All organisations have a duty to ensure a safe workplace for their employees, contractors, visitors, and other people who may be affected by their activities. Workplace hazards can be of many types, from offices and warehouses to construction sites, manufacturing facilities, laboratories and commercial premises.

One of the most important tools organisations can use to identify these hazards, evaluate the level of risk and introduce appropriate control measures is a workplace risk assessment.

Employers in the UK have a legal duty to assess the health and safety risks arising from their work activities and put in place the necessary measures to eliminate or control them. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that risk assessments should be appropriate and sufficient for the risks.

What is Workplace Risk Assessment?

A workplace risk assessment is a systematic method of looking at things that could cause harm, who might be harmed and how, what are the chances of harm occurring and how serious the harm might be, and what needs to be done to control the risk.

Risk assessments are not just something you fill in and put in a filing cabinet. It should inform health and safety practice within an organization.

For instance, an assessment could identify risks associated with:

• Trips, slips and falls

• Working at Heights

• Equipment and machinery

• Electrical Systems

• Manual Handling

• Hazardous materials

• Workplace transport

•Incendie

• Vibration and noise

• Poor ergonomics

• Occupational stress

• Emergencies

The specific hazards will depend on the nature of the organisation and what it does.

Why is Risk Assessment Important for the Workplace?

1. Protects employees and others

The primary aim of a risk assessment is to prevent people from being injured by work.

Employees aren’t the only ones who may need protection. Depending on the organisation, risks can also affect contractors, customers, visitors, delivery drivers, members of the public and other people working at or around the premises.

Organisations can take preventative measures if they identify hazards before an accident occurs, rather than reacting after someone has been injured.

2. Helps Organisations to Fulfil Legal Responsibilities

In the UK, there are laws to keep work healthy and safe. Employers must identify hazards, assess risks and take action to eliminate hazards or control risks where elimination is not possible under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

The assessment should be proportionate to the activities and risk profile of the organisation. The approach needed for a small, low-risk office may be relatively straightforward, while a high-risk industrial environment may require more detailed assessments and specialist input.

Organisations should also be aware of their own legal responsibilities and seek appropriate professional advice if necessary.

3. Identifies hazards before they become accidents

Some hazards in the workplace may not be evident during normal operations.

Employees may be used to:

• Walkway blockage

• Bad storage practices

• Broken equipment

• Lifting repetitively

• Inadequate lighting

• Visible cables

• Unsafe access roads

A systematic assessment forces organisations to look at how work is actually done and identify hazards that might otherwise be missed.

HSE guidance recommends that hazard identification should involve looking at the workplace and talking to employees rather than just filling in an assessment from an office.

4. Assists in Choosing Suitable Control Measures

The first step in risk management is to identify a hazard.

Once a hazard has been identified, the organisation must decide how the risk associated with that hazard can be controlled.

Controls may include, as appropriate:

• Eliminate the hazard

• Changing the process of work

• Implementation of engineering controls

• Improving workplace configuration

• Providing suitable equipment

• Creating safe systems of work

Training and information presentation

• Appropriate use of personal protective equipment

The objective should be to manage risks effectively and not just expect more caution from the employees.

5. Promotes a Strong Safety Culture

A workplace risk assessment can assist in demonstrating that health and safety is an active organisational responsibility.

Getting employees involved in identifying hazards and talking through practical controls can help workers to become more aware of the risks in the workplace and help them contribute to safer working practices.

Employee participation can also help identify hazards that management may miss because employees are usually aware of the practicalities of daily work.

Five Key Steps to Workplace Risk Assessment

The HSE promotes a five-step approach to risk assessment.

Step 1: Identification of hazards

Think about work activities that could cause harm in your workplace.

Review equipment, processes, materials, working conditions, access routes and emergency arrangements.

Step 2: Determine Who Might Be Harmed

Figure out who might be affected and how.

Include employees, contractors, visitors, temporary workers, maintenance personnel, customers, and members of the public as appropriate.

Sometimes, certain employees may need special consideration because of the nature or circumstances of their work.

Step 3: Assess the Risks

Think about what the chances are that someone might get hurt and how serious the consequences would be.

Then evaluate if the controls in place are sufficient or if additional controls are required.

For activities with greater risk, a more detailed assessment and specialist expertise may be required.

Step 4: Write down the most important results

Organisations must record important findings as required by UK law. Employers with five or more employees have to record the significant findings of their risk assessments according to HSE guidance.

