Last Updated on December 10, 2025 by Melissa Lazaro

ISO 22000 Hazard-Analysis Worksheet Download

I’ve helped many food businesses build and refine their ISO 22000 systems, and the same issue comes up almost every time: teams overthink hazard analysis because they don’t have a clear, practical worksheet to guide the process. Without structure, hazard identification becomes chaotic. Scores aren’t consistent. Decisions aren’t justified. And during audits, that creates stress nobody wants.

If you’re here, you’re likely looking for a simple, ready-to-use ISO 22000 hazard-analysis worksheet—something that walks your HACCP/FSMS team through each step without confusion. This guide shows you exactly how the worksheet works, what it must include, and how to complete it properly.

By the end, you’ll have:

• A full understanding of the key worksheet fields
• A step-by-step method to evaluate hazards
• Clear decision-making criteria for PRPs, OPRPs, and CCPs
• Common mistakes to avoid
• A downloadable template you can use today

Let’s break it down in a way that feels manageable, not overwhelming.

Why a Structured Hazard-Analysis Worksheet Matters Under ISO 22000

Hazard analysis is the backbone of ISO 22000. Everything that follows—PRPs, OPRPs, CCPs, monitoring, and verification—depends on how well you identify and evaluate hazards.

Here’s what I’ve noticed: when teams use a structured worksheet, discussions become focused and decisions become clearer. When they don’t, hazard analysis meetings drag on, and the team struggles to align on risk levels.

A good worksheet helps you:

• Identify hazards consistently
• Score risks in an objective way
• Decide which controls are needed
• Show auditors your logic at a glance

Pro Tip: The simpler the worksheet, the more consistently your team will use it.

Common Mistake: Using a generic HACCP form that doesn’t match ISO 22000’s classification of control measures. That mismatch often leads to confusion about OPRPs.

What Your ISO 22000 Hazard-Analysis Worksheet Must Include

The worksheet you use needs to reflect the standard’s requirements, not just traditional HACCP.

Here are the essential fields:

• Process Step – pulled from your process flow diagram
• Input / Output Description – what enters and leaves the step
• Hazards Identified – biological, chemical, physical, allergenic
• Hazard Source – where the hazard originates
• Severity Rating – impact on consumer health
• Likelihood Rating – probability of occurrence
• Initial Risk Level – severity × likelihood
• Existing Control Measures – PRPs or routine controls already in place
• Risk Acceptance Decision – is this hazard acceptable?
• Need for Additional Controls – yes/no
• Classification – PRP, OPRP, or CCP
• Justification for Decision – how the team reached the conclusion
• Verification / Validation Notes – optional but extremely helpful

Pro Tip: Use a 1–5 scale for severity and likelihood. It keeps scoring intuitive.

Common Mistake: Writing long paragraphs in each field. The worksheet works best with short, clear entries.

Step-By-Step Guide: How to Complete the Hazard-Analysis Worksheet

Let’s walk through the process in a clean, practical way.

1. Map Your Process Steps

Start with your process flow diagram. Each step becomes a row in your worksheet. This ensures you don’t miss hazards and gives auditors clear traceability.

2. Identify Hazards at Each Step

Think about what could realistically go wrong—not every possible hazard in the universe. Focus on your actual products, ingredients, handling, equipment, and environment.

3. Score Severity and Likelihood

Apply your risk matrix. The key here is consistency. Different departments often interpret risk differently, so make sure everyone uses the same scoring definitions.

4. Evaluate Existing Controls

This is where many teams make mistakes. Don’t assume PRPs cover everything—be specific. For example:

• “General sanitation” is too vague.
• “Daily equipment cleaning using SSOP 04” is clearer.

5. Decide Whether Additional Controls Are Needed

If PRPs aren’t enough to reduce the risk to an acceptable level, the team must consider an OPRP or CCP.

6. Classify the Control Measure

Use your decision tree or criteria. The worksheet becomes your evidence trail.

Anecdote: I once worked with a facility where hazard analysis meetings lasted hours because the team had no shared worksheet. After introducing a simple form, the decision-making became so much smoother that their entire HACCP rebuild finished two weeks early.

ISO 22000-Aligned Risk Matrix Example

Your worksheet becomes far easier to use when the risk matrix is simple and visible.

A typical matrix includes:

• Severity scale: 1 (low) to 5 (very high)
• Likelihood scale: 1 (rare) to 5 (frequent)
• Risk scoring grid

Clearly define what qualifies as “acceptable risk.” For example:

• 1–6: Acceptable → PRP adequate
• 7–12: Requires OPRP
• 13–25: Requires CCP or major redesign

Pro Tip: Print the risk matrix on the top corner of the worksheet. It speeds up scoring during team discussions.

Common Mistakes When Completing Hazard-Analysis Worksheets (And How to Avoid Them)

I see the same errors repeatedly during audits. Here are the big ones:

• Listing every possible hazard instead of relevant hazards
• Giving all hazards a “high” severity score
• Treating PRPs as if they control every risk
• Creating too many CCPs “just to be safe”
• Forgetting to justify classification decisions
• Not updating the worksheet after process changes
• Writing hazard descriptions that are too vague

Each of these makes the FSMS harder to run and harder to defend during audits.

Solution: Keep the worksheet practical, evidence-based, and up to date.

How Auditors Review Hazard-Analysis Worksheets

Auditors don’t expect a perfect system. What they want is clear, logical thinking.

They typically check:

• Whether each hazard is relevant to the process
• Whether scoring is consistent across the team
• Whether classification matches the decision tree
• Whether existing PRPs are realistic and effective
• Whether revision history reflects process changes

Pro Tip: Make sure every decision has a short justification. It’s one of the first things auditors read.

Download: ISO 22000 Hazard-Analysis Worksheet Template

Explain what readers will get when they download the worksheet:

• Editable Excel or Google Sheets file
• Built-in severity/likelihood scoring grid
• Automated risk-scoring calculation
• Sample hazard entry to guide new users
• Clear PRP/OPRP/CCP classification fields
• Space for validation and verification notes

Encourage them to customize it to their process flow.

FAQs

Is the hazard-analysis worksheet mandatory under ISO 22000?

Yes. The format isn’t prescribed, but documented hazard analysis is required.

Can we reuse our HACCP worksheet?

Only if it aligns with ISO 22000 requirements, especially around OPRPs and process-based documentation.

How often should hazard analysis be updated?

Whenever there’s a significant process change, new product, new equipment, new supplier, or an FSMS review.

Conclusion

A well-designed hazard-analysis worksheet doesn’t just help you pass audits—it helps you build a safer, more consistent operation. When your team knows exactly how to analyze hazards, everything else in ISO 22000 becomes more manageable.

After working with many facilities across the food chain, I’ve seen how a clear worksheet transforms the entire hazard-analysis process. It reduces debate, clarifies decision-making, and gives auditors confidence in your system.

If you’d like, I can prepare a customized hazard-analysis worksheet based on your exact process flow—or expand this into a full template pack for your FSMS.