1. VOLUNTARY SECTOR RISK ASSESSMENT
Is yours right, wrong or just different?
When is it good enough?

2. The Task
To risk assess every hazard in your working environment that has the potential to cause harm!

3. Your first reaction? Wow, what a great opportunity Or
Help. I can’t do this

4. Accidents and ill health can ruin lives and affect your business too if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase or you have to go to court. You are legally required to assess the risks in your workplace so that you put in place a plan to control the risks.

5. Where to start? Risk Assessments What is risk assessment?
According to the 5 steps to Risk Assessment published by the HSE it is:-
A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures.

6. REMEMBER:-
There are standard formats that can be tailored to the situation but you cannot rely on a text book assessment that does not reflect the situation, because:-
EVERY ORGANISATION IS DIFFERENT
ALL CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BE DIFFERENT
EACH RISK ASSESSMENT MUST SUIT THE EXISTING SITUATION AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE ORGANISATION

7. How to assess the risks in your workplace
Step 1
Identify the hazards
Step 2
Decide who might be harmed and how
Step 3
Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
Step 4
Record your findings and implement them
Step 5
Review your assessment and update if necessary

8. Step 1 - identify the hazards
Establish how people could be harmed. When you work in a place every day it is easy to overlook some hazards.
Walk around your workplace and look at what could reasonably be expected to cause harm.
Ask your employees or their representatives what they think. They may have noticed things that are not immediately obvious to you.
Check manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment as they can be very helpful in spelling out the hazards and putting them in their true perspective.
Have a look back at your accident and ill-health records – these often help to identify the less obvious hazards.
Remember to think about long-term hazards to health

9. Step 2 -Decide who might be harmed and how
For each hazard you need to be clear about who might be harmed; it will help you identify the best way of managing the risk. That doesn’t mean listing everyone by name, but rather identifying groups of people (eg ‘people working in the storeroom’ or ‘passers-by’).
In each case, identify how they might be harmed, ie what type of injury or ill health might occur. For example, ‘carer may injure back when helping service user out of bed’
Remember: some workers have particular requirements, eg new and young workers, new or expectant mothers and people with disabilities may be at particular risk.
Extra thought will be needed for some hazards; cleaners, visitors, contractors, maintenance workers, members of the public, etc, who may not be in the workplace all the time but if they could be hurt by your activities; if you share your workplace, you will need to think about how your work affects others present, as well as how their work affects your staff – talk to them; and ask your staff if they can think of anyone you may have missed.

10. Step 3 -Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
Having spotted the hazards, you then have to decide what to do about them. The law requires you to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect people from harm. So first, look at what you’re already doing, think about what controls you have in place and how the work is organized.
Consider:
Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?
Can I try a less risky option
Consider the likelihood of harm; is it
Very unlikely
Unlikely
Possible
Likely
Highly likely
Involve staff, so that you can be sure that what you propose to do will work in practice and won’t introduce any new hazards.

11. Step 4 -Record your findings and implement them
Write down the results of your risk assessment, and sharing them with your staff,
Keep it simple, for example ‘Tripping over rubbish: bins provided, staff instructed, weekly housekeeping checks’
A risk assessment does not have to be perfect, but it must be suitable and sufficient. You need to be able to show that:
a proper check was made;
you asked who might be affected;
you dealt with all the significant hazards, taking into account the number of people who could be involved;
the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low; and
you involved your staff or their representatives in the process.

12. Step 5 -Review your risk assessment and update if necessary
Look at your risk assessment again. It may be necessary to review them every 3 or 6 months. It may be annually. Every situation is individual.
Have there been any changes?
Are there improvements you still need to make?
Have your workers spotted a problem?
Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses?
Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.

13. What risk assessments and procedures do I have to make?
AGENCY / TEMPORARY /
VOLUNTARY PERSONNEL
ACCESS
ACCIDENTS
ACCIDENTS – Accident Investigation
ASBESTOS CONTROL & SAFETY
AUDIT PROCEDURES

14. BUSINESS TRAVEL ABROAD
CONSTRUCTION WORK
CONTRACTORS
CONTRACTORS – Contractors Check List
CONTRACTORS – Contractors Permits to Work
CONTROL OF SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH

15. DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT
DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT – DSE risk self assessment
DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT – Computer User Guide
ELECTRICITY AT WORK
ELECTRICITY AT WORK – Portable Electrical Equipment
ELECTRICITY AT WORK – Equipment & user training record
ELECTRICITY AT WORK – Electrical Safety Information sheet

16. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
EVENTS
FIRE SAFETY
FIRE SAFETY – Prevention
FIRE SAFETY – Procedures
FIRE SAFETY - Record
FIRE SAFETY - Training
FIRST AID
FOOD & HYGIENE

17. GAS SAFETY
HOME WORKING
HOME WORKING – Self assessment
HOME WORKING – Risk assessment record/summary sheet
LONE WORKING
LIFT MAINTENANCE
MANUAL HANDLING
MOBILE PHONES/PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT (PDA)

18. NEW OR EXPECTANT MOTHERS OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
- Cleanliness
- Doors
- Drinking Water
- Floors
- Floor Area & Room Space
- Housekeeping
- Lighting
- RSI/WRULD

19. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) POLICY STATEMENT
- Sanitary Conveniences
- Staircases, Stairwells
- Storage
- Temperature & Ventilation
- Welfare Facilities
- Windows & Doors
- Workstations
- Workspace
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
POLICY STATEMENT

20. RISK ASSESSMENT – Risk Assessment flow chart
RISK ASSESSMENT – Workplace self assessment
RISK ASSESSMENT – Risk compliance certificate
RISK ASSESSMENT – Record & Summary sheet
RISK ASSESSMENT – Safety Risk Assessment Matrix

21. SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK
SAFETY COMMITTEE
SHOPS
SMOKING AT WORK
STRESS PREVENTION
VISITORS
VEHICLE & DRIVER SAFETY

22. WORKING AT HEIGHT
WORKING AT HEIGHT – Equipment Maintenance
WORK EQUIPMENT
WORK EQUIPMENT – Equipment & training record sheet
WORKING OUTDOORS
WORK RELATED VIOLENCE
WAREHOUSE SAFETY
YOUNG PERSONS AT WORK

23. Don’t panic – Help is at hand!
Where can you get help from?
Charities Safety Group
Health and Safety Executive
Professional Bodies
Training – NEBOSH etc
Internet
Benchmarking

24. Review risk assessments
Any questions?