Everything you need to know about Risk Assessment

In the workplace, no matter which industries you happen to be involved with, there will be risks in some form or another. When it comes to the health and safety principles implemented as part of your company, risk assessment is a fundamental aspect that must never be overlooked. You’ve probably heard the term ‘risk assessment’ used multiple times in the past, and you may even be familiar with the core basics that risk assessment has to offer. But what is a risk assessment all about, and how can you apply risk assessment principles in your place of work? Well, to understand more, we’ll now be taking a more detailed look at risk assessment, as we provide a brief, yet detailed look at everything you need to know about risk assessment.

What is risk assessment? – Risk assessment is best described as being a systematic review of each and every single individual aspect of a business/workplace, no matter how small or insignificant they may at first appear to be. Each factor, no matter how small or irrelevant they may be, will be looked at and examined, in a bid to determine potential risks and hazards that they may pose. As an example, an obvious risk in the workplace would be a stuck fire door that doesn’t easily open. This would be considered a risk because, in the event of a fire, the door would struggle to open and would, therefore, put lives at risk as there would be no fire door for the employees in question to escape through.

What does risk assessment cover? – Risk assessment can cover multiple things, though generally, some of the most typical and frequent factors that are taken into consideration will include:

• Fire safety
• Health and safety in general
• Workstation (DSE)
• Workplace
• Specific events or activities

Legal Implications – Not only can risk assessment save lives, but it can also protect business owners and employers from a potential legal action in the process. You see, if for example, an employee was hurt at work, through the detailed risk assessment reports that you have filed, you will be able to demonstrate that you have followed health and safety protocols perfectly and that the employee was injured through negligence on their part, rather than yours.

How can businesses assess risks? – Though it may seem complicated at first, in reality, a risk assessment can be relatively straightforward, if you know what you’re doing. When you assess risks in your own business, according to the HSE, there are five steps which must be followed. These five steps consist of the following:

• Deciding which individual could be hurt, and how
• Identifying any potential hazards that could cause harm, no matter how small they may be
• Evaluating the risks each potential hazard could cause
• Recording and detailing your findings
• Updating  and reviewing your assessments when needed

Making use of resources – As risk assessment can be tricky at first, it is recommended that you jump online, and make use of handy resources, such as the risk assessment section of the HSE website, or checking out the IOSH resource and books section.