Page 68 - IGC BOOK

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is the process of assessing the risks arising from the hazard, identifying the
people who might be affected from the hazard, identifying suitable preventive and protective
measures, evaluating and deciding the adequacy of existing risk control measures and analysing
whether the risk is acceptable or further risk control measures are required, recording and
update if necessary.

The Purpose of Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is often a legal requirement, for example in Great Britain and the EU, there is a
statutory duty place on employers to carry out and record general risk assessments of the risks
to employee and others.

Specific risk assessments must be carried out under the requirement of legislation, for example
in Britain Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations require an
assessment of the risk to health of exposure to hazardous substances.

Objectives of Risk Assessment; prevention of workplace accidents

The main objective of the risk assessment process is to evaluate hazards, then remove the
hazard or minimize the level of its risk by implementing new control measures, as necessary. By
doing so, you can create a safer and healthier workplace.

Risk Assessment process is proactive measure which identifies hazards before things go wrong
(to prevent injury or ill health), to avoid workplace accidents and enforcement actions due to
breach of law, the financial losses followed by an accident either direct or indirect monetary
losses.

Certainly, risk assessment evaluates the priority and required resources to control them. This
ensures that control measures are applied on time to reduce the risk to an acceptable level or
eliminated in certain activities.

Risk Assessment involves

1. Identify the hazards
2. Identify the population at risk, who might be harmed and how (including special category
of people).
3. Evaluation of risk with its likelihood and severity and existing risk control measures and
decide on additional precautions.
4. Record significant findings and implement them.
5. Review the risk assessment and update if it is necessary (followed by any accident,
change in the process, new hazard information available, change in the management or
legislation)

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 3 – Managing Risks – Understanding People and Processes 23