As an employer, the law requires you to assess and manage health
and safety risks - for most businesses this is not difficult to do
and HSE has published Five Steps to Risk Assessment to help
you.
A risk assessment helps you focus on the risks that really matter
in your workplace – the ones with the potential to cause real harm.
In many instances, straightforward measures can readily control
risks. For most, that means simple, cheap and effective measures to
ensure your workforce is protected.
The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk,
but you are required to protect people as far as ‘reasonably
practicable’. This guide tells you how to achieve that with a
minimum of fuss.
Follow the five steps:
Step 1: Identify the hazards – How people
could be harmed. The booklet includes tips on how to spot the
hazards that
matter.
Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how. The
booklet will help you identify the best way to manage the
risk.
Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on
precaution. Compare what you do to good practice.
Step 4: Record your findings and implement
them. You can use the blank template in the booklet
to do this. This will include both temporary and long term
solutions.
Step 5: Review your assessment and update if
necessary. Set a date each year for a formal review to
take account of new processes or equipment.
For any general advice, please do not hesitate to contact the Food,
Licensing and Safety Team
here, or by
telephoning 01638 719733.
For detailed information and extra downloads, please visit the
dedicated pages on the
Health and
Safety Executives
Website.