RISK ASSESSMENTS
Risk Assessments are key in managing health and safety. We would advise that even though organisations with less than 5 employees do not to have write anything down, every organization, no matter how small, develop written risk assessments and ensure all staff on site understand the risks involved and the controls that need to be in place to avoid accidents.
A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork , but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace. You are probably already taking steps to protect your employees, but your risk assessment will help you decide whether you have covered all you need to.
Think about how accidents and ill health could happen and concentrate on real risks – those that are most likely and which will cause the most harm.
For some risks, other regulations require particular control measures. Your assessment can help you identify where you need to look at certain risks and these particular control measures in more detail. These control measures do not have to be assessed separately but can be considered as part of, or an extension of, your overall risk assessment.
We have provided a sample risk assessment format to assist, however you can assess risks in your workplace by following the following 5 steps.
- Identify the hazards
- Decide who might be harmed and how
- Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
- Record your significant findings
- Review your assessment and update if necessary