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Risk Assessment 3.4

Introduction

Every year thousands of people in the UK are forced to take time off work due to health and
safety related issues. For most this is a number of days. However, in some cases people suffer
major injuries and even sometimes death. A hard-hitting fact is that majority of these accidents
could have been avoided if good standards of health and safety in the workplace had been
better.

Risk Assessment is an important step in protecting people from ill
health and accidents by recognising what can cause harm and how to
prevent them from occurring by implementing controls.

Legal Requirement

ILO C155, Article 16 states that

It is the responsibility of the employer to take reasonable toward
their employees.

1. Employers shall be required to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the workplaces,
machinery, equipment and processes under their control are safe and without risk to health.

2. Employers shall be required to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the chemical,
physical and biological substances and agents under their control are without risk to health
when the appropriate measures of protection are taken.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR)

The legal requirement is in Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992
amended in 1999, clearly gives details of how to conduct risk assessment are in the form of
Approved Code of Practice states, that Every employer shall make an assessment of the risk
to employees and others.

Reasonably Practicable

The employer makes a balanced judgement about the
extent of risk and severity, against the time, cost and
inconvenience or effort needed to remove or reduce it.

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 3 – Managing Risks – Understanding People and Processes 20