Guide to Health & Safety Risk Assessment
Contents
1. Hazard Hazard Description Existing controls to reduce risk Risk Level tickone Further action needed to reduce risks No High Med Low provide timescales and initials of person responsible for action 12 Machinery Fixed guarding preventing access to dangerous VY None required moving parts parts of machinery ah piadesrenciosed blades etc Follow manufacturers instructions Service contract for photocopier Photocopier Photocopier located in separate room away from workstations to minimise distraction Shredder Guillotine from noise window by photocopier can be opened to improve ventilation Office fans Sealed toner cartridges used 16 Driving at work Driving parking in accordance with Road y e Consider checking driving licenses on RTAs Property damage Road rage assault Traffic Act i e not driving under the influence of alcohol drugs and Univ permit conditions Route planning leave in plenty of time for visit Dti guidance on use of mobile phones issued appointment review Univ procedures Staff should ensure they are adequately insured for business use Encourage accident reporting 2I 9 XIGNAddV LE 30 Site visits See separate risk assessment e To include radiation risks hazard 19 26 Stress See separate risk assessment 27 Lone working out University Safety Guides no 7 e Encourage staff to phone in prior to leaving of hours work e Whereabo2. Form see website Work with biological agents Control of biological hazards SG14 YES COSHH Assessment Form see website Included in COSHH training Personal protective equipment PPE Personal protective equipment SG 27 Separate assessment no longer required PPE should be considered in general and COSHH assessments Included in COSHH training Fire risk assessment Fire safety SG34 YES Fire Risk Assessment Contact Fire Safety Fire Drills SG5 checklists issued by Fire Safety Adviser Adviser Emergency evacuation of In preparation contact In preparation Contact Fire Safety people with disabilities Health amp Safety Services Adviser Dangerous substances Dangerous Substances and NO include in general or Contact Fire Safety Explosive Atmospheres COSHH assessments Adviser Regulations DSEAR SG24 New and expectant mothers Health and Safety Guidance YES See guidance SN27 Contact Health and Notes on Maternity Issues Safety Adviser SN27 Field work Fieldwork SG32 Examples available see YES guidance SG32 Students placements Student placements SG31 Checklist available see YES guidance SG31 Social Events Social events SG33 YES See guidance SG33 YES Food Safety amp Hygiene Food Safety amp Hygiene YES See guidance SG29 YES SG29 Vibration Health amp Safety Guidance NO use general risk Contact Healt
3. Health and Safety Executive HSE website www hse gov uk contains a lot of useful general and topic specific health and safety guidance much of which can be downloaded free HSE priced publications are available from HSE Books Tel 01787 881165 or visit www hsebooks com or from bookshops such as Waterstones on campus Health amp Safety Services also keep a library of reference material which can be borrowed A selection of health and safety videos is also available 4 Management of Health and Safety at Work Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Approved Code of Practice HSE Books L21 ISBN 07176 0412 8 5 00 SG4 May 2004 15 AREA HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT FORM RA1 Assessment Reference No Area or Assessment date activity assessed the activity i e are at risk Persons who may be affected by SECTION 1 Identify Hazards Consider the activity or work area and identify if any of the hazards listed below are significant tick the boxes that apply Fall of person from work at height Lighting levels Use of portable tools equipment Vehicles driving at work Hazardous fumes chemicals dust Occupational stress Fall of objects Heating amp ventilation Fixed machinery or lifting equipment Outdoor work extreme weather Hazardous biological agent Violence to staff verbal assault Slips Trips amp Housekeeping La
4. Services and the University Health and Safety Committee when required see Section F for more details There is no prescribed way of allocating these responsibilities as this will vary from area to area according to structure and activities and should be determined locally by the Head of School Directorate However to assist in this process Table 1 over page may be used as a guide Heads of School Directorates may appoint one or more persons to specialise in certain types of risk assessment for example display screen work manual handling or work with hazardous substances under COSHH Specific training courses are available from Health amp Safety Services for these risk assessments see Section C for more information SG4 May 2004 2 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading Table 1 Guide to allocating risk assessment responsibilities Area or type of work Person allocated responsibility for carrying out risk assessments they may delegate the actual task Teaching laboratories Specified academic in charge of laboratory Research laboratories Research supervisor or principal investigator Work with sources of radiation Research supervisor or principal investigator overseen by School Radiation Protection Supervisor Work with lasers Research supervisor or principal investigator overseen by School Laser Supervisor Central teaching areas e g seminar lecture Support Services
