Health and Safety Risk Assessment

Health and Safety Risk Assessment

In any workplace, identifying and controlling hazards that may pose a threat to employees, customers, or visitors is essential for safety and compliance with health and safety legislation. This is where a Health and Safety Risk Assessment comes into play. Inspectors of the Department of Employment and Labour will immediately ask for a Health and Safety Risk Assessment when they visit a business.

What is a Health and Safety Risk Assessment?

A Health and Safety Risk Assessment is a systematic process of identifying potential hazards in the workplace, assessing the level of risk, and implementing control measures to eliminate or reduce the risks. It is a legal requirement for employers to carry out risk assessments under the new Occupational Health and Safety Act and Legislation.

What is the purpose of Workplace Risk Assessment?

The purpose of workplace risk assessment is to identify hazards and assess the risks associated with them. It helps to determine appropriate risk control measures to eliminate or reduce the risks to an acceptable level. The risk assessment process should be ongoing and updated regularly to reflect changes in the workplace.

What is a Risk Assessment Process?

A Risk Assessment Process involves five steps:

Identify hazards: The first step is to identify all potential hazards in the workplace. This can be done by conducting a walkthrough survey of the workplace and identifying any hazards that could cause harm.

Assess risks: The next step is to assess the level of risk associated with each hazard. This involves considering the likelihood of the hazard occurring and the severity of the harm that could result.

Determine control measures: Once the risks have been assessed, control measures should be identified to eliminate or reduce the risks. This may include engineering controls, administrative controls, or personal protective equipment.

Implement control measures: After identifying the control measures, they should be implemented in the workplace to reduce or eliminate the risks.

Review and update: The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains up to date and relevant.

What is the Risk Assessment Methodology?

The Risk Assessment Methodology is the approach or technique used to conduct a risk assessment. There are different methodologies, such as the Five Steps to Risk Assessment, which is the standard method used in the UK, and the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) or Task Risk Assessment typically used in South Africa. The methodology used will depend on the nature and complexity of the workplace.

What is Hazard Identification?

Hazard Identification is the process of identifying potential hazards in the workplace. Hazards can be physical, chemical, biological, or psychological in nature. Examples include slips, trips, and falls, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and work-related stress.

What are Risk Control Measures?

Risk Control Measures are actions taken to eliminate or reduce the risks identified during the risk assessment process. Examples of risk control measures include replacing hazardous substances with less hazardous ones, providing personal protective equipment, and installing guardrails to prevent falls.

What is Risk Management?

Risk Management is the process of identifying, assessing, and controlling risks in the workplace. It involves implementing Policies, Procedures and Practices to manage risks and prevent accidents, injuries, and illnesses.

What is a Risk Assessment Template?

A Risk Assessment Template is a document that provides a structured approach to conducting a risk assessment. It includes sections for identifying hazards, assessing risks, determining control measures, and reviewing the assessment. Using a template can ensure that all relevant hazards are identified and risks are assessed consistently.

Conducting a Health and Safety Risk Assessment is essential for any workplace to identify and control hazards that may pose a threat to employees, customers, or visitors. The Risk Assessment must be conducted by a qualified person and must include identifying hazards, assessing risks, determining control measures, implementing control measures, and reviewing and updating the assessment. The Risk Assessment Methodology used will depend on the nature and complexity of the workplace.

How can MAKROSAFE assist you with your Health and Safety Risk Assessment?

Keeping your workplace legally Health and Safety Compliant may seem like a daunting task. At MAKROSAFE, we have an experienced team of OHS Practitioners available to assist in keeping your company Health and Safety Compliant according to South African Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and Regulations.
The MAKROSAFE Health and Safety Risk Assessment Package will assist you with your Risk Management Programme.

Over the course of 23 years, MAKROSAFE has provided advice and risk assessments to help businesses keep their workplaces safe for their employees.

Click on the image below to find a SafetyWallet Solution that suits your business (Branch/Site specific) and get the benefits along with the subscription:

By signing up with a complete Health and Safety Risk Assessment Package, employers are not only admitting that risk management is important; they are also developing their health and safety management systems to the point where they may qualify for a health and safety compliance grading certificate after they have met the standards in the Health and Safety Audit.

MAKROSAFE / SAFETYWALLET / MY SAFETY SHOP are in Partnership.