| United Kingdom health and safety regulations are | | | | implemented. |
| stringent. Businesses and employers have to be on | | | | 5. The assessment must be periodically reviewed and |
| the ball when it comes to the safety of their staff | | | | if necessary updated. |
| and workers, and failure to do so can lead to possible | | | | Of course, there are no common risks across the |
| prosecution and expense of large compensation pay | | | | wide range of business and industry. Someone |
| outs. In order to comply with the strict regulations | | | | working in a supermarket will not face the same risk |
| employers need to be aware of the risks in the | | | | as someone working on the factory floor. |
| workplace. So it is necessary for them to carry out | | | | There are various agencies which help businesses |
| risk assessments in all sectors of the business. | | | | carry out their health and safety risk assessments. |
| Since 1974 any employer in the UK with more than | | | | Some have formulated software and online tool-kits |
| five staff must draw up a health and safety policy. | | | | to help businesses formulate their policies. They |
| And that policy cannot be drawn up without a | | | | cover such instances as manual handling, where |
| number of risk assessments being undertaken. | | | | people have to lift and pull during their time at work. |
| Although these procedures appear complicated the | | | | For those working on ladders or on scaffolding |
| actual process can be boiled down to five basic | | | | policies can be determined by using specialist working |
| steps. | | | | at height software or template statements. For |
| | | | those industries working with hazardous substances a |
| 1. Any hazards have to be identified. | | | | COHSS risk assessment has to be carried out. |
| 2. Businesses must identify who might be harmed and | | | | Health and safety risk requirements are not only a |
| how that is likely to happen. | | | | legal obligation, they also make sense. By ensuring the |
| 3. Any risks must be evaluated and a decision made | | | | wellbeing of their staff, a business will have a more |
| on how they can be avoided. | | | | contented workforce and will avoid unnecessary |
| 4. The findings must be recorded and then | | | | disruption through injury at work. |