Transcript Slide 1

RISK
ASSESSMENT
What is Risk Assessment?
• It is an examination of what we do, to determine
the things that can cause harm to people
• It allows us to decide whether we need to take
measures to prevent that harm from occurring
• Balancing the risk against the time, cost and effort
of reducing it. Carrying out actions “as far as is
reasonably practicable”
• Balancing any residual risks against the
benefits of the activity
Why do we Risk Assess?
Why do we Risk Assess?
• HASAWA 1974 and Man HSW Regs 1999 require us
to do so, by law. Failure to comply with this law
can lead to prosecution!
• To ensure that no-one gets hurt or becomes ill as
a result of actions or accidents within the
workplace
• To prevent financial losses, in the form of accident,
damaged property or plant, lost materials,
compensation payouts,
third party
claims, fines and penalties
Why do we Risk Assess?
In summary, the 3 main reasons are ‘FLM’
• Financial
• Legal
• Moral
A point worth remembering!
“A matter of individual opinion is more
defendable than negligence to assess”
• Don’t avoid carrying out a risk assessment
just because you feel unsure of your ability.
Remember, all you are doing is examining
your normal working environment for
potential hazards
Who does a risk assessment?
• The law says a risk assessment must be
carried out by a competent person
- Knowledge
- Experience
- Training
• In practice this often means risk
assessment will be a collaboration of
several people each with areas of specific
knowledge
How do we risk assess?
• Identify the hazards
• Identify who may be harmed and how
• Evaluate the risks
- Severity of hazard
- Frequency of activity/exposure to hazard
- Current control measures
- Risk rating
• Additional control measures
• Record your assessment
• Review and revise as necessary
Identify the hazards
• What is a hazard?
Anything that has the potential
to cause harm
-
Moving and handling
Slips, trips and falls
Vehicles/transport
Equipment
Electricity
Environment
People
Contractors
• Keep it simple
Our task is to identify
SIGNIFICANT hazards only
Who or what can be harmed?
• Consider what could go wrong
and identify who may be
harmed if it does
-Yourself
-Colleagues
-Clients/service users
-The Public
-Contractors
• Consider also property or
equipment damage
Evaluate the risks
• What is risk?
The chance of someone being harmed by the
hazard
• Consider
-Severity of hazard
-Frequency of activity/exposure to hazard
-Current control measures
-Risk rating, severity x likelihood
• Do not over complicate things
There will always be hazards and risks
associated with everything we do, we do not
expect to eliminate them all
Control measures
•
•
•
What is a control measure?
Something put in place to control the risk of
harm
The Hierarchy of control
-Eliminate the hazard
-Prevent access to the hazard
-Reduce exposure to the hazard
-P.P.E.
-Welfare and first aid facilities
Remember we are not trying to eliminate risk
but reduce it to an ACCEPTABLE level
Record your findings
• Always make a note of your risk
assessments for future reference,
possibly by the HSE
• Someone else might take over from you,
and they will need to know what risks
you have identified
Review and Revise
•
•
•
Periodically
There is an incident
If there are any significant changes to
-
The
The
The
The
environment
hazard
activity
people involved
Extra points to consider
• Are there any legal requirements that should be followed
for any hazards identified e.g. legislation or approved
codes of practice
• Are there any relevant best practice standards or council
policies or guidance, HSE guidance, British or European
Standards, professional or trade guidance
• Are Human Factors relevant
• Are any vulnerable persons involved (pregnant mothers,
under 18’s, staff with impairments
• Occupational Health Issues (hearing loss, stress,
musculosketal damage)
Remember
• You are not being asked to produce a
professional document
• The main points of a risk assessment are
that it is SUITABLE AND SUFFICIENT
• If your assessment takes into account
the significant hazards associated with
the task and lists reasonable control
measures, then you will have satisfied
these requirements
What is dynamic risk assessment?
An “on the spot” risk assessment undertaken for
spontaneous incidents, to consider:
• The health safety and wellbeing of yourself, your colleagues
and any other persons that may be affected
• Any actions that need to be undertaken.
• The balance of whether the risks are proportional to the
benefits
• Taking any actions in the safest possible way
Whilst by its very nature a dynamic risk assessment may
not be formally recorded, a record or note of any actions
will often be very useful
Example
•You are on your way home and need to cross a very busy road
•You have just picked up your children aged 7 & 8 from school
•You have a bag of shopping in each hand
•It is beginning to rain
•There is a pedestrian crossing 150 yards away
Initial assessment
Evaluate situation, tasks
and persons at risk
Select appropriate action
to take
Consider
viable
alternatives
Assess the chosen action
and any control measures
Proceed
with
caution
YES
Are the risks proportional
to the benefits
NO
Do not
immediately
proceed
with tasks
Action
Do the benefits of taking Action out weigh
the Risks?
RISKS
Benefits
Scenario 1
•You are opening the premises at the beginning of the
day and notice the door ajar with signs of a forced entry
•There is no indication whether the intruder is still on the
site or has left
•It is early morning and no one else has arrived
Scenario 2
•You have to visit the home of a Council client
•The home is in an isolated part of an estate with poor lighting
•There are sounds coming from inside the house indicating a
very bitter argument
•It is getting dark
•There is no mobile phone reception
To Re-cap
• Identify the hazards
• Identify who may be harmed and how
• Evaluate the risks and introduce control
measures following the hierarchy of control
• Record your assessment
• Review and revise as necessary