Employers are required to carry out an assessment of the risks to the health & safety of their employees and others who may be affected by the work activities.
There are several key assessments, such as Display Screen Equipment, Machinery, and others. Recent legislation has made it compulsory for all businesses to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment.
Assessments can be easily done, in minutes, using hr-professional templates.
There are essentially four stages to risk assessment:
Risk assessment starts with the identification of hazards associated with the work activities.
Areas of concern can be identified by a short walk around the workplace and by examining the accident records. It is useful to draw up a list of hazards for each work area. This identification stage should also identify the people at risk from each hazard.
Once the hazards have been identified, the associated risks must be evaluated. The simplest way is by designating "high", "medium" or "low" ratings to each hazard, taking into account the likelihood of harm occurring and the severity of the outcome if it did, and any existing control measures which are in place.
The outcome, including the introduction of new control measures, must be brought to the attention of all those affected.
Employers who fail to carry out such assessments risk enforcement action being taken against them. This can range from Improvement Notice, Prohibition Order, to Prosecution in extreme cases, particularly following an accident.
Following an accident, employers should carry out a post-accident assessment to ascertain what arrangements, if any, should be changed so as to avoid a repetition of the event.