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Mik Szal — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:01:24 +0000

Risk Assessment Examples and Templates for Property Management

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:14:35 +0000

Effective risk assessments in property management follow a consistent structure regardless of the specific hazard being assessed. Each assessment should identify the activity or area, list the hazards present, note who is at risk, describe existing controls, rate the residual risk, and specify any additional actions needed. Worked examples help illustrate how this framework applies to common property scenarios.

Fire risk assessment example: A communal hallway in a residential block may present hazards including combustible items stored in corridors, fire doors propped open, and inadequate emergency lighting. The risk assessment should evaluate the means of escape, fire detection and warning systems, fire-fighting equipment, and structural fire protection. Control measures might include regular housekeeping inspections, fire door self-closer maintenance, and emergency lighting testing.

Legionella risk assessment example: A building with a domestic hot and cold water system requires assessment of water storage tanks, dead legs in pipework, low-use outlets, mixing valves, and water temperatures. The assessment should identify whether conditions for legionella growth exist and specify controls such as temperature monitoring regimes, flushing schedules for low-use outlets, and regular inspection of water storage.

Manual handling risk assessment example: Property maintenance tasks like moving furniture, carrying tools and equipment, or handling building materials present manual handling risks. The assessment should consider the load, the task, the working environment, and individual capability. Controls might include mechanical aids, team lifting protocols, and training.

COSHH risk assessment example: Cleaning contractors using chemicals in communal areas create exposure risks. The assessment should identify the substances used, evaluate exposure routes (inhalation, skin contact), and specify controls including ventilation, personal protective equipment, and safe storage arrangements.

Working at height risk assessment example: Maintenance tasks involving ladders, roof access, or elevated work platforms require specific assessment. The assessment should consider whether the work at height can be avoided, whether safer alternatives exist (tower scaffolds vs ladders), and what fall prevention or mitigation measures are needed.

Custodia provides customisable risk assessment templates for all common property management scenarios, pre-populated with typical hazards and suggested control measures to give teams a professional starting point while allowing full customisation for specific properties.

What Is a Risk Assessment? A Beginner’s Guide for Property Managers

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:14:23 +0000

A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the risks they pose, and determining appropriate control measures. It’s a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for all employers and self-employed persons, and it forms the foundation of effective health and safety management in property management.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends a five-step approach to risk assessment: identify the hazards, decide who might be harmed and how, evaluate the risks and decide on precautions, record your significant findings, and review your assessment regularly. This structured approach ensures nothing is overlooked and provides a defensible record of your safety management.

In property management, risk assessments take many specialised forms. Fire risk assessments examine fire hazards and means of escape. Legionella risk assessments evaluate water system risks. COSHH assessments address hazardous substances. Manual handling assessments cover physical risks. Each type follows the same fundamental principles but applies them to specific hazard domains.

A good risk assessment doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be suitable and sufficient. This means it should be proportionate to the risks involved, identify all significant hazards, evaluate who is at risk (including contractors, visitors, and vulnerable people), and result in practical control measures that reduce risk to an acceptable level.

Risk assessments must be reviewed regularly — at least annually for most property-related assessments, or whenever there’s a significant change in circumstances, an incident occurs, or new information about hazards becomes available. Keeping assessments current is just as important as conducting them in the first place.

Custodia’s risk assessment tools help property managers create, track, and review risk assessments across their portfolio, with templates for common property hazards, automated review reminders, and action item tracking to ensure recommendations are implemented.

Manual Handling Risk Assessments for Property Maintenance Teams

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:14:13 +0000

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to assess and reduce manual handling injury risks. Use the TILE framework: Task, Individual, Load, Environment.

Common hazards include: carrying tools up stairs, moving furniture, lifting manhole covers, handling bulk materials, and working in confined spaces.

Control measures: use mechanical aids, reduce load weights, improve access routes, provide lifting training, and ensure adequate rest breaks.

Custodia helps document and track manual handling risk assessments, ensuring maintenance activities are properly assessed with controls in place.

The Five Steps to Risk Assessment: HSE Guidance for Property Professionals

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:14:03 +0000

The HSE’s five-step approach provides a straightforward framework for risk assessment. Step 1: Identify hazards. Step 2: Decide who might be harmed. Step 3: Evaluate risks and decide on precautions. Step 4: Record findings and implement them. Step 5: Review and update.

For property managers, hazards include physical (trips, falls), chemical (cleaning products, asbestos), biological (legionella, mould), and environmental (noise, temperature) risks.

Consider all people at risk: residents, visitors, staff, contractors, and vulnerable groups including children, elderly residents, and disabled people.

Risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and whenever significant changes occur to premises, activities, or people at risk.

Custodia provides structured risk assessment templates based on the HSE approach, with guided workflows and action tracking.

Health and Safety Audit Checklist for Property Management

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:11:39 +0000

A health and safety audit is a systematic review of an organisation’s health and safety management system, policies, and practices. For property management companies, regular audits help ensure compliance with the wide range of regulations that apply to managed properties, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients, and insurers.

Fire safety audit items should cover: current fire risk assessment status and review dates for all properties, fire door inspection records (quarterly for communal doors in buildings over 11m), fire alarm testing and maintenance records, emergency lighting testing, fire extinguisher servicing, evacuation procedures and signage, PEEPs for higher-risk buildings, and fire compartmentation integrity.

Electrical safety audit items include: EICR status and expiry dates, remedial works tracking for C1 and C2 deficiencies, PAT testing records where applicable, emergency lighting certification, fire alarm system maintenance, and communal area electrical safety inspections.

