When we think of H&S we generally think of risk assessment, and that is essentially what H&S is – identifying hazards and managing them. But, in more detail, what is a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is a process of identifying hazards that exist and how they can be controlled.

The risk assessment will ascertain what hazards on site are likely to be harmful to employees or visitors. By law any business should carry out risk assessment.

However, if there are 5 or more employees (including any part time staff and Directors), risk assessments should be formally written and documented.

A competent person should carry out a risk assessment along with getting other members of staff involved. The competent person will have the knowledge and skill to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.

A fantastic way to write a great risk assessment is to involve as many different groups of staff as possible, who may encounter that risk and do the actual job. By doing this, people will have different perceptions and ideas to managing the risk which will aid the risk assessment process really thoroughly.

A simple 5 step process below can explain the principles of carrying out a standard risk assessment: • Identify the hazards • Decide who may be harmed and how • Evaluate risks and decide on control measures • Record your findings • Review the risk assessment

Should you need any further information, or if you’d like to discuss your requirements further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.