1.2The single risk assessment (DUERP)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Mandatory DUERP file (French example): the employer transcribes the risk assessment in it, by work unit.
- One line = one situation: hazard, exposed people, existing measures, S × L rating, actions (who, when).
- Reflex: prioritized, dated, updated with every change — 20 living lines beat 200 sleeping lines.
Threaded mini-case — Hakim turns his visit into a living risk file
Back from his visit, Hakim spreads his four observations on the SME's table: saw without push stick, high storage without racks, badly adjusted screens, hidden extinguisher. With one operator and the workshop supervisor, he rates each risk (severity × likelihood), decides one dated action per line and files everything in a 20-line DUERP file. The owner understands: this is not paperwork, it is the year's plan.
Sequel to case 1.1 — visit observations become action lines.
1. The DUERP: the mandatory register (French example)
In France, the employer records in a single document the results of the risk assessment, updated at least annually and whenever a major change occurs. Elsewhere, the duty to assess exists under other names: check your local law — the method below holds everywhere.
2. One line = one hazardous situation
Per work unit (workshop, office, construction site): hazard, who is exposed, existing measures, rating (severity × likelihood), decided actions (who, when). A 200-line unreadable DUERP is useless: prioritised and dated, it drives the year.
3. The DUERP lives or dies
Kept available (employees, inspectorate, occupational physician depending on local law), updated (new machine, accident, reorganisation), it feeds the annual action plan. A 2019 DUERP in a cupboard is proof of neglect, not diligence.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Hands-on example — 3 lines that drive action
Reading: rating → priority → owner + date.
Workshop/saw: cut (operator) | existing: guard | S3xL2=6
→ action: push stick + training, Karim, 15/03
Storage/height: falling object | existing: none | S4xL2=8
→ action: racks + helmets, Lina, 30/03
Offices/screens: MSD | existing: chairs | S2xL3=6
→ action: adjustments + breaks, all, 30/04Lesson: 20 prioritised lines beat 200 dormant ones.
Section vocabulary
- Single risk assessment file (DUERP)
- A register listing and assessing all risks by work unit and grounding the action plan (mandatory in France, equivalents elsewhere).
Simple example: Hakim's 20-line DUERP file for the workshop, warehouse and offices.
What it is not: a generic template copied without visit or rating.
Reflex: no station without a line, no line without a dated action.
- Work unit
- Splitting the activity into homogeneous stations or places (workshop, warehouse, office) to assess close to reality.
Simple example: Hakim separates saw, high storage and screen offices.
What it is not: assessing "the company" as one block without distinguishing stations.
Reflex: split before assessing, with the exposed.
- Rating (S × L)
- Ranking a risk by crossing severity and likelihood to prioritize actions.
Simple example: Hakim rates the falling object in the warehouse higher than the badly adjusted screen.
What it is not: handling in arrival order without ranking.
Reflex: rate as a group with operators and supervisors.
- Action plan
- Measures decided from the file: what, who, by when — then followed through to completion.
Simple example: Push stick + training assigned to Karim with a deadline.
What it is not: an observation with no owner and no date.
Reflex: every line ends with who and when.
- Updating
- Regular review, and review with every major change (machine, product, organization, accident).
Simple example: Hakim reopens the register with every machine installed.
What it is not: a register frozen for years in a cupboard.
Reflex: every major change reopens the assessment.
In practice — Hands on — Drawing up a single document
- IDENTIFY risks by work unit/job (Level 1-1): list what can cause harm, in the field, with workers.
- ASSESS each risk (severity × likelihood — Level 2-1) to rank and prioritise them.
- Define a prevention ACTION PLAN: which measures to reduce each risk, who implements them, by when; record it all in the document.
- Keep the DUERP UP TO DATE: at least annually and whenever a major change occurs (new job, accident); make it accessible; forget no risk (MSDs, PSR, chemical).
Ready-to-say script — presenting the risk file to the team (1 min)
"Here is our DUERP: each risk spotted together, rated together, with an action, an owner and a date. It is posted here, open to all. With every change — machine, accident, reorganization — we reopen it together."
Say it in a meeting: show the DUERP, name the owners and the next review.
