What is a Risk Assessment?

A risk assessment is an examination of the potential hazards that could cause harm to people within the workplace. A risk assessment should identify the risks before and during project works, identify the type of hazard and risk level posed, allowing duty holders to effectively minimise the potential risks and manage any residual risks through implementing preventative measures.

There are many types of risk assessment covering all areas of the workplace. All of these risk assessment types can be categorised into the following three types of risk assessment;

• Generic Risk Assessment - an assessment of the health and safety risks within the workplace aimed at identifying top level hazards
• Specific Risk Assessment - an in depth assessment of specific hazards someone may encounter during specific site works such as; working at height, manual handling, noise vibration
• Hazardous Substances Risk Assessment - an in depth assessment of the potential for exposure to hazardous substances such as lead, legionella, asbestos, and anthrax. This assessment is known as Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) risk assessment.

Your risk assessment should cover these five steps as outlined by the HSE:

1. Identify the hazards and risks
2. Decide who might be harmed and how (your employees, your contractors, members of the public)
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions (using qualitative or quantitative measures to identify the level of risk and the likelihood that someone will be harmed by the risk)
4. Record your significant findings
5. Review your risk assessment whenever changes to the situation or workplace environment occur and update the recorded risk levels where required

Why should you use an external Risk Assessment Consultant?

Conducting risk assessments, implementing your risk aversion measure and reviewing their effectiveness on site can be a time consuming process for you and other duty holders, especially if the safety procedures and assessments aren’t fit for purpose from the start. 

To ensure your team and contractors are protected from potential risks and get it right first time, procuring an external Risk Assessment Consultant can save you both time and money. By building the correct health and safe systems of work (SSOW), ensuring your documentation is correct, and implementing effective control measures, accidents and unnecessary risks can be avoided. 

What Risk Assessment services can our consultants provide you?

We work closely with you and your team to create, refresh and review your risk management systems and risk assessments, tailoring your documentation and processes to your project and operations..

• Conduct impartial risk assessments
• Documentation writing services
• Safety Management Systems review, evaluation, and consultancy
• Develop effective safe systems of works (SSOW) and methods of communications with stakeholders
• Comprehensive compliance support

One size does not fit all. Our team of consultants can provide bespoke health and safety packages to suit your needs to ensure you get the most out of the services we provide.

What are my responsibilities?

Under the Health and Safety at Work act 1974, regulation 3, it is a requirement that the duty holder takes proactive steps to control the risks in the workplace, including on construction sites where workers may not be directly employed by the duty holder, or members of the public may be at risk from on-site works. As a duty holder, it is required that you identify the risks and make suitable arrangements for managing health, safety, and welfare as far as reasonably practicable. If you employ more than five people within your organisation you must record your risks and measures as a written risk assessment.

Our risk assessment services are part of our wider health, safety and CDM consultant services which combine a consistent structured approach to proactive health, safety, and welfare management. Our trusted risk assessment consultants can help you achieve your project goals whilst keeping your team and stakeholders safe.

Want to partner with a purpose driven holistic environmental services and consultancy supplier? Click 'Make an Enquiry' now or give our team a call on 0345 5040 303.