Risk Assessment and UK Law

Carrying out a proper risk assessment is essential for creating safe workplace environments. Knowing what the risks are and taking measures to avoid them helps avoid unnecessary workplace accidents and injuries, keeping workers safe and also protecting employers from legal action. All employers are required under UK law to carry out a full risk assessment, eliminate or reduce as much as possible any risks that are identified, and to make adequate provision of first aid equipment in case of workplace accident or injury.

The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations state that all UK employers have a legal duty to carry out a proper risk assessment. More specific regulations such as those concerning manual handling, infection control and hazardous substances in the workplace (eg. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, or COSHH).

Guidelines to carrying out a risk assessment and complying with legislation have been issued by the UK HSE. A risk assessment should include a thorough analysis of all non-trivial hazards present in the workplace, eg. electrical equipment, wet floors and trip hazards from loose cables. Next, the type of risk posed to workers should be considered, along with the injuries that might result from any accidents. For example, a wet floor might pose a risk of workers slipping, which could result in a range of injuries from minor bruising to broken bones.

The magnitude of risk, ie. how likely a hazard is to cause an injury, and also the likely severity of any injuries it might cause, should be taken into consideration. Employers should then consider how these risks can be eliminated, or reduced as much as possible. Any measures which are already in place to reduce risk should be taken into consideration, and employers should think about whether these are adequate or could be improved.

Finally, the outcome of a risk assessment should be written down, and a regular review of workplace risks should be carried out and the risk assessment updated. This should take place at least once a year, or following any major changes to the workplace.

The duties of employers under UK law to provide adequate equipment, and train at least some members of staff in basic first aid procedures, are set out in the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. A good risk assessment should assess how advanced the first aid provided should be.

For example, industrial, construction or manufacturing environments often present more serious hazards than most office environments, with the risk of injury greater and the injuries caused more severe. These can sometimes include a significant risk of death, particularly where hazardous chemicals, heavy machinery or high-voltage electrical sources are present.

A risk assessment carried out in such a workplace environment might conclude that equipment such as specialised burns dressings and defibrillators, as well as appointed persons specially trained in the use of this equipment, is necessary to adequately protect employees. Procedures such as lockout tagout should also be considered following a risk assessment in industrial workplaces.

A good risk assessment helps avoid unnecessary workplace injuries, protects workers from harm and employers from any legal consequences. It should therefore be given priority by all employers, in all workplaces.

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