5. assessments is provided and a hazard checklist is included to help you get started Risk assessment forms are also provided which should be used to record assessments Examples of assessments are also included as appendices What do we mean by suitable and sufficient risk assessment By law employers have to carry out risk assessments that are suitable and sufficient this means that assessments should e Be comprehensive and cover the hazards and significant risk of all work activities including routine and non routine work one off as well as regular activities research work as well as teaching classes low risk and high risk work off campus activity as well as activities taking place on our premises e Be systematic in the way in which hazards are identified risks are assessed and controls are implemented e Include risks to health as well as safety and include risks to mental health e Take account of risks to non employees which in our case includes students visitors contractors and guests at events e Identify groups of people who may be particularly at risk such as young or inexperienced persons expectant mothers visitors unfamiliar with the premises and people with disabilities or health conditions e Be undertaken before new workplaces are built i e at the design stage not as an after thought when making modifications can be more difficult and very expensive e Ensure the findings of assessments are b
6. controls might be i Physical such as machine guards enclosures interlocks restricted access or local exhaust ventilation ii Administrative such as established safe working procedures emergency procedures information supervision and training or iii Personal protective equipment which is provided and worn Remember to include any relevant preventive maintenance programmes and regular inspections such as those carried out by insurance company engineers as these too are risk control measures You also should consider if these risk controls are adequate compare them with the relevant legal requirements standards or guidelines as identified in Step 3 It is important to find out if the controls put in place are actually used in practice Also think about what is done to check that these controls are in good working order is any preventive maintenance or servicing carried out or any visual checks and inspections STEP 7 Assessing the level of remaining or residual risk It is essential to now consider whether given the existing measures that are taken or risk controls that are already in place what the remaining level of risk actually is This is where knowing how your current arrangements compare with best practice and legislative requirements is important how else do you know whether you are doing all you should be doing to reduce health and safety risks On Risk assessment form RAI you are provided with columns
7. for each and every work activity or for every worker If risks are of a similar nature in a number of areas within the department or school or the work activities of a group of staff are similar then generic risk assessments can be carried out For example generic assessments of general office based workshop based or laboratory based health and safety risks can be undertaken However specific assessments will be needed for activities not covered by these generic assessments or sometimes for individuals who are particularly at risk such as staff or students with disabilities or expectant mothers Similarly a generic assessment can be topic or hazard based For example an assessment may look at manual handling activities throughout a section or for a particular group of staff or the storage of highly flammable liquids throughout your school An example of a generic office based risk assessment is included as Appendix 6 this is based on the Health amp Safety Services Office An example of a specific risk assessment for Display screen equipment DSE work is included as Appendix 7 f Divide your list into manageable chunks and decide who is the best person to carry out each risk assessment You may for example decide that a supervisor has a more detailed understanding of a particular function Each risk assessment should take no more that half a day to complete otherwise it should be further subdivided g Do not split the task by asking d
8. legal requirements and standards relating to the hazard in question A complete list of University health and safety guidance can be found on the Health amp Safety Services website see Section J Further Information amp Guidance for details or copies can be from the Health amp Safety Services Office The hazards relevant to the University are listed in the Hazard Checklist in Appendix 4 For most hazards you can simply follow the step by step risk assessment procedure outlined in this guide and use one of the risk assessment forms provided in Appendix 1 or 2 However there are some hazards which require a more detailed or specialised assessment to comply with legal requirements or for which to make the assessment process easier Health amp Safety Services have designed specific assessment forms and checklist Those hazards for which a specific assessment form should be used rather than the general forms contained in this Guide are listed in Appendix 5 All assessment forms are available via the Health and Safety website Where specific risk assessment training courses are provided this is indicated also Health amp Safety Services provide an annual programme of training which includes courses providing guidance on how to carry out both general risk assessments and specific assessments for particular types of activities or hazards A full list of courses available can be found in the current edition of the Health amp Safety Training
