Nowadays, we find ourselves in a litigious society
, and it has become essential for employers to carry out health and safety risk assessments. No matter what the size of your business, from multi-national outfit to home business, you are at risk from tribunal cases if you don't act to protect your company. Many businesses carry out risk assessments themselves, but often health and safety experts can be appointed to take an objective view of the company and highlight any possible dangers. It can be hard sometimes to take an unbiased view of your own premises so an outside specialist with a critical eye can ensure you are put at a minimum of risk.
Your risk assessment is not about completely removing all elements of risk but minimising them as much as possible to protect your employees and clients. There are three main stages to a health and safety risk assessment:
1. Identify the dangers and the people as risk.
2. Assess the level of risk and what action can be taken to minimise it.
3. Implement precautionary action and record all actions taken.
Following the initial health and safety risk assessment, an ongoing review should be made to identify changes and to sense check the original assessment.
You can group hazards into three main areas:
Activity hazards which cover hazards that can occur from an activity an employer performs as part of his or her job role - for example repetitive strain injury.
Environmental hazards which include smoke, dust or grit.
Workplace hazards which can be caused by the layout or location of the business.
To get all potential dangers noted it can help to involve your employees as they can provide different perspectives and know the risks of their day-to-day job. It can also help to get staff motivated to work in a health and safety conscious way. At NorthgateArinso we can help to ensure your business is fully protected.