Hobday Safety Consultants © Copyright 2009-2010. All rights reserved. www.HobdayConsultants.co.uk
VAT Registration Number: 980 2412 33
What is a Risk Assessment?
A risk assessment is an important step in protecting your workers and your business, as well as complying with the law.
Most people have heard of the term ‘risk assessment’, but what does it really mean? The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) define it as “simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm”.
Risk assessments are essential for all work activities, as required by the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Even those who are self-employed need to undertake risk assessments for their activities. Many health and safety and fire safety regulations require risk assessments to be carried out. They are a fundamental part of running a business.
Risk assessments must be carried out by a competent person. That is someone who has the relevant knowledge, experience and skills to be able to identify hazards, assess the risks and make suitable recommendations for improvement. This could be someone in-house, or an external consultant.
The risk assessment process is normally very straight forward and follows a simple five-step process:
1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4. Record the findings and implement them
5. Review the assessment regularly and update if necessary
Examples and templates can be downloaded from the HSE website to assist small businesses with this. These can be accessed here: Risk Assessment
Hobday Safety Consultants offer risk assessment training to businesses across the UK. Training can be provided in-house if your organisation has a group of people wishing to be trained together. Alternatively, we also offer regular half-day courses, open to anyone.
Contact us now to find out more about our consultancy and training services.
Most people have heard of the term ‘risk assessment’, but what does it really mean? The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) define it as “simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm”.
Risk assessments are essential for all work activities, as required by the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Even those who are self-employed need to undertake risk assessments for their activities. Many health and safety and fire safety regulations require risk assessments to be carried out. They are a fundamental part of running a business.
Risk assessments must be carried out by a competent person. That is someone who has the relevant knowledge, experience and skills to be able to identify hazards, assess the risks and make suitable recommendations for improvement. This could be someone in-house, or an external consultant.
The risk assessment process is normally very straight forward and follows a simple five-step process:
1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4. Record the findings and implement them
5. Review the assessment regularly and update if necessary
Examples and templates can be downloaded from the HSE website to assist small businesses with this. These can be accessed here: Risk Assessment
Hobday Safety Consultants offer risk assessment training to businesses across the UK. Training can be provided in-house if your organisation has a group of people wishing to be trained together. Alternatively, we also offer regular half-day courses, open to anyone.
Contact us now to find out more about our consultancy and training services.