9. sockets are not overloaded include item in regular health and safety inspection e Ensure cabling is not subjected to damage by furniture e g desk legs chairs and cabinets or pedestrians All cables that must traverse traffic routes should be protected by cable covers if they cannot be safely re routed or tied back out of the way 26 9 XIGNiddV 97 9 Welfare Tea amp coffee making facilities provided in room v e With agreement staff can use Maths Kitchen facilities 109 but no running water supply at end of corridor for water supply to fill up Adequate toilets amp washing facilities nearby 3 litre water container and for washing cups First aider in the team KO First Aid kit kept e Maintain supplies of disposable cups to use in room 112 contents maintained by KO for visitors Further first aiders provided in Physics amp IT e Put list of other local first aiders on staff Services First Aid Room Physics Rm notice board 24 Condition of Good structural condition no low level glazing v e Window in Room 112 is difficult to open buildings glazing Asbestos survey of building carried out results on WREN database monitor condition Loose ceiling tile Room 111 not hazardous monitor Health and Safety Risk Assessments continuation sheet SECTION 2 continued Risk Controls Assessment Reference No HSS OFFICE 04 Continuation sheet number 4
10. the basic principles as outlined in this guide must still be applied and risk assessments must be carried out for all research projects This process should commence at the earliest opportunity to maximise the potential for designing hazards out of the research activity In practice these risk assessments will be undertaken by the Supervisor or research students assistants under the direction of the Supervisor Once the risk assessment has been carried out the necessary control measures identified should be implemented Controls might include technical controls such as fume extraction or electrical insulation working practices such as prohibition of lone working on some projects or the provision of personal protective equipment Risk assessments and risk control methods must be considered when writing protocols for project work Research project supervisors are expected to see their research workers students at appropriate intervals dependant upon the degree of risk associated with the research project being undertaken SG4 May 2004 5 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading There should be formal arrangements in the Department School to provide a temporary alternate supervisor to cover for planned or unexpected absences of an individual s normal project supervisor From time to time especially when a project is finished it will be necessary to review how well the health and safety arrangements for tha
11. to indicate whether you have assessed the risk as low medium or high Making this kind of judgement can be very subjective and results can vary considerably from one assessor to another More objective assessments will be produced if the approach taken to evaluating risk considers the factors that contribute to increased risk in a consistent way these are 1 The severity of the harm that exposure to the hazard could cause S ii The probability of exposure to the hazard P To help you evaluate the level of risk you can do a very simple calculation to produce a risk score which corresponds to a risk level of low medium or high Simply decide the level of severity S Table 2 over page and a level of probability P Table 3 over page for the hazard in question and multiply the scores together as described On risk assessment form RA2 space is provided to record these scores and the scores are given in brackets for each category selected For more SG4 May 2004 10 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading simple or generic risk assessments recorded on Risk Assessment form RA1 you are just invited to select from the categories low medium or high but you can use the scoring system described above if you wish to take a more objective approach Table 2 Risk Severity S The severity of any resulting injury or ill health Example MINOR Superficial injuries
12. Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment The University of Reading Safety Guide 4 2004 Revision GUIDE TO HEALTH amp SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT Contents Section rao tmouoaw p J K Introduction Who should be doing risk assessments Specific guidance risk assessment requirements amp training Fire risk assessment requirements Research projects and postgraduate students How to get started with your risk assessments Recording risk assessments The risk assessment process step by step approach STEP 1 Choose an area activity project etc to concentrate on STEP 2 Identify the significant hazards associated with these STEP 3 Identify relevant standards STEP 4 Decide who is at risk and might be harmed STEP 5 Consider how people might be harmed from these hazards STEP 6 List the risk controls currently in place to reduce the risks identified STEP 7 Assessing the level of remaining or residual risk STEPS 8 amp 9 Deciding what further action is required now and in the future STEP 10 Reviewing risk assessments Informing others of risk assessment findings Monitoring health and safety performance Further information amp guidance Appendix 1 Area Health and Safety Risk Assessment Form RA1 Appendix 2 Project Activity Risk Assessment Form RA2 Appendix 3 Register of Risk Assessments Completed Appendix 4 Hazard Checklist Appendix 5 Specific risk assessment requirements f