Copy-paste template — DUERP line
UNIT / STATION: _______________ | HAZARD: _______________
EXPOSED: _______________ | EXISTING: _______________
RATING (S × L): ___ × ___ = ___
DECIDED ACTION: _______________ | WHO: _______________ | WHEN: ____
CHECKED ON: _______________Very small business (under 10 employees)
A 10-line table is enough: station, hazard, action, who, when — re-read with the team at every change.
Industrial SME in Algiers
Hakim rates as a group with operators and supervisors: alone in the office, you always underestimate.
Offices / services
Forget neither screens nor mental load: same columns, dated adjustment and break actions.
After an accident or change
Reopen at once: new machine, product or organization = new line assessed before start-up.
✓ Best practices
- By work unit, with those exposed.
- Rate to prioritise (SxL).
- Update with every change.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Copying a generic template with no visit.
- 200 lines with no priority or date.
- Forgetting the annual update.
Key takeaways
- The SINGLE DOCUMENT (DUERP) is MANDATORY (France, from the first employee) and CENTRAL: it LISTS and ASSESSES all occupational risks (by work unit) and grounds the prevention ACTION PLAN. Equivalents exist in many countries.
- Role: IDENTIFY risks → ASSESS them (rank severity × likelihood) → define ACTIONS (who, what, when) → RECORD. This is NOT an administrative formality but the tool that STRUCTURES prevention.
- It must be LIVING: updated regularly (at least annually depending on size) and with EVERY major change (new job/equipment, accident). A frozen/outdated DUERP is useless and non-compliant. Accessible (workers, CSE, occupational physician, inspectorate).
- It must cover ALL risks (do not forget MSDs, PSR, chemical) and lead to CONCRETE actions. ⚠️ Name, form and exact duties VARY by country — check the scheme applicable where you are.
48h Challenge — apply tomorrow
Write 3 DUERP lines from your visit (template above): hazard, exposed, rating, action + who + when. Have one operator re-read them.
- I can explain the role of the risk file in one sentence.
- I can rate a risk (S × L) as a group.
- I have written 3 lines with dated actions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the single document a mere administrative formality, or a real prevention tool?
The single document is sometimes (wrongly) seen as a formality "for the inspector", when it is actually the CENTRAL TOOL of prevention — mistaking it for paperwork is an error that empties the approach of its meaning. The mistaken perception: (1) Some see the DUERP as a document filled in "because it is mandatory", filed in a drawer and pulled out for inspections. In this view, it is an administrative BURDEN with no real use. (2) This approach produces a frozen, generic DUERP, disconnected from the field, never updated — which is indeed useless (and not even compliant). Why it is actually a REAL prevention tool: (1) It FORCES you to face risks. Drawing up the DUERP forces you to CONCRETELY IDENTIFY each job's risks (in the field, with workers) — work which, done seriously, reveals risks you did not see and triggers awareness. It is the starting point of all prevention: you can only prevent what you have identified. (2) It structures ASSESSMENT and PRIORITISATION. By assessing each risk (severity × likelihood), it lets you RANK: you know which risks to address first (the most serious/likely) instead of acting at random. It is a decision tool. (3) It leads to an ACTION PLAN. The DUERP is not just an observation: it grounds the prevention MEASURES to implement (who does what, by when). It is the link between risk analysis and concrete action. A DUERP with no action plan misses its purpose. (4) It RECORDS and drives. It keeps the memory of identified risks, assessments, decided actions and their follow-up — letting you drive prevention over time and demonstrate the approach (to workers, bodies, in case of inspection or accident). (5) It keeps continuous improvement ALIVE. Updated regularly and with every change, it tracks evolving risks and actions — PDCA applied to safety. What makes the difference (formality vs tool): (1) A FORMAL DUERP: generic, copied, frozen, with no link to the field, no action plan, never updated → useless and non-compliant. (2) A TOOL DUERP: born from real field observation with workers, honestly assessing risks, leading to prioritised, followed-up actions, updated regularly → it structures and sustains prevention. The difference is not in the document but in the APPROACH. How to make it a real tool: (1) Draw it up IN THE FIELD, with workers (not from an office, not by copying a template). (2) Cover ALL real risks (including MSDs, PSR, chemical). (3) Assess and PRIORITISE honestly. (4) Link it to a CONCRETE action plan (measures, owners, deadlines) and FOLLOW UP those actions. (5) UPDATE it regularly and with every change — keep it ALIVE. (6) Use it as a reference in decisions (new jobs, purchases, organisation). In short: the single document is NOT a mere administrative formality — it is the CENTRAL TOOL of prevention. It forces concrete risk identification, assessment and prioritisation, an action plan, recording and driving of the approach, and keeping it alive (continuous improvement). The "paperwork for the inspector" perception produces a frozen, useless DUERP; the "prevention tool" approach produces a living DUERP that genuinely structures safety. The difference lies in the APPROACH (field, honesty, actions, updates), not the document itself. Well conducted, the DUERP is the operational heart of prevention — mistaking it for a formality misses its whole point. ⚠️ Exact duties (content, updates, retention) vary by country: check the scheme applicable where you are.
