What is a Risk Assessment?

What is a risk assessment?

Risk assessments are part of the risk management process and are included in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

A risk assessment is the process of  identifying  what hazards currently exist or may appear in the workplace. A risk assessment defines which workplace hazards are likely to cause harm to employees and visitors.

What does a risk assessment include?

Risks need to be considered in all aspects of the working environment. Here are some examples of the things that should be included in a risk assessment:

• Hazards: electrical safety, fire safety, manual handling, hazardous substances, risk factors for repetitive strain injury, stress, violence;
• Tasks: cleaning with chemical substances, maintenance work or dealing with the public;
• Organisational factors: staffing policies, systems of work, equipment-purchasing policies, consultation and participation, management techniques or working hours, shift patterns, lone working;

If you have a concern about health and safety, or if you are worried that your employer is not taking measures to prevent or minimise risk, contact your safety rep as soon as possible.

Who needs to conduct a risk assessment?

By law, every employer must conduct risk assessments on the work their employees do.  If the company or organisation employs more than five employees, then the results should be recorded with details of any groups of employees particularly at risk such as older, younger, pregnant or disabled employees.

How an employer carries out a basic risk assessment

Risk assessments should be simple to conduct, following a process that includes:

• looking for and listing the risks to health and safety;
• deciding who might be harmed and how;
• checking that protective measures are effective;
• evaluating the risks arising from the hazards and deciding whether existing precautions are adequate;
• recording the findings;
• reviewing the assessment from time to time and revising it when required, particularly if the building is refurbished, moved, or when there is a change in staffing.

UNISON's leaflet "Are you at risk?" attached gives further guidance.