You need to control the risks in your workplace as part of managing the health and safety of your business.It is up to you to decide how to prevent harm to your workers.Most businesses are required to complete a risk assessment.A risk assessment isn't about creating a lot of paperwork.It will help you think about the risks in the workplace and how you can keep people safe.To create a well rounded risk assessment, you will need to go through a series of steps.
Step 1: Understand how a risk to the workplace is defined.
It is important to use the correct terms in your assessment.Anything that may cause harm is a hazard.Chemicals, electricity, and an open drawer are examples.There is a chance of harm to others.A chemical burn, a fall from heights, or an injury from hitting an open drawer are examples.
Step 2: You can walk around your workplace.
Think about the dangers you notice as you walk.Do you know what activities, processes, or substances could hurt your employees?Look at any objects that could be dangerous.Take a look at any substances in the workplace.Think about how these substances could hurt your employees.If you work in an office, look for long wires under desks, as well as broken drawers, cupboards, and counter tops.The chairs, the windows, and the doors should be looked at.There are dangers in the common areas, such as a faulty microwave or an uncovered section on the coffee machine.If you work in a big box store or warehouse, you should look for machinery that could be dangerous.There are spare materials that could fall on an employee.Look for cracks or narrow shelving in the aisles of the store.
Step 3: Ask your employees if there are any dangers.
Employees will be able to identify any dangers on the job.Email or have an in person discussion asking for feedback on any possible workplace dangers.Slips and trips, fire hazard, and falling from heights are some of the dangers that your employees think could result in significant harm.
Step 4: Check the manufacturer's instructions for any equipment.
They can help to explain the dangers and how they can be avoided.The manufacturer's instructions are likely to be on the labels.You can check the manufacturer's manual for more information on possible dangers associated with the equipment.
Step 5: There are accident and ill-health records for the workplace.
The documents will help you identify the less obvious dangers in the workplace.If you are in a management position, you can access these records online or in the company files.
Step 6: Think about long term dangers.
Long term hazards can have an impact on workers when they are exposed to them for a long period of time.Exposure to high levels of noise or harmful substances could be what these are.This could be a safety hazard because of the repetitive use of equipment, from a lever on a work site to a keyboard at a desk.
Step 7: The government has a health and safety website.
Government health and safety guidelines can be accessed via a website in your country.Working with chemicals, working at height, and working with machinery are some of the recognized dangers at these sites.You can find the government health and safety guidelines website in the U.S.You can find the government health and safety guidelines website in the UK.
Step 8: There are groups of people that could be at risk.
You should avoid listing every worker by name because you are creating an overview of all potential individuals at risk.Make a list of people in the environment.People are working in the storeroom or on the street.
Step 9: Determine how each group might be hurt.
Identifying what type of injury or ill health might occur for each group is what you need to do.shelf stackers may suffer back injuries from lifting boxes.Or, "machinery workers may suffer joint pain from repeated use of a lever." This could also be more specific injuries like "workers may be burned by the printing press" or "cleaners may trip over the wires under the desks".New and young workers, expectant mothers, and people with disabilities may have requirements.Maintenance workers, cleaners, visitors, contractors, and other workers who may not be in the workplace all the time will need to be accounted for.It is important to identify any possible dangers to the general public.
Step 10: Discuss with your employees who is at risk.
If the workplace is a shared space, it is important to reach out to your employees and ask them who they think is at risk.Think about how your work affects other people.Ask your staff if they can think of any group you missed.You may not know that a certain piece of machinery is a noise hazard for pedestrians on the street, or that the cleaning staff has to deal with lifting boxes at your employee's desks.
Step 11: How likely is the hazard in your workplace?
You are not expected to eliminate all the risks if you are the boss or the person in charge.You need to be aware of the main risks and know how to manage them.To protect people from harm, you need to do everything reasonably practicable.The measures needed to control the real risk in terms of money, time, and trouble are balanced against the level of risk.You don't need to take action that is disproportionate to the level of risk.Don't get carried away with your risk assessment.You should only include what you are expected to know.You aren't expected to anticipate risks.The risk of a chemical spill should be taken seriously and noted as a major hazard.Smaller risks like a stapler hurting someone or the lid of a jar hitting someone are not considered "reasonably practicable".Don't try to account for every possible hazard in the workplace, but do your best to identify major and minor hazards.
Step 12: Control measures can be put in place for each hazard.
