reception, clinical, sterilisation, manual handling, psychosocial, IPC, lone worker and fire hazards
- Worker consultation — log of toolbox talks, HSR meetings and worker-raised hazards (s47)
- Review and update triggers — annual, post-incident, post-change, post-notice
- Related documents — full WHS document set
- Approval — sign-off by PCBU, WHS Officer and HSR
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{practice_address}}{{whs_officer}},{{whs_officer_phone}},{{whs_officer_email}}{{pcbu_representative}}— the practice owner or principal{{review_date}},{{next_review_date}}- Worker consultation log fields and signature blocks
Who needs a Hazard and Risk Register?
Every Australian healthcare practice is a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) under the model WHS Act and must, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure the health and safety of workers and others. A documented hazard register is the standard way to evidence the risk management process required by the Code of Practice.
That includes:
- General practices of any size, including solo GPs
- Specialist medical practices and day procedure clinics
- Allied health practices — physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, optometry, dental
- NDIS providers and disability support services
- Pharmacies, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
- Aged care providers, private hospitals and outpatient clinics
Accreditors (RACGP Standard C3.5, NDIS Practice Standards, ISO 9001/45001) and workers compensation insurers routinely ask for the register during audits and renewal reviews. WHS regulators also expect to see it during inspector visits or after a notifiable incident.
WHS Act requirement at a glance
Section 19 — Primary duty of care. A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and any other person whose health and safety may be put at risk from work carried out as part of the business or undertaking.
Section 17 — Management of risks. A duty imposed on a person to ensure health and safety requires the person to eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable, and where elimination is not practicable, to minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
Section 47 — Duty to consult workers. A PCBU must, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult with workers who carry out work for the business and who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a matter relating to work health or safety.
The Safe Work Australia Code of Practice translates these duties into a four-step risk management process: identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, review controls. A hazard and risk register is the document that records all four steps in one place.
State variations
| State / Territory | Primary legislation | Notes | |---|---|---| | NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, ACT, NT, Cth | Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (model law) | Identical risk management approach | | Victoria | Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 | Section 21 employer duty; section 35 risk management; methodology is materially the same | | Western Australia | Work Health and Safety Act 2020 | Harmonised with the model WHS Act since 2022 |
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details - Walk the practice with the WHS Officer and at least one HSR or worker representative
- Inspect each zone — reception, consult rooms, treatment rooms, sterilisation/clean room, kitchen/staff room, store rooms, car park, telehealth/home visits
- Score each hazard using the 5x5 matrix in section 3
- Apply the hierarchy of controls (section 4) — work down only when higher options are not reasonably practicable
- Delete the example rows that don't apply and add hazards specific to your service
- Consult workers before finalising and record the consultation in section 6
- Review annually, after every notifiable incident, and after any change in work, equipment or workforce
Related templates and tools
The hazard register is the backbone of the WHS document set. Pair it with the rest of the WHS library:
- Incident and Hazard Report Form — workers use this to escalate hazards into the register
- Workplace Inspection Checklist — quarterly proactive inspection that feeds the register
- Manual Handling Policy — control document for the manual handling hazards in row 6
- Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Wellbeing Policy — control document for row 7
- Emergency Evacuation Plan — addresses the fire and evacuation hazards in row 11
- WHS Induction Checklist for New Workers — ensures new workers are briefed on register hazards
- Return to Work and Injury Management Procedure — used after a register hazard causes harm
For the high-level policy, see the Work Health and Safety Policy in the RACGP library.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Hazard and Risk Register mandatory under the WHS Act?
The Act does not mandate a register by name, but it does require PCBUs to identify hazards, assess risks, implement controls and review them. The Safe Work Australia How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice — which has legal weight as evidence of "reasonably practicable" — describes a documented register as the standard way to evidence that process. WHS regulators and accreditors treat it as effectively mandatory for any healthcare practice with workers.
Does the small business exemption apply?
There is no small business exemption from WHS duties. A solo GP with no employees still owes WHS duties to contractors, students, patients and visitors. The size of the practice affects what is "reasonably practicable" but not whether the duties apply.
How often does the register need to be reviewed?
The Code of Practice recommends review at least annually and after any notifiable incident, change in work, equipment or workforce, or worker concern. Many practices review quarterly alongside their workplace inspection checklist. Reviews must be documented.
Who should be involved in completing the register?
The PCBU is responsible, but the work is typically done by a nominated WHS Officer (often the practice manager or a senior nurse) in consultation with workers and any elected Health and Safety Representative (HSR). Section 47 of the WHS Act makes consultation a legal duty, not optional.
Does this register cover Victoria's OHS Act 2004?
Yes. The risk management methodology — identify, assess, control, review — is materially identical under Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. The template includes a state variations note in section 1 to make the cross-reference explicit.
What's a notifiable incident?
Section 35 of the WHS Act defines a notifiable incident as the death of a person, a serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident. Notifiable incidents must be reported to the WHS regulator immediately. The hazard register should be reviewed and updated after every notifiable incident at the practice. The Incident and Hazard Report Form template walks through the full notification decision.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes, when populated. RACGP 5th Edition Criterion C3.5 requires a documented WHS system, NDIS Practice Standards (Core Module 1) require risk management, and ISO 45001 requires documented hazard identification and risk assessment. The template's structure (PCBU duty, four-step process, hierarchy of controls, consultation log, review schedule) maps cleanly to all three frameworks.