13. Manager Facilities Management theatres Directorate Administrative areas Senior Administrative Officer supervisor Individual offices Each occupier Alternatively a person nominated to co ordinate these e g Area Health amp Safety Co ordinator Workshops Workshop supervisor E a Rooms Supervisor in charge Common areas within departments e g meeting Senior Administrative Officer or Area Health amp Safety Co rooms corridors with departmental access only ordinator Building fire safety Area Health amp Safety Co ordinator or Building Superintendent University Fire Safety Adviser Student activities off site e g organised visits and Academic in charge fieldwork Supervisor field work Activities of students on placements Academic in charge Placement Organiser must assess the suitability including health and safety of the placement and ensure a risk assessment of the work of the student is undertaken by the organisation providing the placement Catering facilities Manager or Hall Caterer Halls of Residence Hall Manager or deputy Other work within Directorates Area manager or assistant Social Events Event Organiser in consultation with Event Safety Controller Work with Work with Genetically Modified Organisms Modified Organisms GM GM Project Supervisor ect Supervisor Monitoring e e risk assessments Area Health and ee Committee members during regular inspections or Area Safety Co ordinator The ro
14. PROCESS STEP BY STEP APPROACH Once you have carried out your initial hazard survey and decided on what needs to be assessed who is going to do it how you will record assessments and you have ensured that the people involved in the process have received sufficient instruction and training in risk assessment then you are ready to begin The various practical steps required to conduct a risk assessment are described in the following text Each step corresponds to a section of Risk Assessment Form RA2 SG4 May 2004 8 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading STEP 1 Choose an area activity project or piece of equipment to concentrate on You will have already decided what risk can be covered by generic assessment and where specific assessments will be needed instead STEP 2 Identify the significant hazards associated with these You can use the Hazard Checklist included in this guide Appendix 4 or the list provided in Risk Assessment Form RA1 to help you identify all the relevant hazards STEP 3 Identify relevant standards Find out if there are any health and safety policies best practice guidance standards or minimum requirements relevant to the activity or hazard you are considering Managers are expected to know about the hazards in their workplaces and the main legal requirements relating to their work even if only in outline If you do not know you must find out In form RA2 you are provide
15. Prospectus available from Health amp Safety Services or on the Health and Safety website D FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS The Fire Precautions Workplace Regulations 1997 amended 1999 require employers to conduct risk assessments for fire safety as well as for general health and safety hazards These Regulations place duties on employers and persons in control of premises to comply with requirements relating to e means of detection and giving warning in case of fire e the provision of means of escape e means of fighting fire e the training of staff in fire safety e the maintenance of building fire safety hardware alarms fire doors etc SG4 May 2004 4 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading Compliance with these Regulations depends on two related aspects of fire safety e structural fire safety compartmentalisation means for fire fighting and detection the provision of emergency routes and exits disaster plans for high risk buildings etc and e use of buildings by occupying department s prevention of fire safe storage and use of flammable substances minimising combustible materials maintenance of unobstructed means of escape provision of fire routine notices definition of assembly points conducting fire drills keeping training records co ordinating maintenance work managing the presence of disabled persons in the area etc In order to assess structural fire s
16. afety risks the University Fire Safety Adviser undertakes detailed fire risk assessments of buildings and advises Estates Services and design consultants on the fire precautions and standards required The improvements needed are prioritised and dependent of the level of risk available finance future building plans etc progressive improvements are planned and implemented Assessing risks associated with the day to day use of the building is the responsibility of Heads of Schools and Directorates and is usually delegated to local managers responsible for each work area In addition to encourage the process of on going fire safety assessment and inspection Fire Safety Risk Assessment Checklists are sent each term from the Health amp Safety Office to Area Health amp Safety Co ordinators to complete This process is separate from the general risk assessment procedure covered by this Guidance However fire safety risks should always form part of your general risk assessments when applicable E RESEARCH PROJECTS AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS Research work is not and never has been exempt from health and safety legislation However it is recognised that as the research environment may give rise to unknown or new risks while the need for researchers to characterise aspects of a process may bring them into closer contact with hazards Therefore it is perhaps more difficult to risk assess research work than routine work activities nevertheless
