Health and Safety Risk Assessment
There is a legal requirement under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) to undertake risk assessments. The HSE publication “5 Steps to Risk Assessment” is a good practical and simple guide.
There are also obligations under some legislation to carry out risk assessments for example:
COSHH
DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations)
Manual Handling
Working at Height
Fire
Display Screen Equipment
Confined spaces
Young Workers
Pregnant Workers
Our approach to risk assessment is to look at how a company operates, identify what needs to be addressed and help develop a risk assessment tailored to the company’s requirements. This can be remarkably simple assessments for low-risk activities or complex systems for high-risk hazards.
It should be remembered that the risk assessment is a tool that is used to ensure your operational hazards are identified and controlled. The risk assessment does not need to be read by all staff, however the controls identified must be communicated, implemented and used by the workforce.
A risk assessment is a dynamic document that should be changed or reviewed when, for example, work procedures change, new equipment is purchased, or an accident happens. They will evolve with you.
Our experience of risk assessments covers various environments including commercial offices and buildings, residential buildings, construction sites, chemical laboratories, biotechnology and high-tech research environments.