Risk Assessment
Risk Assessments
Carrying out risk assessments is an essential part to having safe areas of work and keeping accidents to a minimum. They are also a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
The aim of any risk assessment is to identify risks and take suitable and sufficient measures to minimise the likelihood of any harm or damage occurring. Our health and safety consultants can conduct risk assessments in accordance with your requirements. We work with clients to ensure that their risk assessments are comprehensive and all identified significant hazards are effectively controlled.
We follow a methodical approach to the risk assessment process which includes:
Development of a Task Inventory
Our health and safety consultants help our clients focus on those tasks which pose significant risks. Making a list of the work activities enables clients to prioritise the risk assessment process, allowing them to focus on the inherently higher risk tasks first. It also allows responsibilities for carrying out the risk assessments to be assigned, this not only avoids risk assessments being missed or duplicated but also ensures that the knowledge and skills of those responsible for the risk assessments are utilised.
Hazard Identification
At this stage we look at the relevant task and work with our client to ensure all significant hazards associated with a workplace task are identified.
We understand the importance of employee engagement and our health and safety consultants will work with and observe key employees, including those who are routinely carrying out the task to ensure as much information is gathered as possible.
We will also utilise a wide range of information in relation to the risk assessment process including; hazard prompt forms, machinery or equipment manuals, accident and near miss data, legislation and codes of practice. If the organisation doesn’t know what the hazards are, or fails to identify them, control measures may be missed. In order for a hazard to cause harm, someone or something must interact with it i.e. a hazardous event must occur.
Assessment of Risk
Our health and safety consultants then work with clients to assess the risks associated with each identified hazard. Risk is defined as the likelihood or probability of a hazardous event occurring combined with the severity or consequence.
Control Measures
The next stage of the risk assessment process we can help with is the identification and implementation of controls.
A control measure is generally described as an action that can be taken to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of exposure to the hazard or the severity of exposure should it occur, or both. Our health and safety consultants help clients determine the most suitable and reasonably practicable controls that a business needs to implement. We help them to understand the impact that the control measure has on the identified risk and the reliance on human factors.
Monitoring of Control Measures
Once control measures have been implemented and established the business needs to monitor their continued effectiveness. It is important that the business applies the “WHO, WHAT, WHEN and HOW” principle to monitoring procedures and that it is proactive, not just reactive;
- WHO is responsible for performing the monitoring and are they competent?
- WHAT are the details of the monitoring systems?
- WHEN is the monitoring to be carried out?
- HOW is the monitoring to be carried out and how should corrective action be taken? It is important that the information is detailed in clear, well-defined procedures.
The Food Safety Health and Safety consultants can assist with auditing control measures. They can also carry out workplace inspections and behavioural observations.
As well as task based risk assessment consultancy, we can also offer bespoke risk assessment services including;
- Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
- Noise
- COSHH
- Manual Handling
- Fire
- Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Case Study
Food Safety have been working with Sime Darby for a number of years.
We provide a monthly health and safety consultancy service where we assist with risk assessments, procedural development and on site health and safety auditing.
We also provide regularly bespoke training courses on site including permit to work and internal audit training.
I have worked with Food Safety on several occasions, they are extremely professional and provide an excellent service every single time. Courses are delivered very well and health and safety consultancy is of the best standard.
Ola Ige
Process Engineer
Sime Darby Oils Ltd