17. age to avoid need to store materials on desks thus restricting space e Provision of adequate lighting and window blinds position monitors at 90 degrees to windows if possible e Staff to keep area around and under their desks clear have regular housekeeping days e Conduct regular workplace health and safety inspections e Discourage prolonged use of laptop PCs provide facilities to connect laptops to conventional terminals or adapt laptop workstation using monitor blocks separate keyboard and mouse e Ensure laptops are stored securely and kept out of view in cars e Encourage use of rucksacks to carry laptops to spread the weight more evenly and to disguise their presence e Purchase lightweight laptops where possible B Assessing the level of risk and further action needed 7 1 How severe is Tick one box T any injury or health S score given Minor Serious Major Fatal effect likely tobe brackets 1 2 3 4 7 2 How likely is Tick one box nlikel Possibl exposure to the P score given Very unlikely pnukely 9551016 Likely hazard in brackets 1 2 3 T 4 7 3 Calculate the Risk Score Low Medium High Very High risk score by SxP 8 T 8 9 multiplying the 2 1 3 4 6 8 9 12 16 scores in Q7 1 amp 7 2 8 Immediate action to be taken to make the situation safe Action to be Implementation reduce risk to health taken by Date whom select from those c
18. ain risk controls and not choosing others B WHO SHOULD BE DOING RISK ASSESSMENTS Heads of School Directorates are responsible for ensuring that suitable and sufficient assessments of the work activities of their areas are undertaken They are also responsible for ensuring that risks are adequately controlled and assessments are reviewed on a regular basis Heads must provide staff with adequate support time and resources to undertake assessments and ensure that assessors are competent In practice the task of actually carrying out risk assessments is usually delegated to those people who are most familiar with the activity project or equipment being assessed or who create the risk These individuals who must attend relevant training may be local managers academic supervisors or individuals directly involved in the work they will understand the nature of the work and are best placed to ensure that on a day to day basis risks are adequately controlled There should also be consultation with union safety representatives where these are located in the areas concerned Heads of School Directorates should identify in their Area Safety Code or local Health and Safety Policy which individuals or groups of individuals are responsible for carrying out risk assessments and keeping them up to date The Head should also arrange for a Register of Risk Assessments see Appendix 3 to be maintained locally and a copy forwarded to Health amp Safety
19. and toxic fumes psychological trauma Hazardous chemicals substances Acute and chronic health effects allergies sensitisation Human and zoonotic diseases infections passed via animals to humans allergies sensitisation blood borne viruses Flammable substances Fire explosion thermal runaway Frostbite asphyxiation Occupational stress Anxiety depression or other mental health problems Stress related physical symptoms behaviour or illnesses Attack by people or verbal assault Injury anxiety and stress post traumatic stress disorder Injuries bite sting crushing kicking etc Ill health effects zoonotic diseases allergies Mechanical machinery Trapping by impact or contact with moving parts cutting friction or aren abrasion entanglement in rotating parts injury from ejection Road traffic accidents injuries to driver passengers or third parties fatigue musculoskeletal disorders from poor driving posture Crushing persons trapped in the event of emergency heat exhaustion fire Handling food Food poisoning cross contamination contractors employees due to work in host premises Work out of hours lone working Various depending on work including inability to summon help in an emergency possibly increased vulnerability to assault with poisonous plants tetanus from soil road traffic accidents Various depending on activity and location including tropical diseases risk of terrorist attack and hijackin
20. aper Portable heaters e No flammable materials used or stored empty boxes etc that are no longer needed e Stationary supplies stored mainly inside e Regular clearouts of waste and archiving of Blocked means of cabinets kept shut at night paperwork required Housekeeping days to escape e Suitable means of escape provided fire escape be este ak Ki located nearby and assembly point identified Sorat snow Aways switch off portable Insufficient fire as rear lawn of Physics heaters at night Care should be taken detection amp Regular fire drills organised by Physics Dept regarding the positioning of portable heaters extinguishers e Detector heads alarm sounder and 2 fire call KEEP AWAY rom combustible sunsaces a e See also entries made under Electrical ded Poult points located in corridor by H amp S offices Equipment shia a r vee A e CO water extinguishers and fire blanket ee ee aN 6 located just outside office door by room 108 Coren e All fire doors kept shut those in corridor on automatic release catches e No smoking policy maintained e University Safety Guides no s 5 6 amp 34 Name of Assessor s Helen Toll SIGNED Number of continuation Head of Health amp Safety Services sheets used Review date April 2005 5 29 9 XIGNAddV APPENDIX 7 EXAMPLE OF SPECIFIC RISK ASSESSMENT Form RA2 School Dept Unit Department X School of Y A Identifying workplace hazards a
