How to assess risks in the workplace – a beginner’s guide
In order to carry out a full and thorough health & safety risk assessment in your workplace, one that adheres to government legislation on workplace health and safety, it is essential that you undergo the right training.
However, there are some basics that everyone should know about assessing risks, and these are the things you will learn more about when you do embark on a risk assessment course.
- Identify risks and hazards. Look around your workplace for potential hazards, such as combustible material left next to a heat source, loose electrical wires and raised sections of flooring which could trip people up. Note everything down, no matter how small it seems, and also think about the harm the hazard could potentially cause.
- Think about who could be harmed by certain hazards, work activities and equipment, paying particular attention to the people who are most vulnerable to certain risks (i.e. people with disabilities, children, elderly people etc.).
- Evaluate the risks, putting them in order of how likely they are to happen and the potential harm the may cause.
- Look at the measures used to control and reduce risk. If existing measures aren’t adequate, you’ll need to come up with and implement new solutions for managing risks and hazards.
- Record your findings
- Review the findings within a set period of time.