Tip of the month: Risk Assessments

Risk Assessments: What Must I Do? By Acorn Health & Safety Consultants

Although we’ve seen continued improvements in workplace health and safety practices in recent years, failing to conduct suitable and sufficient risk assessments continues to be a significant factor in health and safety related failings.

A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork. It is about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace.
You are probably already taking steps to protect your employees, but conducting risk assessments will help you decide whether you have covered that all you need to.

When conducting a risk assessment, whether it is a formal documented procedure, or a dynamic, on-the-job, task-based process, there are a number of things that you must do:

1. Identify the hazards, e.g. fire, work at height, slips and trips, etc.
2. Identify the people that may be harmed by the identified hazard: employees, other trades, members of the public, etc.
3. Identify current controls and determine the level of residual risk (likelihood X severity = risk rating).
4. Identify additional control measures, if required.
5. Record your significant findings (if you have 5 or more employees).
6. Review your risk assessment periodically, after an accident or incident, if the task has changed, or after changes to relevant legislation to ensure the assessment is still relevant.

When thinking about your risk assessment, remember:

• A hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer, etc.
• The risk is the chance that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be

Samuel Nesbitt, Health & Safety Consultant

Acorn Health and Safety offer a “Hassle Free” done for you Health and Safety consultancy service that includes analysing, documenting and continually reviewing the risk assessment whether you require an assessment for an individual member of staff, a particular area of practice or an entire organisation we can help. Call today for more information.