RISK ASSESSMENT

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HOW AND WHY SHOULD I CARRY OUT AN EFFECTIVE RISK ASSESSMENT?

The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out ‘Suitable and sufficient’ risk assessments of the risks to the health and safety of their employees whilst at work and of persons not in their employment, arising from or in connection with the business.  Other regulations - e.g. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 – contain a more specific requirement to assess risk.

A hazard is an object or situation with the potential to cause harm.  A risk is the likelihood – high or low – that harm could result from the hazard.  Risk assessments frequently include a numerical analysis whereby:

RISK (SEVERITY) = HAZARD x LIKELIHOOD

It is a true and inescapable fact that ‘People not things cause accidents’. The concept that in the workplace some kind of human interaction is required for an accident to occur is mirrored by the fact that it is also proactive human control that lies at the heart of effective risk assessment.  A risk assessment that lies on a shelf gathering dust, with no ownership, which is not communicated to those whose welfare it is designed to protect, is of no value whatsoever. The amazing thing is that this frequently happens!   A risk assessment must be viewed as a live record that acts as an integrated management tool to limit and control workplace injury.  It should be as critical to task performance as any other element of the task itself.

The HSE defines risk assessment by way of 5 simple steps:

1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4. Record your findings and implement them
5. Review your assessment and update if necessary

A common flaw with risk assessments is that those carrying them out become obsessed with the process, as a result of which it becomes over complicated, bulky and less user friendly.  There is no prescribed form that a risk assessment should take, however one secret of making the assessment effective is to concentrate on simplicity and on significant hazards that could cause serious harm.  The document should be a practical tool that assists the process of risk management, not one that hinders it.  If a risk assessment is not practical i.e. easily used and understood by those charged with its implementation, then something’s wrong!

The assessment should be carried out by a ‘Competent Person’ – i.e. an individual with sufficient, relevant knowledge and experience, however an awareness of personal limitations is equally important.

As with any critical control document the assessment should be signed and dated.  There must be clear ownership and accountability both for those charged with the task of conducting the assessment and also its implementation and adherence.  Accident investigations all too often reveal that the risk assessment was either not completed, not relevant, not current or not properly used.  Health and safety management should be seen as a line management responsibility and as risk assessment lies at the heart of safety, this critical process is no exception.