1. Risk Assessment

2. Risk Assessment – What Is It?
A careful examination of what could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more.
• The aim is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill.
It is a legal requirement.

3. What is a Hazard? “Something with the potential to cause harm”
Examples: Electricity, Hazardous Substances, Working at Heights, Vehicles.

4. What is Risk? “The likelihood of harm resulting from a hazard”
Risk = Severity x Probability
Risk can be:
High – very likely
Medium – possible, likely
Low – very unlikely

5. Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Legal duty on employers to carry out risk assessments as first steps in ensuring safe and healthy workplace
Written record (5 or more employees)
Identify preventative and protective measures
Review assessments if no longer valid
Risk assessments must be “Suitable and Sufficient

6. What is “Suitable & Sufficient”?
Identify all hazards
Identify specific regulations
Systematic approach
Include non-routine operations
Identify who is at risk
Take existing control measures into account

7. 5 Steps to Risk Assessment
1. Look for and list the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate risks arising from hazards and decide whether existing controls are adequate
4. Record the findings
5. Review assessment when necessary

8. Step 1: Identify the hazards
Walk around the workplace and look afresh at what would cause harm
Ignore the trivial and concentrate on significant hazards
Ask your staff what they think
Use manufacturers instructions or data
Refer to accident/incident records

9. Step 2: Decide who can be harmed
Employees are the main group, but don’t forget:
Young workers, trainees, new and expectant mothers etc may be at particular risk
Cleaners, visitors, contractors, maintenance workers etc who may not be in the workplace all the time; and
Members of the public, or people you share a workplace with if there is a chance that they could be hurt by your activities

10. Step 3: Evaluate the risk
Consider how likely it is that each hazard could cause you harm
Even after all precautions have been taken, some risk usually remains
Decide for each significant hazard whether this remaining risk is high, medium or low
Have you done all the things the law requires you to do?
Are there industry standards?

11. Step 3: Evaluate the risk
The aim is to make all risks small
In taking action, the aim is:
a) Get rid of the hazard altogether
b) Control the risk so that harm is unlikely
When controlling risks, you need to follow the “principles of prevention”

12. Principles of Prevention
Try a less risky option
Prevent access to the hazard (e.g. by guarding)
Organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard
Issue personal protective equipment
Provide welfare facilities (e.g. washing facilities to remove contamination, first aid etc)