How often and in which situations should the single document be updated?
The single document must be LIVING: updated at regular intervals AND with every significant change — a frozen, outdated DUERP loses all value (and is non-compliant). The general rules (adapt to your country): (1) PERIODIC updates. The DUERP must be REASSESSED at regular intervals — in France, at least ANNUALLY in organisations of a certain size (very small structures may have adapted arrangements). The idea: at least once a year, risks and action progress are re-examined, you check nothing has changed and the action plan is moving forward. This is the document's minimum "breathing" rhythm. (2) Updates with every SIGNIFICANT CHANGE (most important): as soon as an event changes risks, update the DUERP without waiting for the annual deadline. Situations triggering an update: (1) New JOB, new ACTIVITY or new WORK ORGANISATION: a new trade, a new task, a reorganisation create new risks to assess. (2) New EQUIPMENT, new MACHINE, new PRODUCT: a new tool, a new chemical substance, a new installation bring their own risks. (3) New PREMISES or layout: relocation, conversion of a space. (4) An ACCIDENT or INCIDENT (near miss): an accident reveals a risk (poorly assessed or new) — reassess and strengthen prevention. Even a near miss should trigger a review. (5) A declared OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE: signals a risk (often delayed: MSDs, chemical, noise) to reassess. (6) REGULATORY change: new duties or knowledge about a risk. (7) NEW KNOWLEDGE about a hazard (e.g. a product found more dangerous than thought). (8) Feedback, a worker report flagging a risk not taken into account. Why updates are crucial: (1) Risks EVOLVE. Activity, equipment, organisation, products change — yesterday's risks are not today's. A frozen DUERP describes an outdated reality and misses new risks. (2) An outdated DUERP is USELESS and NON-COMPLIANT. It no longer protects (it does not reflect real risks) and exposes the employer (breach of the up-to-date assessment duty, especially revealed after an accident). (3) Updates keep prevention ALIVE (PDCA applied to safety): reassess, adjust actions, track progress. Without updates, the approach stops. (4) Every accident/incident is a chance to learn: updating the DUERP after an event means learning lessons and avoiding repetition. Good practices: (1) Set a PERIODIC appointment (at least annual) to review the DUERP. (2) Build the REFLEX of updating with every change (new job/equipment/product, accident, reorganisation) — embed this step in your processes (a new purchase, a new job triggers a review). (3) After any accident/incident, REASSESS the risk concerned and adjust prevention. (4) Track ACTION PLAN progress (done, ongoing, upcoming actions) at each update. (5) Date and record updates. In short: update the single document PERIODICALLY (at least annually depending on size) AND, above all, with every SIGNIFICANT CHANGE — new job/activity/organisation, new equipment/machine/product, new premises, ACCIDENT or incident, occupational disease, regulatory change or new hazard knowledge. This matters because risks evolve (a frozen DUERP is outdated, useless and non-compliant), and because updates keep prevention alive (reassess, adjust actions, learn from accidents). Set a periodic review appointment and the reflex of updating with every change or event. A living, up-to-date single document is a real prevention tool; a frozen document protects nobody. ⚠️ Exact frequencies and duties vary by country — check the scheme applicable where you are.
Hakim's risk file has slept for years. What verdict?