A new survey in the UK, by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has revealed the lengths some small firms mistakenly go to trying to comply with health and safety. One business completed a risk assessment for using a tape measure and another introduced written guidelines for walking up stairs. Clearly taking things to this extent is a waste of peoples time, increases frustration and undermines any chance of a genuine Health & Safety management system being taken seriously. Safety Management can be simple without being Stupid and it doesn’t have to be an onerous or lengthy task, just a sensible assessment of what the business does and what the chances of an accident or ill health could be.
For Example in the HSE survey 11% of those responding believed that a qualified electrician must test electrical appliances, such as kettles and toasters, every year – another persistent myth, which is untrue.
HSE’s small business lead Kate Haire said: “Health and safety is all about taking reasonable steps to manage serious risks of ill-health and injury in the workplace. If something sounds completely unreasonable, more often than not it will be totally unnecessary too”
An efficient Health & Safety Management System should not interfere with the effective running of the business; it should complement it and make life easier for all.
There are 3 basic steps to Risk Assessment:
1. Identify the hazards (i.e. anything that has the potential to cause harm).Don’t over complicate the process, just look at the tasks your workers have to carry out and identify those things involved which could cause harm, or the processes which could go wrong and result in an injury or ill health.
2. Identify the level of risk for each hazard (i.e. the chance/likelihood of harm occurring, coupled with how severe the harm or ill health could be). Basically judge the probability that a negative outcome from the event, task or substance will occur. Decide who could be harmed and how badly they will be affected. Remember to give extra consideration to young persons, the elderly, pregnant employees, shift workers etc. as they are usually at a higher level of risk
3. Identify what controls or improvements will need to be put in place to avoid or reduce the risk. Your control measures are the most significant part of the risk assessment, as they set out the steps that must be followed to protect people. As you understand the nature of your business, the process or task in hand you are best placed to identify what the most effective controls will be.
You are legally compelled to have written risk assessments for your business operations and failure to do so may lead to a prosecution by the Health & Safety Authority or lead to issues with your insurance company and their likelihood to support a claim on your employer’s liability or public liability insurance.
If you need assistance or guidance in drawing up or reviewing risk assessments for your business then call Peninsula Business Services (Ireland) Ltd on 0818 923 923.