You could provide shelf stockers with back protectors and safety gear.Can I get rid of the hazard completely?Is there a way to rearrange the storeroom so that shelf stockers don't have to lift boxes?How can I prevent harm if this is not possible?Practical solutions include trying a less risky option.The shelf stockers will have to lift the boxes from a raised platform.It is possible to prevent access to the hazard by organizing the workplace.The boxes are placed at a level that does not require lifting by the shelf stockers.Issuing protective equipment to your workers.Information on how to complete an action safely is included.You could teach shelf stockers how to properly lift a box from the ground with a straight back.First aid and washing facilities are provided.If your workers deal with chemicals in the workplace, you should provide washing facilities and first aid close to their workstations.
Step 13: Look for low-cost solutions.
Improving health and safety doesn't mean spending a lot of company money.To prevent vehicle accidents, place a mirror on a blind corner, or hold a training session on how to lift objects properly are all low-cost precautions.If an accident does happen, failing to take simple precautions can cost you more.The safety of your workers is more important than the bottom line.If your only option is higher-cost solutions, then you should spring for them.Spending money on precautions is better than taking care of an injured worker.
Step 14: There are model assessments developed by trade associations and employer organizations.
Many groups come up with risk assessments for certain activities, like working with heights or chemicals.The National Institute for Occupational Safety has websites that focus on mining or administration.Try to adapt the model assessments to your workplace.There are suggestions on how to prevent a fall from a ladder in a model assessment.There is a suggestion on how to make the office more safe.You can apply these suggestions to your own risk assessment.
Step 15: Ask your workers to give feedback.
It is important that your workers are involved in the process of evaluating the risks and coming up with possible precautions.This will make sure that what you propose will work in practice and won't introduce any new dangers into the workplace.
Step 16: The assessment should be easy to follow.
What you have in place to control the risks should be covered in the assessment.You don't have to write down a risk assessment if you have less than five employees.You can review it at a later date if you do this.The law requires you to write down the assessment if you have five or more employees.
Step 17: The template can be used to make the assessment.
Depending on the type of workplace you work in, there are several templates available online.A proper check of the hazard should be shown in a risk assessment.Who might be affected?You took into account the number of people who could be involved in dealing with the major hazard.Practical and reasonable precautions are taken.The remaining risk is manageable.Employees were involved in the process.If the nature of your work changes often or the workplace changes and develops, your risk assessment may have to focus on a broad range of risks that can be anticipated.This could mean that the site is in a bad state or that there are dangers in the area.
Step 18: The hazard should be ranked from least serious to more serious.
You need to rank the hazards in order of importance if you have a risk assessment.A back injury from lifting a barrel in the chemical plant may be less serious than a chemical spill.Common sense is the basis of the rankings.Consider the risks that could lead to serious injuries, such as death, the loss of a limb, or a burn.Work down from the most serious to the least serious.
Step 19: Long-term solutions for the risks have bigger consequences such as ill health and death.
In the event of a spill, this could mean better spill prevention for the chemical plant.It is possible to provide high quality PPE for workers to prevent exposure to the chemicals.If these improvements or solutions can be implemented quickly, or even with temporary fixes, until more reliable controls are put in place.The control measures will need to be reliable and robust if the hazard is greater.
Step 20: Any employee training that is needed should be noted.
For training on how to deal with a chemical spill, or picking up a box from the ground, your risk assessment may include the need for employee training.
Step 21: A risk assessment matrix can be created.
A risk assessment matrix can be used to determine how likely or unlikely a risk is in your workplace.There is a column forConsequence and Likelihood in the matrix.It could happen at some point.It could happen at some time.It is likely that it will happen in most circumstances.It's almost certain that it will happen in most circumstances.In significant are low financial loss, no disruption to capability, and no impact on community standing.There was a medium financial loss, a small disruption to capability, and an impact on community standing.There is a high financial loss, some ongoing disruption to capability, and a modest impact on community standing.Major financial loss, ongoing disruption to capability, and major impact on community standing were disastrous.Mission critical financial loss, permanent disruption to capability, and ruinous impact on community standing are Catastrophic.
Step 22: Share the risk assessment with your employees.
It is not required by law for you to share the risk assessment with your workers, but it may be a good practice to do so.An electronic copy of the risk assessment can be kept on the company's shared drive.You want to have easy access to the document so you can change it.
Step 23: You should review the risk assessment on a regular basis.
You will bring in new equipment, substances, and procedures if the workplace stays the same.On a daily basis, review your employee's work practices.Have there been any changes?Did you learn anything from accidents or near misses?The risk assessment should be reviewed in a year.If there is a significant change at your workplace, you should update the risk assessment as soon as possible.