Risk assessments often get a bad reputation. When it comes to health and safety at work, many people see them as nothing more than boring paperwork or a tick-box exercise. However, risk assessments are fundamental to creating a safe and well managed workplace, playing a vital role in protecting individuals, preventing accidents, and supporting organisations in meeting their legal responsibilities.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, any business that employs five people or more must conduct risk assessments.
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards involved in the workplace and control measures needed to remove or reduce the risk.
The main purpose of risk assessments is:
An effective risk assessment protects employees, contractors, visitors, and members of the public, reduces the likelihood of accidents, injuries, and work-related ill health, ensures compliance with health and safety legislation, minimises downtime and enforcement action, and promotes a positive health and safety culture.
Workplaces that take risk assessments seriously tend to be safer, run more efficiently, and earn greater trust from their employees.
Technically, any “competent person” can carry out a risk assessment without having a specific qualification. This means appointing someone with enough knowledge, skills, and experience to identify the main hazards and suggest reasonable precautions. Whoever does the assessment should be familiar with both the workplace tasks and the relevant UK legislation.
Spot the hazards: Identify anything in the workplace that could cause harm, such as work activities, equipment, substances, or environmental factors.
Decide who is at risk: Consider employees, contractors, visitors, and members of the public, and clearly state how they could be affected by the identified hazards.
Evaluate and act: Assess the level of risk by considering the likelihood and severity of harm, then decide on appropriate control measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
Write it down: Document the hazards identified, who may be harmed, the control measures in place, and any additional actions required.
Review and update: Put control measures into practice, monitor their effectiveness, and regularly review the risk assessment to ensure it remains current and relevant.
Not involving workers to assist with risk assessments
Employees are often the most exposed to workplace risks and possess the most practical knowledge of the tasks involved. Involving them in risk assessments provides better insight, improves accountability and decision-making, and helps ensure the assessment is done right the first time.
Treating risk assessments as a tick-box exercise
When risk assessments are treated as a tick-box exercise, there is an increased risk of serious safety issues. Risk assessments must be regarded as living documents and reviewed regularly to reflect current conditions and working practices, ensuring they remain relevant and effective in preventing harm.
Copying generic templates without tailoring them to your workplace activities
Generic risk assessment templates can encourage a tick-box approach, include irrelevant hazards, and lead to non-compliance with the requirement for suitable and sufficient, task-specific risk assessments.
Not acting on identified actions
Unaddressed risks can lead to increased accidents, reduced hazard awareness, and potential breaches of legal compliance. Prompt action is essential to maintain a safe and compliant workplace.
Forgetting to review and update
The effectiveness of a risk assessment depends on it being current and relevant. Failure to maintain an up-to-date assessment may result in new hazards being overlooked, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.
Risk assessments don’t need to be complicated, but they must provide a thorough evaluation of the task, the environment, and the people involved or nearby. They should be relevant to the specific activity and regularly reviewed to reflect any changes in conditions, equipment, or personnel. When conducted properly, risk assessments help prevent harm, support legal and regulatory compliance, and promote a safer, healthier workplace for everyone.
“See the risk, shape the Future.”