Risk Assessment Basics

Managing risks in the workplace. Based on HSE guidance: managing risks and risk assessment at work.

Chapter 1

Your legal duty

The legal minimum

Identify hazards

What could cause injury or illness

Assess the risk

How likely, and how serious

Take action

Eliminate the hazard, or control the risk

The law: protect your employees, and others, from harm.

Source: HSE, Managing risks: Overview; MHSWR 1999

Who you protect

Employees, and others

Employees, contractors, visitors and members of the public can all be harmed.

Vulnerable workers: young, migrant, new or expectant mothers, disabilities
Talk to workers: they usually have good ideas

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Knowledge Check

What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?

A hazard could cause harm; the risk is how likely and how serious that harm is

Nothing, they mean the same thing

A risk only counts once an accident has happened

Chapter 2

The five steps

Five steps to manage risk

Identify hazards

What could cause harm

Assess the risks

How likely, how serious

Control the risks

Act on what you find

Record your findings

Write down what's significant

Review the controls

Check they still work

Do it yourself, or appoint a competent person to help.

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Step 1: Identify hazards

How people work, and how plant and equipment are used
Chemicals and substances in use
Work practices and the state of the premises
Accident and ill health records
Non-routine work: maintenance, cleaning, production changes

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Step 2: Assess the risks

Decide	The question
People	Who might be harmed, and how
Current controls	What you're already doing
Further action	What more you need to do
Action owner	Who carries it out
Deadline	When it's needed by

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Step 3: Control the risks

Get rid of the hazard altogether

→

Redesign the job

→

Replace materials, machinery or process

→

Organise work to reduce exposure

→

PPE, worn and checked, last

Reasonably practicable

Balance the level of risk against the money, time or trouble needed to control it.

You are not expected to eliminate all risks
Put the controls you identify in place

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Knowledge Check

When controlling a risk, what should you ask first?

Which PPE should I hand out?

Can we accept the risk and carry on?

Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?

Chapter 3

Record, review, real life

Step 4: Record your findings

5 or more employees?

You must record your significant findings.

The hazards: things that may cause harm
Who might be harmed, and how
What you are doing to control the risks
Paperwork is not the priority; controlling risks in practice is

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Template and examples

Free HSE template: a simple record of your assessment
Examples: office, shop, food service, vehicle repair, factory maintenance, warehouse

Do not just copy

An example with your name on it does not satisfy the law or protect your employees.

Source: HSE, Risk assessment template and examples

Common workplace risks

Slips and trips

A top cause of serious injury

Working at height

Ladders, roofs, platforms

Manual handling

Lifting and carrying loads

Harmful substances

Chemicals, dust and asbestos

Electrical safety

Installations and equipment

Workplace transport

Vehicles moving on site

Work can also harm health: lung disease, stress, back pain.

Source: HSE, Common workplace risks

Step 5: Review the controls

Controls fading

They may no longer be effective

Workplace changes

Staff, process, substances, equipment

Problems reported

Worker concerns, accidents, near misses

Update the record

Check the controls are working, and update your risk assessment with any changes.

Source: HSE, Steps needed to manage risk

Knowledge Check

You employ seven people. What must you record?

Nothing; records are optional for small firms

Your significant findings: hazards, who might be harmed and how, and controls

A copy of another company's example assessment

Feedback & Course Completion

Scan or tap to give feedback

Contacts & Links

Contact: airbrain.cloud
HSE risk guidance: hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk
Template and examples: HSE risk assessment template
The Regulations: MHSWR 1999 on legislation.gov.uk

Your record

Your completion, score and certificate are recorded automatically by the LMS.

Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.

Source: HSE, Managing risks and risk assessment at work