Risk assessments are an integral part of maintaining safety in the workplace.
Not only do they enhance safety and prevent accidents, but risk assessments also ensure you abide by legal regulations and protect your reputation.
But there’s a problem. Many businesses get risk assessments wrong or make mistakes. And that means that staff members and/or the general public are vulnerable to accidents and injuries and your business is vulnerable to legal issues.
So how to do a risk assessment? Ensure your risk assessments are right by avoiding these 5 common risk assessment mistakes.
1: Underestimating A Risk
Knowing your business inside out is a good feeling. However, overfamiliarity in a workplace can mean that you become complacent and overlook or underestimate potential risks.
Imagine you’re a chef. You know everything there is to know about your kitchen and can identify obvious risks with ease. But what about that slightly loose pan handle or the edge of the chopping board that’s starting to curl? Whilst seemingly minor, these things that we adapt to without thinking can present huge risks in a working environment.
And don’t forget about the hidden risks! Stress, for example. It might not be a visible risk, but as an employer, you have a legal duty to protect your staff from the impact of stress on mental and physical well-being.
What’s The Solution?
It’s not your fault that you’ve become acclimatised to your surroundings, but it IS your responsibility to ensure your workplace is safe.
Use people from other areas of your business to help carry out your risk assessments. Getting a fresh set of eyes on your workplace set-up can help shine the spotlight on problematic areas.
Even better? Opt for an external company like ours. Envesca are professional, friendly health and safety experts with extensive experience aiding all sorts of businesses in their workplace safety solutions. We can help you work out how to do a risk assessment without the stress.
2: Lack Of Communication
Risk assessments often end up on the desk of someone not directly involved in the department being assessed.
This means that they can be completed by an individual who doesn’t fully understand or have experience in the practical aspects of the tasks on the list. They may only focus on obvious hazards without thinking of the bigger picture.
What’s The Solution?
To mitigate problematic risks assessing, ensure direct involvement from people who physically carry out the tasks. That means involving the chef and the sous chef because both individuals may have different perspectives.
Working as a team means you end up with a more accurate risk assessment, giving you comprehensive control measures that suit everyone.
3: Using A Template Risk Assessment With Generic Information
We all love a template. Ordinarily, they make life easier.
However, in some circumstances, off-the-shelf solutions don’t fit the need and risk assessments are one of those times. Generic templates are unlikely to address the hazards unique to your working environment and often fail to help you capture the complexity of certain risks.
What’s The Solution?
Incomplete or inadequate hazard management leaves your people and your business at risk.
If you’re going to use a template document, treat it as a base for your risk assessment. Ensure you use as much detail as possible to customise the template and ensure it fits your exact risks. Avoid generic terms like ‘big’ or ‘PPE’, instead, provide dimensions and weight measurements and name the specific items in question.
4: Not Keeping Up To Date
Workplaces are constantly changing, so risk assessments should too. General health and safety guidance suggests you should review your risk assessments every year, but some events and incidents should trigger a review before this, such as building work, new equipment etc..
Let’s use our fictional kitchen to address when and why a risk assessment should be reviewed.
New Equipment
New pieces of equipment may come with different risks to existing tools and implements. Staff may also require training, and procedures might need to be changed.
After An Accident
Were existing risk controls effective in preventing the accident? Reviewing your risk assessment after an incident or accident highlights gaps in your current strategies that need attention.
Change In Personel
New staff and staff that have changed roles in the kitchen may be unfamiliar with existing safety management protocols. A new head chef, for instance, will need to be aware of a whole different set of risks and control measures than a waitress.
Change In Process
New recipes and different cooking methods could both introduce different risks into a kitchen. A new chemical cleaning agent bought in to clean the kitchen could also present a range of new risks that require assessing to ensure appropriate controls can be put in place.
5: Inadequate Control Measures
The term ‘control measures’ describes actions and strategies that are implemented to remove, reduce or mitigate safety and health risks.
There is a hierarchy of control measures you should work through when considering each risk identified in your risk assessment. The hierarchy runs as follows, with the most effective control measure at the top of the list…
- Elimination – physically remove the hazard
- Substitution – replace the hazard
- Engineering controls – isolate people from the hazard
- Administrative controls – change the way people work
- PPE – protect the worker with equipment
Removing the hazard completely is the best way of controlling the risks involved. This isn’t always possible, of course. If elimination isn’t an option, you should consider each option below it in turn, with PPE as a last resort and not the primary means of control.
For a real-life kitchen example, consider that installing a ventilation system to remove fumes or elimination, is far more effective than relying solely on masks, (PPE), for protection.
What’s The Solution?
If you’re having trouble finding the best way of managing the hazards your assessment has identified, why not consult with a specialist?
Envesca can help you identify the most effective control measures for your specific hazards. We offer proactive support, sensible advice and expert guidance through our health and safety consultation services.
Prevent Risk Assessment Mistakes And Keep Your Business Safe
Risk assessment mistakes can land you and your business in deep water. Inaccurate and vague information, lack of clear communication and inadequate control risks are just some of the ways in which your assessments can go wrong.
A proactive approach to risk assessment can save you money, protect your employees and improve your reputation.
Wondering how to do a risk assessment for your workplace? Worried about keeping your people and business free from harm? See our website to enquire about our fantastic consultancy services.