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Use the controls library

How to set up your Controls Library once, attach controls to hazards on site and company registers, and what changes when you edit a control.

Published on
October 5, 2026
Prerequisites
Build your site hazard and risk register
How to add hazards to a site's Hazard & Risk Register in the Portal, rate them on your risk matrix, attach controls and keep the register reviewed.
Next Steps
Manage critical risks
How to flag a hazard as a critical risk, choose its critical controls, set a review date and record control verifications on the Critical Hazards page.
Manage your company risk register
How to keep company-wide hazards in the Company Risk Register, assign them to your sites, and bulk import an existing register.

Overview

The Controls Library is your company's list of controls, kept in one place. You attach controls to hazards instead of typing them out each time, and each hazard's measure text is built from the controls attached to it.

Steps

  1. Open the library
    • Go to Risk Management → Enterprise Risk Settings and open Controls Library.
  2. Add a control
    • Click + New Control and enter the Control name and Type.
    • Enter Confidence / Effectiveness as a percentage. If the control needs checking on a schedule, set Inspect every (days).
    • Add a Description if it helps, then click Create Control.
  3. Add many at once (optional)
    • Click Bulk import, then Download import template if you need the headings, and upload your CSV. Map a column to Name; the rest are optional.
    • Click Review changes. A row whose name matches an existing control updates it, and the others are created.
  4. Attach controls from a hazard
    • Open a hazard, go to its Controls stage, choose from Add a control… and click Add.
  5. Apply one control to many hazards
    • In the library, click Apply to hazards on the control's row.
    • Choose Company Register or A site, tick the hazards and confirm. Tick Mark as a critical control on these hazards if they need verifying.
    • Sites that inherit a company hazard pick up the control automatically.
  6. Edit or retire a control
    • Click Edit. A new name or description updates the measure text on every hazard the control is attached to.
    • Untick Active to stop the control being offered for new hazards.

Troubleshooting

  • Enterprise Risk Settings isn't in the menu → The Controls Library is part of the full Risk Management suite, and your role needs access to risk settings. Contact Forsite support or your Company Administrator.
  • A control is missing from Add a control… → The list leaves out inactive controls and controls already on the hazard. Edit the control and tick Active.
  • I changed a control's effectiveness and no ratings moved → Forsite never changes a rating by itself. Open the hazard and decide whether to use the recommended residual rating.
  • Bulk import won't let me continue → Map one of your CSV columns to Name. It's the only required field.

FAQs

What does effectiveness change?
It feeds the Recommended residual note on a hazard's Assess stage, which is based on the most effective attached control. The note is advisory. Click Use recommendation to apply it, or set the rating yourself.

Can controls be attached automatically?
Yes, through hazard types. Under Enterprise Risk Settings → Hazard Types, add controls to a type's Linked Controls. Choosing that type on a hazard attaches all of them.

Can I add a control while investigating an incident?
Yes. In the incident's control review, click + Add control, then + New control. The control is saved to the Controls Library.

My company doesn't have the Controls Library. How do I record controls?
Write them in the hazard's Measure box on the Controls stage.