Risk Assessments

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Risk assessments should always be produced when the hazards associated with the work justify the requirement to carry out a detailed consideration of a safe system of work. This applies to all contractors and sub contractors, with the aim of identifying hazards, evaluating risks from these hazards, and reducing these risks to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable.

Don't overcomplicate the process. Usually workplace risks are well known and the necessary control measures are easy to apply. You probably already know whether, for example, you have employees who move heavy loads and so could harm their backs, or where people are most likely to slip or trip. If so, check that you have taken reasonable precautions to avoid injury.

General responsibilities

The employer is responsible for the implementation and they must appoint a competent person or persons who shall be responsible for ensuring the timely production of risk assessments are implemented and followed.

What the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have to say

The HSE believe that risk management should be about practical steps to protect people from real harm and suffering - not bureaucratic back covering. If you believe some of the stories you hear, health and safety is all about stopping any activity that might possibly lead to harm. This is not the HSE vision of sensible health and safety - they want to save lives, not stop them. The HSE approach is to seek a balance between the unachievable aim of absolute safety and the kind of poor management of risk that damages lives and the economy.

Risk Assessments should include the following:

Follow the five steps to risk assessment:

1. Identify the hazards
   You need to work out how people could be harmed (e.g. high levels of noise or exposure to harmful substances) as well as safety hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
   For each hazard you need to be clear about who might be harmed; it will help you identify the best way of managing the risk. That doesn't mean listing everyone by name, but rather identifying groups of people (e.g. 'people working in the storeroom' or 'passers-by').
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution
   The law requires you to do everything 'reasonably practicable' to protect people from harm. You can work this out for yourself, but the easiest way is to compare what you are doing with good practice.
4. Record your findings and implement them
   When writing down your results, keep it simple, for example 'Tripping over rubbish: bins provided, staff instructed, weekly housekeeping checks', or 'Fume from welding: local exhaust ventilation used and regularly checked'.
5. Review your assessment and update if necessary
   Look at your risk assessment again. Have there been any changes? Are there improvements you still need to make? Have your workers spotted a problem? Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses? Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.

Hazard and Risk

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, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.

A blank risk assessment form is available from the HSE

RA Template

More information can be found in the following link:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg259.pdf