What is a risk assessment?
The definition of an HSE for a risk assessment is:
"A careful examination of what, in your work, can harm
people, so that you can consider whether you have taken sufficient precautions
or need to do more to prevent damage"
A risk assessment is an essential element for health and
safety management and its main objective is to determine the measures necessary
to comply with the legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act
1974 and associated regulations for the number of incidents reduce accidents.
Why a risk
assessment?
A risk assessment protects your employees and your company,
as well as compliance with the law. Regarding performing a risk assessment, it
must be easily performed before you or other employees perform work that
involves a risk of injury or ill health.
A person from your organization must follow risk assessment
training because it ensures that this person is competent within your
organization and is given skills such as hazard identification, the ability to
categorize and evaluate risks. With these skills, a "suitable and
sufficient" risk assessment can be performed within your own organization.
How to perform a risk
assessment?
There are no set rules on how to perform a risk assessment,
but there are a few general principles that must be followed.
Five steps for risk assessment can be followed to ensure
that your risk assessment is performed correctly, these five steps are:
- Identify the hazards
- Determine who can suffer damage and how
- Evaluate the risks and take control measures
- Record your findings and implement them
- Check your assessment and update it if necessary
Step 1: Identify the Hazards
To identify hazards, you must understand the difference
between a "hazard" and "a hazard." A danger is
"something with the potential to cause damage" and a risk is
"the likelihood that that potential damage will be realized".
Hazards can be identified using a number of different
techniques, such as walking around the workplace or asking your employees.
Step 2: Determine who can Suffer Damage and How
Once you have identified a number of hazards, you need to
know who can suffer damage and how, such as "people working in the
warehouse," or members of the public.
Step 3: Evaluate the Risks and Take Control Measures
After "identifying the hazards" and "deciding
who might be damaged and how" you should protect people from damage. The
hazards can either be completely removed or the risks controlled so that the
injury is unlikely.
Step 4: Record Your Findings
Your findings must be written down; it is a legal
requirement when there are 5 or more employees; and by recording the findings,
it shows that you have identified the hazards, you have decided who can suffer
damage and how, and it also shows how you intend to eliminate the risks and
hazards.
Step 5: view your assessment and update it if necessary
You must never forget that few workplaces remain the same
and that is why this risk assessment must be revised and, if necessary,
updated.
Contact us at Intelle Learn.
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