Conducting a risk assessment is not difficult or demanding. It is a case of looking at the activity and identifying the hazards (anything that has the potential to do harm) and who may be harmed and how associated with it.  By gauging the likelihood that the hazard will do harm, and the severity of the harm caused, a risk rating can be identified. Measures to control the hazard may need to be put in place. If the risk rating is low, the activity can proceed. If it is medium, then more control measures should be considered and the activity monitored and supervised.  If the risk rating is high, then more control measures will be needed.  Monitoring and supervision of the activity will be necessary and a ‘permit to work’ system may be required before the activity can proceed.

See below for some risk assessment templates and example risk assessments.

Guidance on Completing a Risk assessment

• Part of managing health and safety on site is controlling the risks in the workplace.  You need to think about what may cause harm to people and decide whether you are taking reasonable steps to prevent that harm.  This is known as a risk assessment, and it is something that you are required to carry out by law.
• A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork, but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace.  The important point is to take time to consider the risks, and to ensure these risks and the mitigation measures to reduce those risks are all fully understood by everyone undertaking the work on site.  Any risk assessment just filed away and not seen and understood by those undertaking the work is useless.
• Think about how accidents and ill health could happen and concentrate on real risks – those that are most likely and which could cause the most harm.

Definitions

• Hazard: Anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working at height or near water, uneven ground, plant and tools.
• Risk: The chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.