
Having a good health & safety risk assessment is crucial to ensuring workplace safety. It is important to carry out a risk assessment regularly and review the risks and controls you have in place.
In conducting a risk assessment, you must identify the hazard, determine the level of risk it presents, and evaluate the effectiveness of your controls. There are many resources available to help you in this process. These include training, tools, and equipment. You can also obtain free templates to help you conduct your risk assessment.
A health and safety risk assessment is a systematic process that identifies hazards in your workplace and assesses the potential harm that could occur. The process protects workers, visitors, and the environment from harmful incidents. A thorough risk analysis helps you to prioritize the hazards, which in turn helps you to decide on actionable steps to minimize or eliminate the risks.
A risk matrix is used to calculate the risk level of each hazard. The rating of the risk is calculated by subtracting the likelihood of the hazard from the severity of the consequence. The lowest possible rating is Insignificant, and the highest is almost certain.
In a risk assessment, the assessor will discuss the hazard with the owner, other employees carrying out the activity, and other specialists. All foreseeable risks are identified, and the best control measures are selected.
A health and safety risk assessment should be reviewed annually. You should conduct a risk assessment if you have new employees, a change in a building, or if you introduce a new procedure. If you discover that your current assessment is inaccurate, you should revise it.
A risk assessment should be conducted for every business. In some cases, a health and safety risk assessment may be required by your supervisor. A formal risk assessment record will enable you to monitor your hazard. You may also be required to have your risk assessment approved by the work health and safety coordinator.
To improve the effectiveness of your risk assessment, you should consult your workers. They will provide you with information on what hazards they have experienced. They may also have a vested interest in helping you identify potential risks. You can also invite other people to peer review your risk assessment.