Risk Management

Risk Assessments

One of the most important activities that you need to carry out in order to improve your workplace health and safety is the assessment of risk. Risk assessments have even earned themselves a special mention in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

Risk assessments are intended to identify hazards, assess risks, make necessary improvements and record the action required/taken for future records.

What is a hazard?

A hazard is something that can cause harm. A hazard can be an activity or a method of working, for example working on a roof or using a flammable solvent to clean parts and equipment.

The following are typical examples of hazards:

• Electricity
• Forklift trucks
• Substances that might present a risk of ill health
• A heavy box only partly placed on a high shelf, overhanging a busy walkway
• Using a ladder
• Machines such as drills, lathes, pressure washers or chainsaws

Hazard Identification for Risk Assessment:

The identification of hazards is the essential first step that must be undertaken before the assessment of workplace risks can be carried out. Review current working practices to see what hazards exist. Consider both normal operation and emergency activities, e.g. breakdowns, emergencies, and maintenance work.

Consider who and how many people could be affected by workplace hazards.

Direct observation of the workplace helps to highlight other hazards that have not been already identified.

Historic risk data can provide an important resource in assessing your risk and ask those that are most familiar with the work environment. For example:

• The firm's competent person.
• Knowledge held by management and employees.
• Accident statistics - your firm's data and data available on a national basis. for the trade sector. (This enquiry should also consider sickness and ill-health records.)
• Legislation, Codes of Practice and guidance from enforcing agencies such as HSE.
• Codes of Practice and guidance from trade bodies.
• Information from suppliers of materials and substances, plant and equipment.

What to do next:

• List the hazards identified.
• Assign each hazard a rating for both likelihood and severity.
• Multiply the two numbers to give a single figure that will help you to prioritise full risk assessment on the highest priority hazards.

You are now ready to start carrying out the task of assessing workplace risks and deciding the controls to put in place.

May 2007