A Health and Safety (H&S) Risk Assessment is a systematic process that involves identifying potential hazards, evaluating the risks, and implementing control measures to ensure workplace safety.
Step 1: Identifying Potential Hazards
What are Hazards?
Hazards are anything that could cause harm in the workplace. These can include physical hazards like machinery, chemical hazards like cleaning products, biological hazards like bacteria and viruses, and ergonomic hazards like poor posture.
How to Identify Hazards
Identifying hazards involves a thorough examination of the workplace. This can be done through:
- Workplace inspection:Â Walk around the workplace and look for any obvious hazards.
- Work activity review:Â Look at how work is done and where improvements could be made.
- Health and safety records: Check past incident reports, sick leave records, and workers’ complaints.
Step 2: Determining Who Might Be Harmed and How
Who Might Be Harmed?
Anyone who comes into contact with the hazard could be harmed. This includes:
- Employees:Â Full-time, part-time, and temporary staff.
- Contractors:Â People brought in to do specific tasks.
- Visitors:Â Clients, customers, or members of the public.
- Vulnerable groups:Â Some people may be particularly at risk, such as young workers, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
How Might They Be Harmed?
Consider the possible outcomes if someone were to come into contact with the hazard. This could include injuries, diseases, or mental health issues.
Step 3: Evaluating the Risks and Deciding on Control Measures
Evaluating the Risks
Evaluating the risks involves considering the likelihood and severity of harm. This can be done using a risk matrix, which plots the likelihood of an event occurring against the severity of its consequences.
Deciding on Control Measures
Control measures are actions taken to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm. These should be chosen based on the hierarchy of control, which prioritizes eliminating the hazard over other measures.
Step 4: Recording the Findings and Implementing Them
Recording the Findings
The findings of the risk assessment should be recorded in a clear and understandable format. This should include the hazards identified, who is at risk, the control measures decided upon, and who is responsible for implementing them.
Implementing the Findings
The control measures should be implemented as soon as possible. This could involve changes to work processes, the use of personal protective equipment, or training for staff.
Step 5: Reviewing the Assessment Regularly and Updating It as Necessary
The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains up-to-date. This should be done at least annually, or whenever there are significant changes to the workplace or work activities.
Conducting an H&S Risk Assessment is a crucial part of ensuring workplace safety. For more detailed information and guidance, visit our website and explore our range of safety documents and risk assessment forms.
