IOSH Staffordshire branch
Risk Assessments Back to Basics
September 2019
Presented by Andy Kerr : Tech IOSH

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Staffordshire Branch Programme 2019 - 2020
Welcome by the Branch Committee
Thursday, 17 October 2019
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Thursday, 21 November 2019
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Thursday, 19 December 2019
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Welcome by the Branch Committee

Introduction to back to basics risk assessments
Presented by
Andy Kerr
Tech IOSH
Let me tell you a little bit about myself
Who's this guy ?

Setting the Scene and outcome
Understanding the principles and practicalities of risk assessment.
Understanding risk evaluation.
Selecting control measures.
Implementing control measures.
Communicating.
Monitoring and reviewing.
Over the next few slides we will be covering

Understanding the principles of a risk assessment
Why do we have to
What's your opinion on this, could I have a little help to write down a few ideas
could i have a volunteer and get some feed back from the room?
• Legal responsibility [HSAWA74] [MHSWR99]
• To prevent harm.
• To control the risks.
• Creating a safer working environment.
• Making people aware of hazards.
• Financial implications.
• Moral implications.
• ? Maybe you can help.
A few Reasons why

Practicalities of a risk assessment
Risk assessments are the foundation blocks of all health and safety management
 Its not about creating huge amounts of paperwork, in some case does not need to be written down.
But rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risk in the work place.
 Risk assessments should be a systematic and logical process of collecting information, making judgements
against standards, often set out in law. Can anyone give me a few examples. ?
 There are no fixed rules about carrying out a risk assessment. In practice, it will depend on the nature of the work.
 The types of hazards and risks. Also taking into account the views of employees, safety reps who all can contribute with
a vast amount practical knowledge.
 but not all risk assessments can be carried out by ourselves when we consider some of specialised field out there
such as: can we think of any ?

Practicalities of a risk assessment
5 steps to Carrying out a basic risk assessment
1. Identifying the hazards.
2. Who might be harmed and how.
3. Evaluating the risks and deciding on the
precautions.
4. Recording, implementing and communicating
your findings.
5. Review the assessment and up date when
necessary.
Where now going to look in turn at each of the five steps

Practicalities of a risk assessment
1.Identifying The Hazards
 What is a Hazard ?
A hazard is something that has the potential to cause harm.
Hazards come in all shapes and sizes and can be very obvious like an exposed blade or a trip hazard
but some times not so obvious like:
 Physical Hazards "A factor within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it.
Can you think of any?
When looking at your work place it is easy to overlook some hazards, here are few tips that could help:
Checking manufacturers` instructions.
Look back at accidents history.
Think about non routine activities.
Visit the HSE website.

Practicalities of a risk assessment
Hazard spotting check lists
You can find a hazard spotting check lists on the HSE website. here is an example, that is out there,
it dose not Give all hazards that you could be presented with, but gives you start point.

Practicalities of a risk assessment
2. Who might be harmed and how
 For each hazard you need to be clear who might be harmed, this will help you when identifying and
Implementing Control measures. This does not mean each and every person by name,
But possibly identifying different groups of people can we think of a few:
 Some groups identified may need a particular requirement and or a separate risk assessment such as:
 Consider asking others of there opinions, there may be some groups, who you have not thought about.

Understanding risk evaluation
3.Evaluating the risks and deciding on the precautions
 Having identified the hazards, we then need to evaluate how likely and the severity
of harm Occurring, I.E., the level of risk which we might be exposed to.
 Generally, you need to do everything `reasonably practicable` to protect people from harm.
However, you do not need to take action if it would be grossly disproportionate to the level
Of risk. Can we think of a few examples?
Consider what we are doing already, the control measures we have in place, could we change
Reduce or eliminate the hazard altogether as in the hierarchy of controls.

The Hierarchy of Control
when undertaking an assessment of risk, the hierarchy of control must always be considered and applied [MHSWR99]
Selecting control measures
1) Design out, remove, eliminate.
2) Substitute with a safer option or substance.
3) Engineered controls by use of equipment, LEV, guarding.
4) Identifying and implementing the procedures you will need to work safely
I.E Risk assessments, signage, T.W.E, job rotation.
5) After all other measures have been considered and found to be ineffective in
Controlling the risks, is when (PPE) should be considered.

Example of using a Analytical risk assessment
Showing a simple excel formula
Used to automatically generate colour
risk rating, of severity x likelihood.
further control measure should be
Implemented if the risk can be further
reduced
Selecting control measures

Implementing control measures
4. Recording, implementing and communicating your findings
If you have five or more employees you must make a record of your findings in law [MHSWR99]
with focus on :
 Details of the person (s) carrying out the risk assessment.
 Date and time of assessment.
 Details of location, activity, equipment and or people being assessed.
 Capable of being understood
 Relevant to the activity
 focusing on the significant hazards.
 Extent of the risk (severity x likelihood).
 Adequate and effective control measures.

Implementing control measures
4. Recording, implementing and communicating your findings
 To achieve success in health and safety management, there needs to be effective communication up, down
and across the organisation.
 Confirmation of understanding of your risk assessment to all who may be effected.
 Creating safe systems of work.
 Tool box talks are also a good way of getting the message across to all.
 Initial and site inductions.
 In addition to Notice boards or located by activity when possible as a reminder.
 Built into training.

4. Implementing and communicating your findings
Communicating
We can all make a judgement and a great
assessment of the perceived hazards
In front of us
But unless we convey to all what we have learned the same harm will keep happening.
communication to all concerned is the vital key to an effective risk assessment.

Monitoring and reviewing
5. Review the assessment and up dating as when necessary
Monitoring working activities is a key part of a supervisors role and others in control of the working environment.
 A specific period of time has elapsed.
 An accident, ill-health, near miss or dangerous occurrences, etc.
 New or improved equipment introduced, including and significant changes to operation.
 Changes in or to personnel.
 As a result of advice or action by an Enforcing Authority or insurance company.
 Changes in legislation or information.
 A new or foreseeable control measure becomes known:
 As a result of your monitoring, reviewing and auditing processes.

 Why do we need to carry out risk assessment
 What is a hazard.
 What is a risk.
 What is a control measure.
 What are the 5 steps in carrying out a risk assessment.
 When should we review a risk assessment.
 Why is it important to communicate the risk assessment.
Quick Recap
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Any questions ?
Thank you for your support & listening
Don’t worry about carrying out a risk assessment its quite simply about
Thinking about what your doing, rather than doing before thinking.