Risk assessment steps
Risk assessments involve completing a series of tasks in a set order.
Step one - Identify hazards
There must be a Methodical with attention to detail. check for health and safety risks. This is anything that may cause harm. Risks can be categorised into four categories:
- physical
- mental
- chemical
- biological
Question
Using the four categories of physical/mental/chemical/biological, categorise the following risks.
- Asbestos
- Lifting heavy or awkward items
- Excess workload
- Machinery
- Infectious diseases
- Equipment malfunction
- Excess working hours
- Bullying
- Harm from contact with cleaning fluids
- Things to fall over
- Noise too loud
- Breathing in dust
Physical
- Lifting heavy or awkward items
- Excess workload
- Machinery
- Equipment malfunction
- Things to fall over
- Noise too loud
- Breathing in dust
Mental
- Excess working hours
- Bullying
Chemical
- Asbestos
- Harm from contact with cleaning fluids
Biological
- Infectious diseases
Step two - Identify who and how
Once risks have been identified, an organisation will need to decide who may be harmed and how. This doesn鈥檛 involve naming specific people, but identifying groups of people and stating what their risk is.
Question
Referring back to the four categories of hazards, what category would shelf stackers in a supermarket be most at risk of?
Physical hazards.
Shelf stackers may be at risk of hurting their backs due to repeated lifting of boxes.
Question
Referring back to the four categories of hazards, what category would cleaners in a hotel be most at risk of?
Chemical hazards.
Hotel cleaners may be at risk of harming themselves from contact with cleaning fluids.
Step three - Assess the risks and take action
Having spotted the hazards, a decision must be made about what to do about them.
This may involve getting rid of the hazards altogether, or trying to reduce the risks associated with each hazard.
This could be done by supplying protective clothing, providing relevant training or simply by putting a barrier between people and hazards.
A decision must also be taken about how probable it is that each hazard could cause harm. A rating of high, medium or low risk should be given to each hazard. This rating can be determined by considering two factors:
- the consequences of the risk
- the likelihood of the risk occurring
If a risk is likely to have a severe impact, and the possibility of it occurring is classed as probable, then the hazard should be rated 'orange and high'. For example, a rollercoaster ride could have severe consequences if it goes wrong, and the likelihood of this occurring could be seen as probable given several high profile cases in the news.
If a risk is likely to have minor consequences and the chances of it happening are unlikely, then the hazard can be rated as 鈥榞reen and low鈥, eg a child burning themselves in a home economics class.
Question
How would you class the following hazards?
- Ice skating
- Travelling on a bus
- Bungee jumping
- Ice skating 鈥 probably medium. Moderate consequences (broken limbs) and likelihood probable, especially if you haven鈥檛 been ice skating before.
- Travelling on a bus 鈥 probably low. Major consequences if there's an accident, but likelihood rare.
- Bungee jumping 鈥 probably high. Severe consequences and likelihood probable.
Step four - Record the findings
Writing down the findings will show that a proper check was made. It can also show that obvious significant hazards were dealt with and that any precautions taken were reasonable.
Step five - Review the risk assessment
Things change so it is important to regularly review and update risk assessments to make sure they are up to date.
