VR Risk Assessment Template
A structured risk-assessment template for clinical VR use, modeled on the format NHS services use. Identifies the specific hazards that come with using virtual reality in clinical practice and provides a place to record the controls already in place.
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This is a template, not a finished assessment. Risk assessment is a clinical and managerial responsibility specific to your service, environment, population, and local policy. Adapt the wording, add or remove rows, and review with your service's health-and-safety lead before use.
Header
| Site | Speech and language therapy clinic / school / ward / community / home visit |
| Work location or area | __________________________________ |
| Activity assessed | Use of virtual reality (VR) for speech, language, voice, communication, or related clinical work |
| Assessor name | __________________________________ |
| Date | __________________________________ |
| Review due | __________________________________ (typically 12 months) |
Scoring
Multiply severity by likelihood to get the risk rating. The combined score guides what action is needed.
| Severity | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minor injury, no lost time |
| 2 | Injury, 1-7 days lost time |
| 3 | Injury, 8-31 days lost time |
| 4 | Injury, over 31 days lost time |
| 5 | Serious injury or death |
| Likelihood | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Very unlikely |
| 2 | Unlikely |
| 3 | Likely |
| 4 | Very likely |
| 5 | Certain or imminent |
| Risk rating | Meaning | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insignificant | None |
| 2-5 | Minor | Apply assessment |
| 6-10 | Significant | Lower the risk |
| 12-20 | Major | Reconsider the work procedure |
| 25 | Unacceptable | Stop and prohibit; report to management |
Hazards
For each row: assess severity (1-5), likelihood (1-5), and multiply for the risk rating. Adapt the rows to your service. Then record the control measures already in place in the section below.
| Ref | Hazard | Severity | Likelihood | Risk rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slips, trips, falls | |||
| 2 | Walking into walls or furniture while wearing the headset | |||
| 3 | Dizziness, motion sickness, eye strain | |||
| 4 | Exposure to unwanted online or in-app content | |||
| 5 | Manufacturer's recommended minimum age | |||
| 6 | Identifiable information entered into the VR software | |||
| 7 | Realistic content evoking distressing emotions or trauma | |||
| 8 | In-world artwork or content with age or content warnings | |||
| 9 | Use of AI-powered features (e.g. text generation, translation, transcription) | |||
| 10 | Hygiene and infection control of shared headset |
Existing control measures
Use this section to record the controls already in place for each hazard. The wording below is illustrative - adapt to your service.
1. Slips, trips, falls
- The clinic room or off-site venue is risk-assessed before use; floor space around the seat is clear; cables run away from the user.
- The individual is made aware of the risk on the consent form.
2. Walking into walls or furniture
- The headset's Guardian boundary (or equivalent) is configured before the session: a mesh appears in view if the user moves close to a hazard.
- Therapy withVR sessions are designed to be done seated; no large body movements are required.
- The clinician stays within arm's reach of the user.
- The individual is made aware on the consent form.
3. Dizziness, motion sickness, eye strain
- Modern VR headsets reduce motion sickness compared with earlier generations. Therapy withVR is static; the user is not moved through the virtual environment.
- Sessions are kept to the agreed duration with breaks as needed.
- The individual's medical history is reviewed for predisposing factors (e.g. vestibular differences, severe motion sickness).
- The session can be paused or ended at any point.
- The individual is made aware on the consent form.
4. Exposure to unwanted online or in-app content
- The headset is set up for clinical use only. The web browser and app store are blocked or password-protected.
- Unrelated apps are not installed, or are blocked from access.
- Multi-user or social VR features are not used.
- Apps used in sessions are listed on the consent form.
5. Manufacturer's recommended minimum age
- Meta's minimum age is 10 for current consumer headsets, with a parent-managed account required for users aged 10-17.
- Where users are below the recommended age, parental or guardian consent is obtained and the protocol is adapted (shorter sessions, more frequent check-ins, simpler situations to start).
- The individual or family is made aware on the consent form.
6. Identifiable information in the software
- Therapy withVR is designed so that personal information does not need to enter the software. Profiles are labeled by role rather than by real name (e.g. "Profile A" or "Wednesday afternoon practice").
- Any link from a profile to a real-world identity is held within the service's existing clinical record system, not within Therapy withVR.
- The individual is made aware on the consent form.
7. Realistic content evoking distressing emotions or trauma
- The clinician is present throughout the session.
- The individual's comfort is discussed before entering VR; situations and avatars are agreed in advance.
- The session can be paused, the situation can be made simpler, or the headset can be removed at any point.
- Software customization allows the situation to be eased mid-session.
- A debrief is offered at the end of the session if appropriate.
- The individual is made aware on the consent form.
8. In-world art or content warnings
- Where the software includes in-world art or static visual content, any image carrying an age or content warning is flagged in the software.
- The clinician controls which items are shown in a session.
- The individual is made aware on the consent form.
9. Use of AI features
- AI features in Therapy withVR are off by default.
- AI features are only enabled with the individual's explicit consent (see the consent template).
- Reminders inside the software warn against entering personal, sensitive, or confidential content.
- The clinician retains control of AI use throughout the session and can disable features mid-session.
- The individual is made aware on the consent form.
10. Hygiene and infection control
- The headset, controllers, and any shared accessories are cleaned per the service's existing infection-control protocol after each user.
- Disposable or replaceable face covers are used where the headset is shared between multiple users (sold separately by third-party retailers; withVR does not sell hygiene supplies).
- Headset cleaning materials are kept in the clinic area.
Sign-off
Assessed by: __________________________________
Manager or health-and-safety lead: __________________________________
Date: __________________________________
Review due: __________________________________
Filing. When complete, share with the staff group covered by the assessment and file with your service's health-and-safety risk-assessment records. Review at the cycle agreed by your service (typically annually) or when something changes - new hardware, new software version, new population, new venue.
Related resources
- Informed Consent Template - The user-facing consent form that pairs with this risk assessment.
- VR Suitability Screening Checklist - Pre-session screening for an individual user.
- Session Preparation Checklist - The clinician's pre-session workflow.
- Explaining VR (One-Pager) - Plain-language handout to give before the consent step.
- Cybersickness in clinical VR: what to plan for - Background on hazard 3 (dizziness, motion sickness).