HEALTH AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT - LEVEL 5
Describe the processes of carrying out a Risk Assessment.
Step 1: Identify the hazards - How could people be harmed.
Tour workplace and identify what could cause harm. Ask employees for their thoughts on what
could present a risk. Visit the HSE website or call HSE Infoline (Tel: 0845 345 0055). Check
manufacturers’ instructions for equipment in place. Check the accident records – these can help to
identify less obvious hazards.
Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how - For each hazard, clarify who might be harmed.
Some workers have particular requirements (new and young workers, expectant mothers and people
with disabilities). Check other staff members’ work and how it affects you, and how your work may
affect them. Identify how each might be harmed, i.e. what type of injury or ill health might occur.
Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions - Having identified the hazards, action each
of them accordingly. The law requires you to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect
people from harm.
Look at your current provisions, think about controls you have in place. Compare this with good
practice and see if there’s more you should be doing. Consider:
Can I remove the hazard completely?
If not, how can I manage the risks so that harm is less likely?
This can be confronted as follows, in order:
Attempt a less risky option.
Better control over hazard access.
Reduce exposure to the hazard.
Issue personal protective equipment.
Access to welfare facilities.
Improving health and safety need not be expensive. Failure to take simple precautions can be more
expensive if an accident does happen.
Step 4: Record your findings and implement them - Transferring the results of your risk
assessment from paper to practice will make a difference when looking after people and the
organisation.
Keeping account of the results of your risk assessment, encourages this. With fewer than five
employees you do not have to write anything down. Keeping results simple and easy to understand
is a key requirement, the results do not have to be perfectly written, just legible and to the point.
Ensure that a proper check was made, you have involved people who might be affected, you have
dealt with all the significant hazards. Also ensure that the precautions are reasonable, and the
remaining risk is low.
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, Step 5: Review your risk assessment and update if necessary
Review what you are doing on an ongoing basis. Have there been any changes? Are there
improvements you still need to make? Have staff spotted a problem? Have you learnt anything from
accidents or near misses? Ensure your risk assessment remains up to date.
The Risk Assessment process:
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Describe the processes of carrying out a Risk Assessment.
Step 1: Identify the hazards - How could people be harmed.
Tour workplace and identify what could cause harm. Ask employees for their thoughts on what
could present a risk. Visit the HSE website or call HSE Infoline (Tel: 0845 345 0055). Check
manufacturers’ instructions for equipment in place. Check the accident records – these can help to
identify less obvious hazards.
Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how - For each hazard, clarify who might be harmed.
Some workers have particular requirements (new and young workers, expectant mothers and people
with disabilities). Check other staff members’ work and how it affects you, and how your work may
affect them. Identify how each might be harmed, i.e. what type of injury or ill health might occur.
Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions - Having identified the hazards, action each
of them accordingly. The law requires you to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect
people from harm.
Look at your current provisions, think about controls you have in place. Compare this with good
practice and see if there’s more you should be doing. Consider:
Can I remove the hazard completely?
If not, how can I manage the risks so that harm is less likely?
This can be confronted as follows, in order:
Attempt a less risky option.
Better control over hazard access.
Reduce exposure to the hazard.
Issue personal protective equipment.
Access to welfare facilities.
Improving health and safety need not be expensive. Failure to take simple precautions can be more
expensive if an accident does happen.
Step 4: Record your findings and implement them - Transferring the results of your risk
assessment from paper to practice will make a difference when looking after people and the
organisation.
Keeping account of the results of your risk assessment, encourages this. With fewer than five
employees you do not have to write anything down. Keeping results simple and easy to understand
is a key requirement, the results do not have to be perfectly written, just legible and to the point.
Ensure that a proper check was made, you have involved people who might be affected, you have
dealt with all the significant hazards. Also ensure that the precautions are reasonable, and the
remaining risk is low.
Page - 1
, Step 5: Review your risk assessment and update if necessary
Review what you are doing on an ongoing basis. Have there been any changes? Are there
improvements you still need to make? Have staff spotted a problem? Have you learnt anything from
accidents or near misses? Ensure your risk assessment remains up to date.
The Risk Assessment process:
Page - 2
