Risk Assessment at Work

Protecting your employees from possible dangers at work is thelaw and the most effective way of doing so is by performing arisk assessment.

DON’T LET THE RISKS GO UNNOTICED

It is very easy for potential health risks to go unnoticed in dayto-day working life, carrying out your job role. A work riskassessment highlights clear-cut measures that can effectivelycontrol risks within the workplace. The assessment does so byexamining where and what in your business could cause harm,helping you weigh up whether or not you have taken sufficientsafety precautions.

Carrying out a work risk assessment not only protects your workforcebut also the welfare of your business. Accidents at workcan ruin lives, result in less work output, damage machinery andincrease insurance costs. By implementing a plan to control therisks means that you are adhering to the law and protecting yourworkforce as well as your business.

IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS

Recognising the hazards is the ideal place to start when assessingthe risks in your workplace. If you are a small company thenyou are more than likely able to identify the hazards and carryout the risk assessment yourself. If your company consists ofmany people with varying job roles then it is recommended thata health and safety expert is called on. If you work in a largecompany then it is advised that you involve your staff or theirrepresentatives to ensure your work risk assessment is carriedeffectively. Recognising the hazards doesn’t need to be a complicatedprocess and the obvious risks will be easy to identify andprevention methods simple to implement. Start by taking a walkaround the workplace identifying possible hazards. Ask youremployees or representatives for their perspective. Consult manufacturersinstructions and accident records to help discover lessobvious hazards.

Once potential hazards are identified, matching them to their relevantjob role is key. This will identify the most efficient way tomange the risks. After evaluating the risks in the workplace, theprecautions should be finalised with the law stating the need todo everything reasonably practicable to protect your workforcefrom harm. It is advised that you carry out research on risk control good practice and compare this to the precaution solutionthat you have drawn up. This should bring you up to speedwith current standards and help to implement your plan ofaction. Remember that the precautions put in place do not needto be expensive. A small cost implementing your plan could saveyour business a lot of money in long term insurance costs.

RECORD YOUR FINDINGS

It is recommended that you record your work risk assessmentfindings for future reference share these with your employees.These will help with future updates and comparisons. Reviewingyour work risk assessment should take place when updates toprocedures or machinery occur within the company. This willkeep your control plans up to date and minimise the risk of accidentsand injuries in the workplace.