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