Gas safety audit items should verify: annual gas safety check status (CP12 certificates), Gas Safe registration verification for contractors, boiler servicing records, carbon monoxide detector installation and testing, and gas appliance condition monitoring.

Water hygiene and legionella audit items include: legionella risk assessment status and review dates, temperature monitoring records, flushing regime compliance for low-use outlets, water tank inspection and cleaning records, legionella testing results, and responsible person appointment documentation.

Asbestos management audit items should cover: asbestos survey status and type (management vs R&D), asbestos register accuracy and accessibility, asbestos management plan review dates, condition monitoring records, contractor notification procedures, and ACM labelling.

Custodia’s compliance dashboard provides a real-time overview of all health and safety audit items across your portfolio, with automated alerts for overdue items and exportable compliance reports that simplify the audit process.

Accident Reporting and RIDDOR: Property Manager’s Guide

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:11:30 +0000

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) require employers, the self-employed, and people in control of premises to report certain workplace incidents to the Health and Safety Executive. For property managers, RIDDOR obligations apply both to their own employees and to incidents occurring in common areas and facilities they manage.

Reportable incidents under RIDDOR include deaths, specified injuries (fractures, amputations, loss of consciousness), over-seven-day incapacitation of workers, injuries to non-workers requiring hospital treatment (relevant for residents and visitors), certain occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences such as structural collapses or gas incidents.

Property managers must report incidents online via the HSE website within specific timeframes: immediately for fatalities and specified injuries (with a follow-up report within 10 days), and within 15 days for over-seven-day injuries. Keeping accurate and timely records is essential, as RIDDOR reports can be requested during investigations and legal proceedings.

Beyond RIDDOR, property management companies should maintain an internal accident and incident reporting system to capture all events — including near-misses and minor incidents that don’t trigger RIDDOR thresholds. This data supports trend analysis, helps identify recurring hazards, and demonstrates proactive safety management.

Common reportable incidents in property management settings include falls in communal areas (wet floors, uneven surfaces, inadequate lighting), injuries from defective equipment or fixtures, gas-related incidents, electrical incidents, and injuries sustained by maintenance contractors. Having clear reporting procedures and training staff to recognise reportable events is essential.

Custodia’s accident and incident reporting module provides a structured workflow for recording, investigating, and reporting incidents, with RIDDOR classification guidance and automated notifications to ensure reporting deadlines are met.

HHSRS: The Housing Health and Safety Rating System Explained

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:11:21 +0000

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the risk-based evaluation tool used by local authorities in England and Wales to assess potential health and safety hazards in residential properties. Introduced by the Housing Act 2004, HHSRS replaced the old Housing Fitness Standard with a more comprehensive, evidence-based approach to evaluating housing conditions.

HHSRS assesses 29 categories of housing hazard, grouped into four main areas: physiological requirements (damp, excess cold, excess heat, asbestos, carbon monoxide), psychological requirements (crowding, entry by intruders, lighting, noise), protection against infection (domestic hygiene, water supply, drainage), and protection against accidents (falls, electrical hazards, fire, collision, structural collapse).

Each hazard is scored based on the likelihood of an occurrence and the probable severity of harm to the most vulnerable potential occupant. This produces a numerical score that places the hazard into one of ten bands, from A (most serious) to J (least serious). Band A to C hazards are classified as Category 1 hazards, for which the local authority has a duty to take enforcement action.

When a local authority identifies Category 1 hazards through an HHSRS inspection, it must take appropriate enforcement action. Options include improvement notices requiring specific works, prohibition orders preventing use of all or part of the property, hazard awareness notices, and emergency remedial action for imminent risks. Category 2 hazards give the authority a power (but not a duty) to act.

For landlords and property managers, understanding HHSRS is essential for maintaining compliant properties. Common Category 1 hazards include excess cold (often linked to poor EPC ratings), damp and mould growth, fall hazards on stairs, fire risks, and electrical safety deficiencies. Proactive maintenance and regular property inspections help identify and address hazards before enforcement action is needed.

Custodia’s property management features support proactive hazard identification through structured inspection templates that align with HHSRS categories, helping property managers identify and address potential hazards before they escalate to enforcement level.

Writing an H&S Policy for Property Management Companies

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:11:11 +0000

Every employer with five or more employees must have a written health and safety policy under Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The policy has three parts: a general statement of intent, the organisation section (roles and responsibilities), and the arrangements section (specific procedures and practices).

For property management, arrangements should cover: fire safety, asbestos, legionella, electrical safety, gas safety, lone working, manual handling, working at height, contractor management, incident reporting, and training.

The policy should be reviewed annually and updated when significant changes occur. All employees must be aware of the policy.

Custodia supports policy implementation with structured compliance workflows, role-based access controls, and comprehensive audit trails.

COSHH Assessments in Property Management

Mik Szal — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:11:03 +0000

The COSHH Regulations 2002 require employers to assess and control risks from hazardous substances. For property management, this includes cleaning chemicals, maintenance products, paints, and adhesives.

A COSHH assessment should identify hazardous substances, their health effects, who might be exposed, existing controls, and any additional measures needed.

Practical steps include: maintaining a substance inventory, obtaining Safety Data Sheets, training staff, providing PPE, and keeping assessment records.

Assessments should be reviewed regularly, particularly when new substances are introduced or incidents occur.

Custodia supports COSHH compliance with substance registers, assessment templates, SDS storage, and review scheduling.