Page last updated at 17:31 GMT, Wednesday, January 27 2010

Health and Safety at Work (Risk Assessments)

We are responsible for enforcing health and safety at work legislation in premises such as offices, shops, warehouses, hotels, pubs, restaurants, motor vehicle repair and small consumer service premises e.g. tyre fitting and shoe repair.

Other workplaces are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Tel 0845 345 0055

Health and Safety Enforcement Policy 

Health and Safety at Work - Risk Assessments
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 the Health & Safety Executive (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.

The five steps recommended by the HSE are:-

Step 1 -  IDENTIFY the hazards - how people could be harmed.  There are tips including 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 further information contact us