How to Do a Restaurant Risk Assessment

Date modified: 1st April 2025. This article has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

• •Front of House (FOH) restaurants risk assessments are a legal requirement.
• •You should complete a separate risk assessment for FOH because it has different risks to the kitchen and other locations.
• •The best person to complete it is someone who knows the layout and daily service routines, usually a Manager or Supervisor.
• •Use the Pilla restaurant risk assessment template to record hazards, who might be harmed, existing controls, and any further actions needed.
• •Set a reminder to review it in one year (or sooner if things change). 

Front of house (FOH) areas come with a different set of risks to kitchens and other locations, these risks aren’t just physical either, they often involve interactions with the public, which add another layer of complexity. That’s why it’s important to do a separate risk assessment for front of house spaces. You can’t just rely on a general site-wide risk assessment. It won’t capture the specifics of service areas, walkways, bar counters, or customer zones. If you need to, check out our article on kitchen risk assessments.

The person doing the assessment should be someone who knows how the space works during different types of service, ideally a Restaurant or Bar Manager, Supervisor, or someone in charge of daily operations. They know the traffic flow, pressure points, and where things go wrong in real life - not just on paper.

All risk assessments follow the same five steps. Below, I’ll walk you through each one and explain how to complete them for your FOH areas. This approach is baked into the pre-built FOH restaurant risk assessment template in Pilla.

Starting with step 4: Recording your findings to implement them

There are two formats that I like for recording risk assessments:

1. •

   Using a table style layout (spreadsheet) and using each column for each step in the risk assessment. This is traditionally the most popular format but not the one I prefer because it doesn't leave you much space to add detail.

2. •

   Using a written listicle style document. This is the format we use for the Pilla kitchen risk assessment template. It means that each hazard will be numbered and have it's own space underneath it for you to add more information. 

If you want to use a table format then set it out like this: 

HazardWho could be harmed and howCurrent control measures****Additional control measures Steam from coffee machineAny staff using or working near machineMaintenance, servicing of machineDisplay a 'hot steam' sign If you want to use a listicle format then set it out like this: 

Hazard 1: Steam from coffee machineWho could be harmed and how:**** Any staff using or working near machineCurrent control measures: Maintenance, servicing of machineAdditional control measures: Display a 'hot steam' sign

Step 1: Identify the hazards in your front of house area

Walk your front of house area during actual service hours, not just when it’s empty. You need to see how customers and staff actually move and interact in real time.

Here’s how to break it down:

• •Walk the space at different times of day — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and close-down. What hazards appear when the floor is packed compared to when it’s quiet? Are customers queueing in awkward places? Are staff carrying items through tight gaps?
• •Watch key tasks being carried out. Are staff carrying large trays through crowds? Are glass collectors rushing up and down stairs? Are hosts bending awkwardly to reach bags, menus, or till drawers?
• •Check the equipment and layout. Are floors uneven or slippery when cleaned? Any trip hazards from bags, pushchairs, or chairs tucked out into walkways? Are candles or heat sources placed near flammable decorations?
• •Talk to the team. Ask front of house staff what areas feel risky, where they’ve seen slips or spills, and what near-misses have happened recently. Ask bar staff if anything’s difficult to reach or clean. Ask hosts about issues at the front door or stairwells.

Things to look out for:

• •Slippery floors: especially around entrances, bar service points, or walkways after cleaning.
• •Broken or chipped glassware or crockery: can cause cuts during service.
• •Hot drinks service: risk of spills and burns when carrying through a crowd or tight space.
• •Manual handling: lifting crates, carrying trays, pushing furniture.
• •Crowded spaces: bumping into customers or other staff while carrying items.
• •Electrical trip hazards: trailing cables from PDQ machines or portable heaters.
• •Poor lighting: in bar areas, corridors, or stairwells.
• •Allergen miscommunication: serving food or drinks with undeclared allergens.
• •Aggressive behaviour: risks from customers under the influence or in conflict.
• •Fire risks: e.g. candles, decorations near heat sources.

Tip: Look at the venue during peak times, not just quiet moments. Hazards usually increase with footfall and speed of service.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

Once you’ve listed the hazards, think about who could be affected by each one. Use job roles or customer groups, not individual names so that your risk assessment stays relevant for longer.

Examples:

• •Waiting Staff: May slip on wet floors, strain their back carrying heavy trays, or get cut by broken glass.
• •Bar Staff: Constantly around glass, liquids, and electrical equipment. Risk of spills, shocks, or cuts.
• •Hosts or Receptionists: Working near entrances or busy walkways where falls or collisions can happen.
• •Customers: Risk of slipping, bumping into staff carrying hot drinks, or exposure to allergens.
• •Cleaners: Working after hours around chemicals or in poorly lit areas.
• •Delivery Drivers: Moving through customer areas with stock or equipment.

