Electrical Contractor Risk Assessment Template UK — Complete Guide
Electrical contractors face some of the highest-risk activities in UK construction. Energising circuits, working on or near live conductors, testing and commissioning, installing distribution boards — these are tasks where an inadequate risk assessment does not just result in an enforcement notice. It can result in a fatality.
This guide covers what UK electrical contractors are legally required to document, which activities demand their own dedicated risk assessment, when a permit to work is required, and where to get templates you can use on site.
Legal duties for electrical contractors
The legal framework governing risk assessment for electrical contractors draws from several pieces of legislation:
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a general duty on every employer and self-employed person to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their work.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment before work begins — and a review whenever circumstances change.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are the primary legislation for electrical work specifically. Regulation 4 requires that electrical systems be constructed and maintained to prevent danger, and that work on electrical equipment be carried out in a manner that prevents danger. Regulation 13 requires that no person shall work on or near a live conductor unless it is unreasonable to make it dead, and adequate precautions are in place.
CDM 2015 applies to all construction work, including electrical installation. As a subcontractor, you are required to cooperate with the principal contractor's arrangements and to produce risk assessments and method statements for your scope of work.
Which risk assessments does an electrical contractor need?
The answer depends on your scope, but the following are the risk assessments that apply to most electrical contractors on UK construction sites:
General electrical contractor risk assessment — a master document covering the general hazards of your work: electrical shock, arc flash, working at height, manual handling, and site-specific hazards. This is the baseline document that applies across your scope.
Energising electrical circuits — a dedicated risk assessment for the moment a circuit is first energised. This is a distinct high-risk activity requiring specific controls: confirmation that the installation is complete and tested, that all personnel are clear, and that the energisation sequence is documented and authorised.
Working on or near live conductors — if work on a live system is genuinely unavoidable, a specific risk assessment must justify why dead working is not reasonably practicable and detail the controls in place: insulated tools, PPE rated to the voltage, a second competent person in attendance, and clear exclusion zones.
Distribution board installation — covers the specific hazards of DB installation: working in proximity to live supplies during connection, correct termination procedures, labelling, and testing.
Cable installation — covering working at height on cable runs, manual handling of cable drums, drilling through fire compartments, and proximity to existing services.
Testing and commissioning — electrical testing involves deliberate introduction of voltage to circuits and equipment. The risk assessment must cover the test environment, the equipment being used, and the competency of the persons carrying out the tests.
Sanction to test — a formal authorisation document confirming that a circuit or installation is in a safe condition to be tested, signed off by the person in charge of the work.
When is a permit to work required?
A permit to work is a formal, written authorisation for a specific task to be carried out in controlled conditions. For electrical contractors, a permit to work is required — or strongly advisable — in the following situations:
Live electrical work — if working on a live system is unavoidable and authorised, a permit to work documents the scope of the work, the isolation points, the precautions in place, and who is authorised to carry out the work. No work should begin until the permit is issued and signed.
Isolation of supply — when isolating a circuit before work begins, the isolation must be documented, the isolation point locked off, and the person carrying out the work must hold a signed-off isolation permit. This prevents other trades from inadvertently re-energising the supply.
Work in areas with multiple contractors — where other trades are working in the same area, a permit to work coordinates electrical activity with other work and prevents dangerous interactions.
High-voltage systems — for any work on HV systems, a permit to work is mandatory. HV work is restricted to specifically competent, authorised persons.
The permit to work is not a substitute for a risk assessment — it works alongside it. The risk assessment identifies the hazards and controls. The permit to work provides the formal authorisation and handback process.
High-risk activities requiring specific documentation
Beyond the standard risk assessment requirements, these activities demand specific additional documentation:
Energising circuits after installation — should always be preceded by a completed inspection checklist confirming the installation has been tested and is ready for energisation, plus a sanction to energise signed by the responsible person.
Working in roof spaces and risers — these are confined or restricted spaces with additional hazards: limited egress, poor air quality, services in close proximity, and thermal stress. A dedicated risk assessment is required.
Installation in occupied buildings — where electrical work is carried out in occupied premises (hospitals, schools, commercial buildings in use), the risk assessment must address the public, dust and noise controls, out-of-hours working, and emergency procedures.
Working near overhead lines — proximity to overhead lines requires a specific risk assessment, exclusion zones, goal posts if necessary, and coordination with the network operator. The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations and HSE guidance on overhead lines apply.
CDM 2015 and RAMS for electrical contractors
As a subcontractor on a CDM-notifiable project, you will be required to submit RAMS — your Risk Assessment and Method Statement — to the principal contractor before work starts. Your RAMS should cover your full scope of work, not just the highest-risk activities.
A well-presented RAMS for electrical contractors covers: the sequence of cable and containment installation, the process for energising the system, testing and commissioning, and the handover process. It demonstrates to the principal contractor that you have thought through the full scope and identified proportionate controls for every stage.
Generic RAMS are routinely rejected by principal contractors. Your documents need to be specific to this project and this site.
Download electrical contractor risk assessment templates
SafetyPod provides a complete range of HSE-compliant, fully editable risk assessment templates for UK electrical contractors.
→ Electrical Contractor Master Risk Assessment — the baseline document for your scope
→ Energising Electrical Circuits Risk Assessment — specific to circuit energisation
→ Electrical Permit to Work — formal authorisation for live electrical work
→ Sanction to Electrical Test — authorisation document for testing activities
→ Isolation of Supply Permit — lockout/tagout documentation for supply isolation
All templates are fully editable in Word, written to current HSE guidance and CDM 2015 compliance, and ready to use within minutes of download.
Written by the SafetyPod team — NEBOSH-qualified H&S professionals with hands-on experience across UK construction, civil engineering, and M&E. All content is written to current HSE guidance and CDM 2015 compliance.
Last reviewed: June 2026