A useful record should record the hazard, who it applies to, what controls are in place, what further action is needed, who is responsible for the action and target dates.

Step 5: Review and Update the Assessment

Risk assessment should be a continuous process.

The assessment should be reviewed in the event of any changes in circumstances, such as the introduction of new machinery, changes in workplace layouts, new substances used, changes in working practices, or when an incident occurs which reveals a previously unidentified risk.

HSE guidance suggests assessments should be reviewed regularly and kept up to date where necessary.

Workplace risk assessment: Typical areas

Different hazards face different organisations. You might think about evaluating the following:

fireproofing

Organisations should consider ignition sources, combustible materials, escape routes, emergency procedures and other fire risks that may be relevant.

Manually handling

Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling activities can lead to musculoskeletal injuries.

Tools

Manufacturing and industrial businesses should take into account the risks associated with the operation and maintenance of machinery, guarding and access.

Working at Heights

Serious injury can be caused by falls from height. Assess suitable access equipment, work procedures and controls.

Toxic Substances

Where chemicals or other hazardous substances are used, organisations should identify exposure risks and implement controls as appropriate.

Transport at workplace

Workplaces can be dangerous places with vehicles, forklifts, delivery operations and pedestrian movement.

Display Screen Equipment

For office-based organisations, consider workstation set-up, posture, breaks and other ergonomic considerations.

Stress at the Workplace

Effective workplace health and safety management may also include psychosocial risks. One of the common risks at work that HSE identifies for organisations to consider is stress.

The Advantages of Professional Risk Assessment Support

Many risk assessments can be performed internally, but organisations with complex or higher risk activities may benefit from competent professional assistance.

An experienced health and safety consultant can assist you to identify hazards, assess the risks, review existing controls, develop practical recommendations and improve documentation.

Professional support can be particularly helpful for organisations working in construction, manufacturing, hazardous substances, machinery, working at height, environmental risks or other specialist activities.

Safety Environment UK provides health, safety and environmental services to help organisations manage workplace risks and improve their compliance and safety processes.

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Workplace Risk Assessments

A good assessment should not be a generic document but a reflection of the real workplace.

Organisations must:

• Involve employees

• Engage in actual work activities

• Think about routine and non-routine tasks

• Identify vulnerable persons as appropriate

• Rank key risks

• Assign responsibility for corrective action

• Make deadlines realistic

• Evaluate the effectiveness of controls

• Review assessments after major changes or incidents

And most importantly, the results should be discussed with those who need to understand them.

Conclusion

A workplace risk assessment is a part of effective health and safety management. ‘It helps organisations to identify hazards, decide who might be harmed and how, assess risks and put in place suitable prevention and protection measures.

Risk assessment is also a fundamental part of the legal health and safety duties for UK organisations. However, compliance shouldn’t be the only goal. The ultimate goal is a workplace where risks are identified and controlled before they can cause injury, illness, damage or disruption.

Whether you run an office, warehouse, construction business, manufacturing facility or any other kind of organisation, regular and effective risk assessment can help protect people and facilitate a stronger safety culture.

For professional health, safety and environmental support in the workplace, visit Safety Environment UK.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a risk assessment at work?

A workplace risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards in the workplace, determining who may be harmed, assessing the risks involved and putting in place suitable measures to remove or control those risks.

2. Is Risk Assessment in the Workplace a legal obligation in the UK?

Yes. Employers in the UK have a legal duty to assess the health and safety risks arising from their work activities and take appropriate preventive and protective measures. Organisations with five or more employees must record the significant findings of their risk assessments.

3. How frequently should a workplace risk assessment be reviewed?

There is no one review interval suitable for all workplaces. Assessments should be reviewed periodically and when there are significant changes, such as new equipment, changes to work processes, premises changes, or after an incident. Workplace risk assessment?

4. Who needs to do a Workplace Risk Assessment?

The assessment can be carried out by a person who can identify and evaluate the risks involved. For simple, low-risk workplaces, employers may be able to carry out assessments themselves. Competent specialist advice may be necessary for activities that are higher risk or technically complex.

5. What are the most common workplace hazards?

Typical hazards include slips and trips, manual handling, machinery, electrical hazards, hazardous substances, fire, working at height, noise, vibration, workplace transport, ergonomic issues and work-related stress. The risks for each organisation will depend on its activities and working environment.