21. ater urn with handle High Med Low provide timescales and initials of person responsible for action Manual Handling Manual handling leaflet provided to staff re 4 safe lifting techniques e Encourage staff to seek help when lifting v heavy or awkward loads e Minimise carrying distances where possible e e g arrange delivery of supplies to office e Prior to lifting ensure route is free of obstructions floor surfaces are in good condition etc e Ensure easy access and manoeuvrability during manual handling e Ensure sufficient rest and recovery time is taken during repeated lifting e Identify vulnerable staff e g pregnant those with health problems assess capability to lift prohibit from certain tasks if necessary seek advice from Occupational Health Service when appropriate 25 9 XIGNiddV Sc Lighting heating amp ventilation e Reasonable fluorescent strip lighting provided Additional angle poise lamps available also e Blinds provided at windows e Can be cold in winter too hot in summer particularly Room 111A Additional portable heaters provided in all rooms e Windows can be opened to provide ventilation e Secretary to put on portable heater in room 111a on cold Monday mornings when she first arrives e Window in Room 112 is difficult to open monitor condition Health and Safety Risk Assessments continuation sheet SECTION 2
22. continued Risk Controls Assessment Reference No HSS OFFICE 04 Continuation sheet number 3 Hazard No Hazard Description Existing controls to reduce risk Risk Level tick one High Med Low Further action needed to reduce risks provide timescales and initials of person responsible for action 10 Electrical equipment Office kitchen amp portable electrical equipment Electric shock or burns from contact with live parts due to damaged cables and casing Faults or overloading of sockets causing overheating and fire e Electrical installation meets BS and is maintained in a safe condition as per IEE Wiring Regulations e All equipment purchased meets EC standards e Sufficient socket outlets are provided in each of fice e Portable appliance testing is carried out by an approved contractor as per University Guidance Safety Guide no s 11 amp 12 e Appliances are appropriately labelled to denote last and next test date last test October 2003 e Staff do not attempt any electrical repairs themselves only competent and authorised persons to work on electrical systems v e Instruct staff not to use equipment which has not been tested e Staff should be encouraged to visually check equipment before use If they are in any doubt about the safety of equipment it must not be used and must be reported to Head of Health amp Safety Services e Ensure
23. cuts bruises mild skin irritation mild aches and pains requiring first aid only Minor property damage SERIOUS More serious injuries or ill health requiring time off work or study or a hospital visit e g burns sprains strains and short term musculoskeletal disorders cuts requiring stitches back injuries fractures to fingers or toes More serious property damage MAJOR Broken limbs amputations long term health problems resulting from work or acute illness requiring medical treatment loss of consciousness serious electric shock loss of sight Major property damage FATAL Injury or ill health which leads to death either at the time or soon after the incident or eventually as in the case of certain occupational diseases such as asbestos related cancers Table 3 Risk Probability P the likelihood of the hazard causing harm VERY Good control measures are in place Controls do not rely on a person using UNLIKELY them i e personal compliance Controls are very unlikely to break down People are very rarely in this area or very rarely engage in this activity UNLIKELY _ Reasonable control measures are in place but they do rely on a person using them some room for human error Controls unlikely to breakdown People are not often in this area do not often engage in this activity this situation is unlikely POSSIBLE Inadequate controls are in place or likely to breakdown if not maintained Controls r
24. d with space to record this but not in form RAI Relevant sources of health and safety information include University health and safety policies or guidance check the University Health amp Safety website or talk to your Area Health amp Safety Co ordinator see also Appendix 5 Legislation and supporting Approved Codes of Practice which give practical guidance and include basic minimum requirements produced by the Health amp Safety Commission Guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive HSE see their website www hse gov uk Relevant British and European Standards Product information from suppliers and manufacturers Industry trade association or trade union health and safety guidance Do not forget to consult those actually doing the work they are often the experts STEP 4 Decide who is at risk and might be harmed In addition to staff and students actually involved with the activity you should also consider risks to cleaners contractors maintenance workers and agency workers who may not be in the workplace all of the time and may not be familiar with the risks Also do not forget visitors including children or other organisations you share your workplace with if there is a chance they could be harmed by your activities Also consider workers who might be at particular risk like young workers trainees new and expectant mothers or people with reduced mobility or disabilities STEP 5 Consider how peopl
