Health And Safety Workbook
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Risk Assessment Risk
assessment is a tool to help an organisation prevent accidents
and ill health occurring. The
requirement for risk assessment was first legally introduced in
1992 with the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations, even though the concept was contained within the
Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974.
The current regulations are The Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The
regulations require all employers and self-employed people to
assess the risk to workers and any others who may be affected by
their work or business. Organisations
with five or more employees must record the significant findings
of their risk assessment. Even
companies with less than five employees must carry out the
process of risk assessment and it is recommended that the
significant findings are recorded. Step
1 Look
for different types of hazards within the workplace. These could include chemicals, work equipment, animals and
work activities. Definition
– Hazard – anything with the potential to cause harm. Step
2 Decide
who might be harmed and to what extent.
Consider employees, visitors, contractors and members of
the public. Pay
particular attention to young workers, trainees and new or
expectant mothers. Step
3 Asses
the risk of the hazard causing harm.
This will help to determine whether or not anything else
can be done to reduce the likelihood further.
This will usually involve monitoring and reviewing
existing control measures and practices.
A risk of harm will always exist and the risk assessment
process will help you decide whether any further action needs to
be taken to reduce the risk.
A useful way of carrying out your risk assessment is to
prioritise these remaining risks.
They could be categorised as high, medium or low.
The risk assessments need to be suitable and sufficient
in order to address the category of risk.
Staff should be made aware and trained in the procedures
in place for controlling the hazard. Definition
– Risk – the likelihood of that hazard causing harm or
injury. Step
4 By
carrying out written risk assessments this will ensure that the
process is systematic and consistent and gives you a record of
the process you have used to reach your conclusions.
This will also help you to monitor the systems in place
to reduce the likelihood of injury occurring. A method of doing
this might include a weekly checklist for a particular piece of
work equipment or activity. Step
5
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