S.H.E.A.T.

Safety, Health, Environment, Audit & Training.

Health & Safety is a Contiual Process

Risk Assessments etc.

Risk, COSHH, Manual Handling, Display Screen Equipment (DSE), Fire Risk Assessments etc. are required to be carried out by law, these form part of the control measures which are required to help control risks to health from work processes.

Risk Assessments - What is it?

What is a risk assessment, well the official definition of a risk assessment from the HSE is as follows: -

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm to people in the workplace.  Doing a risk assessment will help employers identify the significant risks in their workplace, and avoid wasted effort by effectively targeting these.  A good risk assessment will help avoid accidents and ill health, which can not only ruin lives, but can also increase costs to business through lost output, compensation claims and higher insurance premiums.

So you can see from this definition, why it is a necessity to carry out risk assessments.  When carrying out assessments, it is essential that all significant risks are addressed and appropriate control measures implemented, to either remove the risk completely, or at the very least reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable.

COSHH Assessments - What is it?

Basically the definition of a COSHH Risk Assessment, or any different type of Risk Assessment, is the same, as it is the risks to health that are being assessed in all of them, the only difference is, the types of risk to health.  Therefore, the following may help with regard to COSHH Assessments: -

In order to control the risks which are associated with handling chemicals, it is essential to ensure that all of the hazardous substances have been identified.  Therefore, this should be built into a COSHH assessment procedure.  

When considering what the risks are, it should not just be the main substances which are involved, that are taken into consideration.  The actual work process may produce other hazardous substances e.g. through chemical reactions, or by-products such as dusts, fumes, vapours or break-down products.  All of these needs to be given full consideration, so you should never rely solely on the manufacturers Safety Data Sheets to provide a complete list of hazards!

It must also be remembered that the risk from a hazardous substance only arises when it is used, if the container is not opened there is no risk.  Also the level of risk depends entirely on: -

The amount of the substance a person is exposed to;

How long for; and

Sometimes personal factors (such as genetics and previous exposures).

Therefore it is essential that the assessment gives consideration to: -

How and where in the process/task exposure can occur; and

How significant the exposure is likely to be.

Once all of the above has been identified, you will be more capable of deciding what the appropriate control measures will be, and how to go about implementing them.

Manual Handling Assessments - What is it?

Again the basics of the risk assessment are the same, you are looking to assess the significant risks to health.  In addition to the general risk assessment requirements, the main areas to focus in a Manual Handling Risk Assessment is on the: -

Task;

Load;

Working environment; and

Individuals capability.

All of the above must be given consideration, such as: -

Does the task really need to be done manually, can it be carried out by mechanical means;

What is the size, shape, weight, of the load;

Are there any obstacles in the path/route which has to be taken, are there rest areas;

Is the individual capable of lifting such a load, will it require two persons to lift.

These are only a few of the points which will need to be considered during an assessment.

Display Screen User Assessments - What is it?

It is an analysis of computer workstations to assess and reduce risks.  

The Display Screen Equipment Assessment looks at various areas in a workstation, for example: -

Seating;

Display Screen;

Lighting, natural and artificial;

Software;

Work area;

Desk area;

Environment.

These are just a few of the points which should be given adequate consideration, when carrying out the assessment, the ergonomics of the whole workstation must be given full consideration.

Fire Risk Assessments - What is it?

Basically a fire risk assessment will help to identify any/or all of the fire hazards and risks in your  premises.  The person carrying out the assessment can then decide whether the risks are acceptable, or whether they need to be addressed further, to either remove completely or to reduce the risk, to as low as reasonably practicable.

When carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment the following five steps must be taken into account: -

Identify the fire hazards;

Identify people at risk;

Evaluating the risks;

Record your findings;

Review and revise.

Workplace Assessments - What is it?

A Workplace Risk Assessment is basically a Risk Assessment of the workplace, which will ensure that any hazards and their associated risks are addressed.  Therefore every business is required to carry out a risk assessment of its workplace to ensure that the necessary control measures are in place.

The law does not expect all risks to be eliminated, however, employers are required to protect people as far as possible.  A risk assessment helps focus on the risks that could potentially cause real harm, this should be a straightforward process and need not be onerous.

The assessor should basically be looking for hazards such as: -

Slips, trips and falls;

Work at height;

Exposure to hazardous substances;

High noise levels;

Moving vehicles;

Working temperatures;

Access & Egress;

Fire; and

Explosion.

The above mentioned assessments are only a few areas which require assessments to be carried out.  As with other forms of health and safety controls, such as inspections, accident investigations etc. assessments provide essential information which can be used in Safety Audits.

S.H.E.A.T. can carry out risk assessments for your business if you so wish, we can also provide the necessary training, so that managers etc. can carry out the risk assessments.

 

Health & Safety is a Continual Process