Risk Assessments
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 along with other legislation place responsibilities on employers (including the self employed and not for profit organisations) to ensure risk assessments are carried out by a competent person.
Qualitek Safety can carry out risk assessments for your business/charity and identify cost effective plans and measures to address any highlighted issues.
Typical risk assessments include:
- Area/Premises – a risk assessment covering a wide range of H&S issues including the nature and layout of premises as well as the types of materials/equipment located on the premises.
- Task/Activities - a risk assessment that looks at the activity or task and breaks it down identifying the various hazards and examines the risk then identifies suitable alternatives or control measures.
- Control of Substance Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health and to carry out risk assessments i.e. identify hazards and required control measures. The control measure is adequate when the risk of harm is ‘as low as is reasonably practicable.’ Risk assessments must be recorded if you have 5 or more employees but it is still advised to record even if there are less than 5 employes.
- Fire - The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires organisations to carry out Fire Risk assessments and set out their actions plans to prevent fire as well as their emergency procedures.
- Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere - The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) require employers to control the risks to safety from fire and explosions and includes risk to members of the public. Employers must classify areas into zones where hazardous explosive atmospheres due to gases vapours or dusts may occur.
- Pregnant Workers - Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 an employer is required to conduct a risk assessment for employees, including any specific risks to females of childbearing age who could become pregnant and any risks to new and expectant mothers who work. Also under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, if an employer fails to protect the health and safety of their pregnant workers, it is automatically considered sex discrimination.
- Manual Handling - The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, as amended in 2002 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to assess the risk involved in manual handling and so far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured. An employer may also need to carry out individual risk assessments for employees with a disability to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
- Working at Height - Over 4 000 employees suffered a major injury as a result of a fall from height in 2008/09. The Work at Height Regulations 2005, as amended by the Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007 require that an employer “must do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent anyone falling”. It is a legal requirement to identify the risk and appropriate control measures if work at height cannot be avoided.
- Hazard and Operability Studies (Hazop’s) - an ICI technique now widely recognised as best practice for identifying potential hazards and operability problems caused by deviations from the norm of both new and existing process plants i.e. “what if X fails, what is the resultant hazard and risk?
