It is an employers responsibility to complete written risk assesments on activities that could or do pose a significant risk to health and safety to both employees or others that may be affected by these activities and actions. Those at risk must be informed of results, procedures and of any significant change to them.
A risk assessment is a detailed examination of potential harm occuring from activities at work, the aim of the risk assessment is ensure that relevant precautions have been taken to ensure that harm may not occur from these activities.
The Health and Safety Executive defines a risk assessment as “a process involving the identification of hazards arising out of work activities and evaluating the extent of the risks involved, taking into account the existing precautions and their effectiveness.”
In order to compile a risk assessment you must understand what in your business can cause harm to your employees and others and decide if you are doing enough to prevent that harm. You must then identify and prioritise installing appropriate and sensible control measures.
Begin by:
- identifying what can harm people in your workplace.
- identifying who might be harmed and how.
- evaluating the risks and deciding on the appropriate controls, taking into account the controls you already have in place.
- recording your risk assessment.
- reviewing and updating your assessment.
There are no fixed rules on how a risk assessment can be carried out however these suggestions will give your risk assessments a sound foundation.
Anderson Safety and Engineering have provided risk assessments along with other health and safety documentation for businesses of all sizes and we provide a comprehensive Policies and Procedures service.
If you require any information about or services or would like to book a free consultation please feel free to contact us.