HSE: Managing risks and risk assessment at work

Summary

As an employer, you're required by law to protect your employees, and others, from harm.

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is:

• identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)
• decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk)
• take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn't possible, control the risk

Assessing risk is just one part of the overall process used to control risks in your workplace.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provide a risk assessment template and examples.

Content

You can use a risk assessment template to help you keep a simple record of:

• who might be harmed and how
• what you're already doing to control the risks
• what further action you need to take to control the risks
• who needs to carry out the action
• when the action is needed by.