Deborah Williams CMIOSH RMaPS at Compass Ltd. Deborah specialises in assisting private sector organisations within the construction, waste management and extractive industries.


01257 482256 | dwilliams@compass-ms.co.uk HEALTH & SAFETY


Health and safety: the basics, part 2


THIS is the second in a series of articles focussed on the basic requirements for health and safety at work.


Risk assessments


As part of managing the health and safety of a business, the employer must control the risks in the workplace. To do this, the employer needs to think about what might cause harm to people and decide whether reasonable steps are being taken to prevent that harm.


This is known as a risk assessment and it is something employers are required by law to carry out. A risk assessment should not be about creating huge amounts of paperwork, but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in the workplace.


Step 1 - Identify the hazards A good starting point is to walk around the workplace and think about any hazards. In other words, what is it about the activities, processes or substances used that could injure employees or harm their health?


Check the manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment as they can be very helpful in explaining the hazards associated with using or handling them.


There are some hazards with a recognised risk of harm, for example working at height, working with chemicals, machinery, or asbestos.


48


Step 2 - Who might be harmed? Then think how employees (or others who may be present, such as contractors or visitors) might be harmed. For each hazard, it should be clear who might be harmed, which will help to identify the best way of controlling the risk. Groups of people who could be harmed include:


• some workers with particular requirements, eg new and young workers, migrant workers, new or expectant mothers, people with disabilities, temporary workers, contractors, homeworkers and lone workers;


• visitors, contractors and maintenance workers; and • members of the public.


Step 3 - Evaluate the risks Having identified the hazards, the employer then needs to decide how likely it is that harm will occur, ie the level of risk and what to do about it. Risk is a part of everyday life and employers are not expected to eliminate all risks; what they must do is make sure employees know about the main risks and how to manage them responsibly.


Generally, the employer needs to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect people from harm. This means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control it in terms of money, time or trouble. However, the employer may not need to take action if it would be grossly disproportionate to the level of risk.


The risk assessment should only include what could reasonably be foreseen – the employer is not expected to anticipate unforeseeable risks.


Step 4 - Record the significant findings A record of the significant findings should be made including the hazards, how people might be harmed by them and what is in place to control the risks. Any record produced should be simple and focused on controls.


For organisations with fewer than five employees, a written record is not required. But it is useful to produce one so it can be reviewed at a later date.


Step 5 - Regularly review the risk assessment


Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, new equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards will be brought in. So, it makes sense to review what is being done on an on-going basis.


If you need advice on carrying out risk assessments or would like to speak to a consultant please email Debbie Williams from Compass at:


dwilliams@compass-ms.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69