25. dequate storage space provided Provision of adequate lighting and window blinds Ensure all Users have been provided with guidelines and training on correct posture and DSE workstation adjustment DSE Users training course University DSE leaflet Encourage staff to take regular breaks change activities take a lunch break Encourage staff to report any DSE related health symptoms and seek advice from Occupational Health where appropriate Discourage prolonged use of laptop PCs Conduct regular workplace health and safety inspections 23 9 XIGNAddV ve Health and Safety Risk Assessments continuation sheet SECTION 2 continued Risk Controls Assessment Reference No HSS OFFICE 04 Continuation sheet number 1 Hazard No Hazard Description Existing controls to reduce risk Risk Level tick one Further action needed to reduce risks High Med Low provide timescales and initials of person responsible for action Falling materials Adequate amount of storage space shelving is e Encourage staff to use Kick stool not stand from insecure provided on chairs or boxes stacking or storage e Safe storage arrangements ensure that v e Conduct regular workplace health and safety 1 2 Fall of persons objects are stable and easily accessible inspections check storage arrangements during storage or e Kick stool provided to reach high shelves in e Minimise unstable st
26. e might be harmed from these hazards Consider what kind of injury or ill health people might suffer if exposed to the hazards and how severe the outcome is likely to be In form RA2 you are provided with space to record this but not in the simplified form RAI You can use Table 2 on the next page to help you categorise risk according to the severity of the outcome Try to avoid always choosing the worst case scenario For example if someone tripped on a trailing cable they could in theory fall and bang their head experience a blood clot and end up dying so you might be tempted to record the severity Table 2 as fatal Indeed you may conclude that any injury could in theory be fatal Taking this approach SG4 May 2004 9 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading will skew your risk assessments and it will be very difficult to prioritise any action needed if everything ends up as a high risk Instead a more realistic approach is needed Most slips and trips lead to minor injuries but sprains and strains leading to time off work are not uncommon so you should choose a severity of either minor or serious depending on the work environment STEP 6 List what risk controls are currently in place to reduce the risks identified In other words what steps do you currently take to protect the health and safety of the groups of people identified from the hazards under consideration Risk
27. ely on personal compliance People are sometimes in this area or sometimes engage in this activity this situation sometimes arises LIKELY Poor or no controls in place Heavy reliance on personal compliance lots of room for human error People are often in this area engage in this activity on a regular basis this situation often arises The scores can be represented in a matrix shown as in Table 4 below Risk scores correspond to a risk level high medium low etc Table 4 Risk Score Matrix SEVERITY OF OUTCOME S RISK o Serious Major Risk Level P wo Ha Eg 5 Medium Eno e Very High SG4 May 2004 11 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading V WY B m fh What about the number of people at risk Another risk factor that should be considered when evaluating the level of risk is the actual number of people at risk at any one time sometimes known as the extent of risk In general for risks at a similar level a higher priority should be given to actions which reduce risks affecting a greater number of people Why use a quantitative numerical system of categorising risks Expressing risk levels as scores can very useful when making decisions about prioritising action and allocating resources Scores derived using a common method will enable comparisons to be made between one activity or part of the organisation and another STEPS 8 amp 9 Deciding what furt
28. ents are ee ae a practicable Medium Action within 6 months based on reasonable Action within 6 months based on reasonable practicability SS Se within 1 month to reduce risk immediate action may be needed in some circumstances 12 16 Very high Immediate action required work should stop not commence until risk has been reduced to acceptable levels STEP 10 Reviewing risk assessments Risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and modified if necessary They should not be a once and for all activity but equally they do not have to be re written every year As the nature of work changes and our appreciation of hazards and risks develops over time so risk assessments should evolve accordingly Assessments should be reviewed SG4 May 2004 13 Guide to Health amp Safety Risk Assessment University of Reading e If significant changes are made to existing workplaces work activities projects or equipment such that the original assessments are no longer valid e fnew or temporary members of staff are employed who may be more at risk due to inexperience age or physical or mental health conditions and disabilities e If female staff announce that they are pregnant and their work could give rise to a health risk to the mother or unborn child e If new legislation guidance codes of practice or national standards are introduced e Following accidents or near misses which highlight deficiencies in existi
29. es and initials of person responsible Name of Assessor s SIGNED Number of continuation Review date sheets used T XIGNAiddV APPENDIX 2 PROJECT ACTIVITY RISK ASSESSMENT FORM RA2 School Dept Unit A Identifying workplace hazards and existing controls 1 Brief summa