Why do we have risk assessments in the workplace?

The short answer is "because it's every employer's duty".

Being an employer is about much more than just obeying the letter of the law, of course. You also want to make your workforce as productive as possible. And you need to attract talented people by being a good place to work.

Risk assessments, after all, are needed because they keep your employees safe. By using them to identify hazards you reduce their threat and the risk they pose to workers. Even if this avoids only minor accidents or injuries this is a massive benefit to your business, as it shows it is a safe place to work and means employees don't need to take time off due to these injuries. In more extreme cases they also save lives, protecting employees from what could be disastrous scenarios caused by overlooked hazards.

Nevertheless, the bottom line is that employers have a legal obligation to manage health and safety in the workplace. That means controlling risk, which can only be controlled once they have been identified and quantified.

That’s why it’s the responsibility of every employer to conduct a health and safety risk assessment, defining the hazards present in the workplace so that action can be taken to manage them.

Does the risk assessment need to be in writing?

The law is crystal clear on this point. Businesses with five or more employees must not only conduct a risk assessment, but also record the findings in a written report.

Organisations with fewer than five employees are still required to assess the risks in the workplace. There's no obligation to write the results down, but there's a strong case for doing it anyway. Creating a written report clarifies matters, focuses minds and makes it much easier to update the assessment when things change, such as when a new process or equipment is introduced. It also allows employees to refer back to them at any time, and provides evidence that your workplace is a safe place to work.

Self-assess or call in the experts?

If you are confident you understand the risks in your workplace, you can conduct your own workplace risk assessment. Although if you’re in any doubt about any aspect of the assessment or the level of risk, it’s wise to call in the experts. Conducting expert risk assessments is a key aspect of the service available from Phoenix.

Before deciding whether you need expert advice, consider the worst case scenario. Imagine finding yourself in court because of a Health and Safety incident in your workplace. That's when an inaccurate or incomplete risk assessment can cost you a major fine, and perhaps even close the business down.

It is therefore of the upmost importance to conduct proper risk assessments, and by using our service we can also review existing assessments and safety procedures to ensure you're business is considering all possible risks. By doing this you can reduce the likelihood of fines and personal injury claims, further protecting your business.

We also offer Risk Assessment Training for staff so they can learn how to carry out effective risk assessments of any workplace.

If you need to conduct a risk assessment or are not sure the one you have in place is fit for purpose, don’t hesitate to contact the Phoenix team for free, no obligation advice