Risk Assessment – Health and Safety Policy

Begin annual update of Health and Safety Policy. Consult previous Health and Safety Policy. Limited in detail. Insufficient. Written by novice. Note to inform Managing Director of predecessors failings. Again. Full overhaul of Health and Safety Policy required. New Health and Safety Policy required.

In line with Health and Safety regulations conduct Risk Assessment of offices. Step 1. Look for hazards. Ignore trivial. Concentrate on significant hazards. List hazards in column 1 of assessment form. Step 2. Think about people who might be harmed and how. Take into account people who may not be in workplace at all times. Cleaners. Man in the Scarf. Visitors. Contractors. List people who may be harmed in column 2 of assessment form. Step 3. Decide whether existing precautions are adequate. Negative. Further precautions are required to be implemented. Ask the question, “Can I eliminate the hazard?” If not, “How can I control it?” List all the controls that are in place in column 3. Step 4. In column 4. Risk factor. Assess the likelihood of the event actually occurring and severity of the event if an accident were to occur. When determined, calculate factor. Multiply the probability and the severity to decide whether risks are determined to be low. Medium. High. Step 5. List further action needed to adequately control the risk. Step 6. Review assessment. Make amendments. Submit Risk Assessment to Managing Director. Await response.

Risk Assessment complete. Begin new Health and Safety Policy. Be thorough. Be vigorous. Be vigilant. Health and Safety is the sleeping partner of any business.

That is all…