4 ways to automate a working outside risk assessment

Liam Jones

Liam Jones

Founder, Pilla App

Date Modified

26 May 2026

I'm Liam Jones, founder of Pilla and a qualified management consultant. I've helped hundreds of businesses set up workflows, and in this article I'm going to show you four real examples of how to set up your working outside risk assessment. I'll start from the simplest and then add some more powerful options. You can open up each template in our workflow builder playground as a starting point and experiment for yourself. If you have any suggestions or you need some help, you can email me directly.

Key Takeaways

Article Content

#1 - Simple assessment

Who it's for: Single-site businesses recording the outdoor-work assessment themselves, where staff work on terraces, take deliveries, clear smoking areas, or run events outside.

What it is: A working outside risk assessment records the risks to staff working outdoors, the people at risk, the controls, and any further action. This version keeps each risk in one group: the hazard, who's at risk, controls in place, risk level, and further action. You add one group per risk, heat and sun, cold and wet, uneven or slippery ground.

Available on: Basic.

In practice: A pub with a large terrace assesses outdoor work. For "heat and sun on hot days", they note who's at risk (terrace servers), the controls (shade, water available, rotating breaks, sun cream offered), rate it low, and the further action: add a parasol over the service station. Next risk, next group.

Why it works: Outdoor work risks shift with the weather and are easy to overlook, until a heatwave or an icy morning. Keeping each risk in one group makes it a real, recorded assessment of the conditions staff actually face.

Steps included:

  • 1 grouped assessment (one group per risk): hazard, who's at risk, controls in place, risk level, further action
  • Duplicate the group for each outdoor risk

When to upgrade:

  1. A manager does the assessment and needs prompting
  2. You want a photo of the outdoor area
  3. You run more than one site and need a signed, dated record
Playground

#2 - With guidance

Who it's for: Businesses where a manager completes the assessment.

What it is: The simple assessment with a guidance note in the group, covering the main outdoor risks: heat and sun (shade, water, breaks, sun protection, watching for heat exhaustion), cold and wet (warm layers, shelter, limiting exposure), and ground conditions (uneven, wet, or icy surfaces, lighting after dark). It reminds the assessor that the risk changes with the season and the day.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

  1. The seasonal risks (heat, cold, ground) are on screen
  2. The manager remembers the risk shifts with the weather
  3. The assessment is consistent whoever completes it

Why it works: The guidance sits in the group with the fields, so the assessor covers heat, cold, and ground rather than just the obvious one for that day.

Steps included:

  • 1 guidance note in the group (heat, cold, sun, ground conditions)
  • 1 grouped assessment: hazard, who's at risk, controls, risk level, further action

When to upgrade: When the assessment needs a photo (Working Outside RA #3) or a signed, dated record (#4).

Playground

#3 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Businesses that want a visual record of the outdoor area and its controls.

What it is: The guided assessment plus a photo in the group, the terrace with its shade, the gritted path, the lit delivery area. A photo records the conditions and controls at the time.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

  1. A photo of the outdoor area, captured at the time
  2. A record that the controls (shade, lighting, grit) are in place
  3. A baseline to compare across seasons

Why it works: A photo of the terrace with shade up, or a gritted path, is proof the control exists, and a useful comparison when conditions change.

Steps included:

  • 1 guidance note in the group (heat, cold, sun, ground conditions)
  • 1 grouped assessment: hazard, who's at risk, controls, risk level, further action
  • 1 photo in the group (the outdoor area)

When to upgrade: When the assessment needs a named, dated sign-off (Working Outside RA #4).

Playground

#4 - With photo and signature

Who it's for: Multi-site groups where each site's outdoor-work assessment has to be signed, dated, and reviewable from head office.

What it is: The assessment plus a signature in the group. The assessor signs to confirm it and set a review date.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

  1. A signature confirming who assessed and when
  2. A clear point to set the next review date
  3. A complete, dated record an auditor treats as best practice

Why it works: The signature makes the assessment owned and dated, and across sites it lets a safety lead confirm every site with outdoor work has assessed it.

Steps included:

  • 1 guidance note in the group (heat, cold, sun, ground conditions)
  • 1 grouped assessment: hazard, who's at risk, controls, risk level, further action
  • 1 photo in the group (the outdoor area)
  • 1 signature in the group (assessed by)

When to upgrade: When you want Poppi to flag the assessment for review before a heatwave or cold snap, or pull every site's assessments into one report. Those versions are coming in the next post update.

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How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Just answer three questions.

Is it just you assessing, or does a manager do it?

If you do it yourself, a plain assessment is enough. The moment a manager does it, the seasonal risks need to be on screen. If only you assess, #1 is fine. If a manager does, start at #2.

Do you need a photo, or is a written record enough?

A written assessment meets the duty. A photo of the area makes it clearer. If a written record is enough, stop at #2. If you want a visual record, #3 adds a photo.

Does it need a signed, dated sign-off?

For a single site, the record can stand alone. Across sites, an auditor wants a signature on each. If no sign-off is needed, #3 is enough. If you run more than one site, #4 adds a signature.

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

What are the main risks of working outside?

Heat and sun (heat exhaustion, sunburn, dehydration, long-term UV exposure), cold and wet (hypothermia, reduced dexterity, slips), and ground conditions (uneven, wet, or icy surfaces, poor lighting after dark). The risks change with the season, so the assessment should cover all three.

Who works outside in hospitality?

More staff than you'd think: terrace and garden servers, delivery drivers and those loading and unloading, staff clearing or supervising smoking areas, event crews, and anyone gritting or clearing paths in winter. Each is owed an assessment of the conditions.

How do I control heat and cold risk?

For heat: shade, water, breaks out of the sun, sun protection, and watching for heat exhaustion. For cold: warm layers, shelter, hot drinks, and limiting time outside. For ground: keep surfaces clear, grit in icy weather, and light areas used after dark. The guidance version lists these.

How often should it be reviewed?

Seasonally is sensible, ahead of summer and winter, and after any incident. Version #4 captures the sign-off and is the point to set the next review.

Where to go next

Outdoor work risk swings with the weather and is easy to forget until a heatwave or an icy morning catches you out. A working outside risk assessment is how you show you've planned for the conditions staff face. The versions above move from a simple assessment to a signed, dated record.

Five more versions are coming in the next refresh that bring AI into the assessment. Poppi can flag the assessment for review before a heatwave or cold snap, and pull every site's assessments into one report. Those need more review time and will land separately.

ā†’ Build your own working outside risk assessment on Pilla. The Basic plan unlocks the simple assessment today.