Risk Assessment

What is risk assessment?

“Every employer is required by law (the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999) to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to the health and safety of people whilst they are at work.”

Risk Assessment is the term to describe the overall process or method of identifying hazards and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm or “Hazard Identification” and then, determining appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard OR control the risk when the hazard cannot be eliminated.

An answer to the question “what is A risk assessment” could be it’s the document used to capture the hazard detail of a known task.

Whatever your business, control measures should be proportionate to the risk. Small, low-risk business activities will require much less effort than a high-risk workplace.

What you need to do

To control health and safety risks caused by hazards in the workplace, you should follow the step-by-step process and the 5 steps to risk assessment are:

  • Identify the hazards

  • Decide who may be harmed and how

  • Evaluate the risks and decide on the precautions

  • Record your findings and put them into place

  • Review your risk assessments and make amendments if needed

You can do this yourself or appoint a competent person to help you.

Remember: Where you have 5 or more employees, your significant findings must be written down! And you must share the findings and any reviews/changes, with your employees. 

If you employ fewer than 5 people or are self-employed, you are not legally required to write anything down as part of your risk assessment. 

Sense check: Even those with less than 5 employees must have arrangements in place for managing H&S and controlling risks associated with your work activities – So without it written down, ask yourself;

  • How would you demonstrate your arrangements if you were asked by a client or the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)?

  • How do you communicate and demonstrate the importance of H&S to your workforce or clients?

It is recommended to have something as it will help you to decide whether you have done everything you need to.