Best tips for risk management


Risk Assessment in the Workplace. Part 1

What  is  risk  assessment?
Do not overcomplicate matters. In the
A risk assessment is simply a carefulmajority of firms in the commercial, service
examination of your workplace, to identifyand light industrial sectors, the hazards are
what could cause harm to people, so that youfew, and those that do exist are fairly
can decide as to whether you have takenobvious. Checking them is mainly a matter of
enough precautions or should do more tocommon sense, but also a required and
prevent  harm  from  being  caused.necessary  action.
Work accidents and work related ill health,You probably know already, whether you have
can ruin lives, and seriously affect yourmachinery that could cause harm, or if there
business also, if output is lost, machineryis an awkward entrance or stairway where
is damaged, insurance costs increase, or yousomeone could be hurt. If so, check that you
have  to  go  to  court.have taken all reasonable precautions you can
to  avoid  accidents  and  prevent  injury.
You are legally required to assess the risks
in  your  workplace.Lets  take  a  closer  look at Steps 1 and 2.
The important thing you need to decide isStep  1.  Look  for  the  hazards.
whether a hazard is significant, and whether
you have taken satisfactory precautions toIf you are doing the assessment yourself,
minimize  the  risk.walk around your workplace and look at what
could reasonably be expected to cause harm.
If you are a small firm owner, and you areIgnore the trivial (for now) and concentrate
confident you understand what is involved,on significant hazards which could result in
you can carry out a risk assessment yourself.serious  harm.
You do not have to be a Health and Safety
expert. If you are a larger firm, then youAsk your employees what they think. They are
may want to assign a responsible employee,the ones who are working with the various
safety representative or safety officer tocomponents on a daily basis, and will
carry out the task. You can also obtaintherefore know where the problems are. They
advice from outside companies, who havemay have noticed things which are not
specialised  in  this  type  of  work.immediately obvious. Manufacturers
instructions or data sheets can also help you
What  is  Hazard  and  Risk?spot hazards and put risks in their proper
perspective.
A hazard means anything that can cause harm.
To give you a basic idea, think of chemicals,Step  2.  Decide who might be harmed and how.
electricity,  working  at  heights  etc  etc.
For each identified hazard you should then
A risk is the chance, high or low, thatdecide who might be harmed and how. And of
somebody  will  be  harmed  by  the  hazard.course you will then be able to decide on a
course or action that will prevent the hazard
There  are  five  steps in a risk assessment:from  causing  risk.
Step  1.  Look  for  the  hazards.Do not forget about young workers, trainees,
expectant mothers etc who may be at
Step  2.  Decide who might be harmed and how.particular  risk.
Step 3. Evaluate the risk and decide whetherDo not forget cleaners, visitors,
the existing precautions are adequate orcontractors, maintenance workers etc who may
whether  more  should  be  done.not  be  in  the  workplace  all  the  time.
Step  4.  Record  your  findings.Do not forget members of the public, or
people you share the workplace with, if there
Step 5. Review your assessment and revise itis any chance they could be injured by your
if  required.activity.



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