Risk Assessments

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What Is A Risk Assessment?

 

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSW) require all employers and self employed persons to assess the risks to workers and any others who may be affected by their undertaking.
 
There are five basic steps to risk assessment:
 
  • Step 1 Find the hazards
  • Step 2 Decide who might be harmed
  • Step 3 Evaluate the risks and decide if exiting precautions are adequate or if more should be done
  • Step 4 Record your findings (this is mandatory if 5 or more employees)
  • Step 5 Review your assessment and revise it if necessary

 

Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm.

Risk: The likelihood that the harm from a particular hazard is realised

 

Risk Assessment In Practice

 

There are no fixed rules about how a risk assessment should be carried out; it will depend on the nature of the undertaking and the type and extent of the hazards and risks.
 
Plenty of guidance is available to assist you with the process, details of which can be found below under 'Further Sources Of Information'. The process should be practical, participative and systematic and cover risks, which are reasonably foreseeable.
 
For small undertakings with few or simple hazards a suitable and sufficient risk assessment can be a straightforward process based on personal judgement, experience and knowledge. In larger or more complex cases, specialist knowledge may be required.
 
Other regulations requiring 'Risk Assessment'
 
  • Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002
  • Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1999
  • Noise at Work Regulations 1989
 

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Further Sources Of Information

 

  • Approved Code of Practice and Guidance on the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (L21) available from HSE Books. Tel 01787 881165
     
  • Leaflet IND(G)163 '5 Steps to risk assessment (HSE)(1998). This can be freely downloaded from below:

 

  (135 KB, 12 pages)
  
  • HS(G)137: Health risk management - a practical guide for managers in small and medium sized enterprises. (HSE) (1995) ISBN 0-7176-0905-7.
     
  • HS(G)65 - Successful health and safety management (HSE)(1997)( 0 7176 1276 7)(£12.50). Available from HSE Books Tel 01787 881165
     
  • Book - Essentials of health and safety at work (HSE) (1994)(0 7176 076-0716X) Available from HSE Books Tel 01787 881165
     
  • Booklet HSG(183): 5 Steps to Risk Assessment - Case Studies (HSE) (1998) 0-7176-1580-4 (£6.75) Available from HSE Books Tel 01787 881165
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