How Often Should You Review A Documented Health Risk Assessment?

Review a documented health risk assessment at least once a year and any time people, tasks, tools, or incidents change.

Policies, staff, and workflows shift. That is why the safest answer to “how often should you review a documented health risk assessment?” is twofold: set a yearly cycle, and run a prompt update whenever change or evidence demands it. This approach keeps the file current, keeps actions fresh, and shows auditors that you run risk as a living process, not a shelf document.

Review Triggers And Timing At A Glance

The table below gives a quick view you can share. Use it to plan check-ins and to spot moments when a formal update is due.

Trigger	When To Review	Evidence To Save
New hires, roles, or contractors	Before they start or within 30 days	Induction notes, training records
New tasks or workflow changes	Before go-live	SOP version, change log
New equipment, software, or substances	Prior to use	Specs, safety data, test logs
Layout or site changes	Before first shift	Map, photos, permits
Incident or near miss	Within 24–72 hours	Investigation, actions, sign-off
Law, standard, or client rule change	As soon as confirmed	Rule link, gap check
Seasonal risks	Four weeks before season	Plan, staff brief
Audit finding	By due date	Corrective action proof
Supplier change	Before acceptance	Contract, risk check
Routine cadence	Every 12 months	Review form, approvals

How Often To Review A Documented Health Risk Assessment: Baseline Cadence And Triggers

There is no one global rule that sets a single interval for every setting. Health care, labs, factories, and offices face different hazards and different proof needs. A simple way to set cadence without guesswork is to pair an annual review with trigger-based updates. The annual review keeps content fresh; the triggers catch change between calendar dates.

Why An Annual Cycle Works

An annual window matches many oversight rhythms and budget cycles, and it gives enough time for actions to land. In clinical settings, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit includes a Health Risk Assessment once every 12 months. That model shows how a yearly touchpoint anchors prevention in day-to-day care. Link your own calendar to the month that fits your operations so reviews do not collide with peak load.

When To Run An Immediate Update

Do not wait for year-end when a material change can affect exposure today. Update the document right away when any of the following happens:

Staff, roles, or supervision change.
Steps in a task change, or a new task launches.
Equipment, software, chemicals, or PPE change.
Space, layout, access routes, or ventilation change.
A near miss, injury, spill, breach, or complaint occurs.
A new rule, standard, contract clause, or insurer term arrives.
A supplier or partner changes the way they work with you.

This “update on change” rule lines up with how regulators frame risk work: make it an ongoing process, not a set-and-forget task. Pair that with your annual slot and you cover both the calendar and the real world.

What A Good Review Looks Like

A strong review is short on ceremony and rich in checks. Use this flow:

Confirm scope. List the people, places, tasks, and assets that the document covers, then add what changed since the last version.
Check hazards. Walk the area, observe the job, and scan recent logs. Pull in those who do the work and those who maintain kit.
Test controls. Check that barriers still work in practice and on paper. Look at training, permits, PPE, alarms, signage, and response plans.
Score risk. Use a simple matrix that rates likelihood and harm. Be consistent so trends show up over time.
Set actions. Convert gaps into actions with owners and dates. Keep actions short, funded, and clearly visible.
Update the record. Change the version, date, and page footers. Add a summary of changes and attach new evidence.
Close and broadcast. Capture approvals. Brief teams that are affected and log the briefing.

Who Signs And Who Helps

Give the document a named owner, an approver, and a small circle of helpers. The owner drives dates and edits. The approver controls money and staffing. Helpers bring field insight: a clinician or operator, a data lead, facilities, and a privacy lead when people data are in scope. List names on page one and add a contact email. Invite one fresh set of eyes from a nearby field team during the walk-through. A short, frank tour by someone new to the task often reveals blind spots, clumsy steps, or missing signs. Capture those notes in the change log and assign quick fixes with dates. Finish with a brief safety huddle together.

