Risk Assessment – The Basics

Risk Assessment The Basics

Risk Assessment The Basics

All employers have a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to assess and manage health and safety risks. Accidents at work and occupational health issues can be damaging to business and have adverse affects on people's lives. It is not always possible to identify and eliminate every risk, but duty holders are required to protect employees and others in connection with their business as far as 'reasonably practicable' by completing a risk assessment.

The definition of 'reasonably practicable', set out by the Court of Appeal is:

"Reasonably practicable' is a narrower term than physically possible' a computation must be made by the owner in which the quantum of risk is placed on one scale and the sacrifice involved in the measures necessary for averting the risk (whether in money, time or trouble) is placed in the other, and that, if it be shown that there is a gross disproportion between them the risk being insignificant in relation to the sacrifice the defendants discharge the onus on them."

A risk assessment is a process allowing duty holders to focus on those risks that have the potential to cause harm, and to make judgments on the suitable remedies taking into account reasonable practicability.

Following the risk assessment, it may be necessary to produce an action plan and priorities the improvements needed. The action plan must be implemented and managed by the duty holder or their responsible person. The risk assessment should be reviewed on an ongoing basis to make sure that it remains up to date and effective.

The risk assessment must take in to account all employees, subcontractors, suppliers and members of the public; essentially any person that has the potential to be harmed by the process of a business at its premises or out in the field.

There are five basic steps to any risk assessment:

1. identify the hazards

2. decide who might be harmed by them and how

3. evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

4. record the findings and implement any remedial action

5. review the risk assessment regularly and update it if necessary

Employers can complete the assessment themselves provided that they are aware of the potential hazards and appropriate remediation. In specialist areas such as water hygiene, asbestos, fire or disabled access it is usually advisable to get help from someone who is competent.

Statistics show that health and safety failures are consistently linked to one or more of the following factors:

o Inadequate control systems

o Ineffective supervision or management

o Poor communication

o Lack of training

o Failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment

For more information about Risk Assessments or managing the risks, please contact Nemco Utilities at www.nemco-utilities.co.uk

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