Dynamic risk assessments
A dynamic risk assessment is a point-in-time risk assessment you create while running a work order, when you discover conditions on the ground are different from what was planned. It is immediately available without requiring approval, and is attached to the work order it was created from.
When to use a dynamic risk assessment
Create a dynamic risk assessment when you are doing a job and spot an unexpected hazard that was not covered by the existing risk assessment. Common examples include:
You enter a room and the lighting is faulty.
The task requires working at a height you did not originally plan for.
A new hazard appears on site while a work order is already in progress.
Dynamic risk assessments are designed for speed. You can capture the essentials quickly — voice notes or short notes are fine — and write them up properly later if needed.
How to create a dynamic risk assessment
You create a dynamic risk assessment from a work order run page. The form is labeled Create Dynamic Risk Assessment and the description reads: "Create a point-in-time risk assessment for [entity name]. This assessment will be immediately available without requiring approval."
Steps:
Open the work order you are running.
Click Create Dynamic Risk Assessment in the risk assessment section.
Enter a description of the new hazard or changed condition.
Optionally select a parent assessment for context, or choose No parent assessment.
Select a matrix type.
Save the assessment.
After creation, the dynamic risk assessment opens in the risk assessment manage page where you can add sections, risk items, and controls.
How dynamic risk assessments differ from standard risk assessments
Standard risk assessments are prepared in advance, reviewed, approved, and then distributed. Dynamic risk assessments are created during the job, skip the approval workflow, and are linked to the work order they were created from.
Key differences:
Created from a work order run page — not from the main Risks module.
Immediately available — no approval step is required.
Linked to the work order — the assessment is attached to the work order via the dynamic risk assessment attachments.
One-time distribution for creators — a member who creates a dynamic risk assessment can distribute it to their team once, even if they do not normally have the distribute permission.
Dynamic risk assessment distribution is only available if your site has the Allow Dynamic Assessment Distributions setting enabled. Managers and admins can still distribute any risk assessment normally.
Who can create and distribute them
Risk Members can create and edit only their own dynamic risk assessments from a work order run page. Risk Managers and Admins can create dynamic assessments and can edit any dynamic assessment they can access. Ordinary risk assessments still require Risk Manager authority — see Create a risk assessment.
Distribution works differently for dynamic assessments:
Member — can create a dynamic risk assessment and send a one-time distribution to their team. Members cannot create recurring distribution policies for dynamic assessments, and cannot distribute ordinary risk assessments.
Manager or Admin — can distribute any risk assessment, including dynamic ones, and can create recurring distribution policies.
Recipients receive the dynamic risk assessment in their Inbox and can acknowledge it there. Track who has received and acknowledged it in the same way as a standard risk assessment distribution.