If you're struggling, try thinking about imaginary scenarios that could happen in the front of house rea

• •A barback knocks over a freshly mopped bucket near the glass washer — waiter slips while carrying cocktails.
• •Customer gets hot tea spilled on their lap by a new team member unfamiliar with the tray layout.
• •A cleaner gets shocked by unplugging an older fridge behind the bar that hasn’t been PAT tested.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Now that you’ve listed the hazards and thought about who could be harmed, the next step is to assess how serious each risk is and what you're going to do about it.

Front of house teams work in fast-paced, guest-facing environments. You can’t eliminate all hazards, but you can make sure they’re well managed — especially during busy service periods. Your goal is to reduce the likelihood of accidents and minimise the harm if something goes wrong.

Use a mini two-step approach

Split this step into two clear columns on your risk assessment:

• •What you’re already doing — Existing practices or safety measures already in place (formal or informal)
• •What else you should do — New or stronger precautions you might need

Don’t overthink the language — just focus on what is actually happening. You’re probably already doing a lot to keep people safe, even if you’ve never documented it before.

How to judge the level of risk

To work out whether you need more control measures, ask yourself two questions for each hazard:

How likely is it that someone will be harmed?Has this hazard caused issues before? (e.g. slips near service areas, trips over cables)Is it easy to overlook or forget during busy service?Are staff trained to deal with it — or are they relying on instinct? How bad would it be if something did go wrong?Minor (e.g. small spill, light bump)Moderate (e.g. guest falls, glass breakage near diners)Severe (e.g. fire risk, sharp object injury, trip with hot plates)

• •

  Has this hazard caused issues before? (e.g. slips near service areas, trips over cables)

• •

  Is it easy to overlook or forget during busy service?

• •

  Are staff trained to deal with it — or are they relying on instinct?

• •

  Minor (e.g. small spill, light bump)

• •

  Moderate (e.g. guest falls, glass breakage near diners)

• •

  Severe (e.g. fire risk, sharp object injury, trip with hot plates)

For hazards that are both likely and serious, you’ll need stronger and clearer control measures. If the hazard is minor and rare, you may only need a quick reminder or visual aid.

How to choose control measures that make sense

A good control measure should do at least one of the following:

• •Reduce the chance of the hazard occurring
• •Reduce the severity of injury if it does occur
• •Be easy for your FOH team to remember and follow under pressure

Use this table to help you decide what action might be appropriate:

Question to AskIf Yes, Then Consider… Can the hazard be removed completely?Remove loose mats, fix broken chair legs, relocate poorly placed plug sockets Can the layout be improved?Widen service pathways, ensure clear access to exits, move bins away from guest routes Is the issue awareness or visibility?Use “wet floor” signs, highlight steps or uneven floors with bright tape, brief staff during pre-shift Does this rely on staff behaviour?Train staff on safe tray carrying, avoid overloading hands, encourage two-way comms when passing in tight spaces Is the hazard time-sensitive or seasonal?Extra staff or rota support on busy weekends, clear plan for outdoor seating in bad weather, different floor signage for Christmas setups Can better equipment help?Use sturdier trays, lighter glassware, slip-resistant shoes, drop-proof POS stands Can you change when or how the task is done?Clean floors between peak times, schedule furniture moves when the venue is closed Examples

Hazard: Wet floor near guest toilets Current measures: Sign put out if someone notices

Likelihood: High

Severity: Moderate to high — guest or staff could fall

Better control options: - Assign specific staff member to check toilets every 30 minutes

• •Install slip-resistant mats or floor coatings if leaks are common
• •Put paper towels or hand dryer closer to sink to reduce dripping

Hazard: FOH staff carrying four plates through a tight corridor

Current measures: None formal

Likelihood: Moderate — happens every shift

Severity: Moderate — staff trip or drop hot food

Better control options: - Designate corridor as “one way” during peak service

• •Train team to carry three plates max through that route
• •Store fewer obstacles in the corridor (e.g. no linen bags or crates)

Key Tip

Ask your team — especially your senior servers and floor staff. They know which spots are risky and which tasks cause accidents. Often they’ve worked around hazards for years without mentioning them. Invite them to help fix them — not just deal with them.

Step 5: Review your risk assessment

Set a reminder to review your FOH risk assessment every 12 months or sooner if things change. In Pilla, this is built in automatically when you use the FOH risk assessment template.

Review it early if any of these things happen:

• •You rearrange the floor layout (new walkways, added tables, moved furniture).
• •You introduce new services (e.g. live music, dancing, bar snacks).
• •There’s a customer accident or serious near miss.
• •You start using new equipment (e.g. space heaters, portable coffee machines).
• •You change cleaning routines or suppliers.
• •You hire new or inexperienced staff who need more support.

A review isn’t a tick-box exercise. It’s a chance to check if your precautions still work in real life.

Final Thoughts

A front of house risk assessment is one of the easiest ways to protect your team, your customers, and your business.

Keep it simple, practical, and updated. Don’t overthink the paperwork — the real value comes from spotting problems and putting smart, realistic solutions in place. If you do that, you’ll make service smoother and keep everyone safer.