Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations, 1999
This page is intended to help employers and self employed people.
What is a risk assessment?
A risk assessment is nothing more than 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. The aim is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill.
The important things you need to decide are whether a hazard is significant, and whether you have it covered by satisfactory precautions so that the risk is small. You need to check this when you assess the risks.
What do I need to do?
You are legally required to assess the risks in your workplace and maybe asked about your assessment when the inspector calls.
If you have fewer than five employees you do not need to write anything down, though it is useful to keep a written record of what you have done. But if you employ five or more people you must record the significant findings of your assessment. This means writing down the significant hazards and conclusions.
You must also tell your employees about your findings to assess risks in the workplace.
The Health and Safety Executive has an explanatory leaflet on 5 steps to successful risk assessment| and has risk management advice| on its website aimed at firms in the commercial, service and light industrial sectors.