Proof That Stands Up In An Audit

Auditors care about two things: did you find the right risks, and did you act? Good records answer both. Keep:

A change log that shows what moved and why.
Version control on the document and linked SOPs.
Sign-offs with names and dates, not initials only.
Training records tied to the updated hazards and controls.
Photos or screen grabs that show controls in place.
Risk scores before and after major changes.

Linking Your Cadence To Real Rules

Two anchor points show how to set review rhythm without guesswork. In health care billing and prevention, the Annual Wellness Visit includes a Health Risk Assessment once every 12 months. In privacy and security for electronic health data, HHS guidance on risk analysis frames it as an ongoing process that feeds regular updates to safeguards. Put those together and you get a simple rule: run a yearly review, and treat change as a trigger for an out-of-cycle update.

Sector-Specific Notes

Every field has its own language and proof needs, but the cadence map stays steady. Use the table below to compare common contexts.

Context	Usual Cadence	Primary Basis
Medicare Annual Wellness Visit HRA	Once every 12 months	CMS benefit rules
HIPAA security risk analysis	Ongoing, with periodic updates	HHS guidance
Workplace health and safety	Annual plus on change	General regulator practice

How To Plan Your Next 12 Months

Turn cadence into a simple calendar so the review never slips and updates never drag. Here is a clean plan you can copy.

Quarter 1: Prep And Scan

Pick the review month and block time. Pull last year’s actions and close the stragglers. Check incident logs, near misses, access requests, and change tickets. Ask leads what is coming in the next six months that could shift exposure.

Quarter 2: Walk And Test

Run spot checks on controls. Sample training records. Visit the floor and watch the job steps end to end. Ask simple questions: What feels hard? What failed this quarter? What do you skip to save time? Small frictions often point to risks that the form missed.

Quarter 3: Update And Brief

Write the changes while the details are fresh. Update the matrix, diagrams, and photos. Swap old SOP screenshots for new ones. Brief those affected and sign the attendance. If new kit or software is coming, schedule a mini review before launch.

Quarter 4: Prove And Improve

Close actions with photos and dates. Capture the version change, approvals, and a short “what changed” note on page one. Review trends in risk scores, incidents, and near misses. Feed the next year’s plan with the gaps that stayed open.

Common Mistakes That Delay Reviews

Most delays come from process clutter, not bad intent. Clear these hurdles and reviews move faster:

One owner. Name a single owner for the document and a deputy.
Short forms. Keep the template lean so teams can finish it in one sitting.
Live evidence. Store photos, logs, and sign-offs in one place with shared read access.
Clear triggers. Post the trigger list near the job and in the change request form.
Fast approvals. Set a two-day target for sign-off and track it.
Calendar holds. Book the annual slot as a recurring event.

Practical Checklist For Your Next Review

Use this checklist near the end of the article as your quick deliverable. Print it or paste it into your task app and share it with leads.

Before You Start

Confirm scope and list changes since the last version.
Pull logs for incidents, near misses, access, and change requests.
Collect current SOPs, permits, and training lists.

During The Review

Observe the task and talk with those who run it.
Check each control in practice and on paper.
Update risk scores with a consistent method.
Set actions with owners and dates.

After The Review

Update version, date, and change summary.
Attach new evidence and remove stale items.
Brief affected teams and log the briefing.
Schedule check-backs on actions until they are closed.

Bottom Line

Review a documented health risk assessment on a yearly cycle, and update it any time the people, the process, the place, or the plant change, or when incidents or rules demand it. That blend keeps risk real, keeps records clean, and keeps decision makers aligned.

References: In clinical care billing, the Annual Wellness Visit includes a Health Risk Assessment once every 12 months. In data privacy for clinical records, federal guidance frames risk analysis as an ongoing process that calls for periodic updates to safeguards.

To read the source pages, see the Medicare page on the Annual Wellness Visit benefit and the HHS guidance on risk analysis under the HIPAA Security Rule. Link both in your policy so staff know where the cadence comes from and can check for updates without chasing a homepage.