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What Is Risk Assessment

A risk assessment identifies potential hazards in the workplace and evaluates the likelihood and severity of risks to determine appropriate control measures. Risk assessments are important for occupational health and safety as they create hazard awareness, identify at-risk individuals, determine if existing controls are adequate, and help meet legal requirements. They should be conducted before new processes are introduced, before changes are made, and when hazards are identified. To perform an assessment, identify hazards, evaluate risks, identify control actions, evaluate effectiveness of controls, and monitor and document the process.

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14 views

What Is Risk Assessment

A risk assessment identifies potential hazards in the workplace and evaluates the likelihood and severity of risks to determine appropriate control measures. Risk assessments are important for occupational health and safety as they create hazard awareness, identify at-risk individuals, determine if existing controls are adequate, and help meet legal requirements. They should be conducted before new processes are introduced, before changes are made, and when hazards are identified. To perform an assessment, identify hazards, evaluate risks, identify control actions, evaluate effectiveness of controls, and monitor and document the process.

Uploaded by

Olu Michael
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is risk assessment?

A risk assessment is a thorough look at your workplace to


identify those things, situations, processes, etc. that may cause
harm, particularly to people. After identification is made, you
analyze and evaluate how likely and severe the risk is. When
this determination is made, you can decide what measures
should be in place to effectively eliminate or control the harm
from happening.

Why is risk assessment?


Risk assessments are very important as they form an integral
part of an occupational health and safety management plan.
They help to:

 Create awareness of hazards and risk.


 Identify who may be at risk (e.g., employees, cleaners,
visitors, contractors, the public, etc.).
 Determine whether a control program is required for a
particular hazard.
 Determine if existing control measures are adequate or if
more should be done.
 Prevent injuries or illnesses, especially when done at the
design or planning stage.
 Prioritize hazards and control measures.
 Meet legal requirements where applicable.
When should a risk assessment be done?
Risk assessment is needed:

 Before new processes or activities are introduced.


 Before changes are introduced to existing processes or
activities, including when products, machinery, tools,
equipment change or new information concerning harm
becomes available.
 When hazards are identified.

How is a risk assessment done?


Assessments should be done by a competent person or team of
individuals who have a good working knowledge of the
situation being studied. Include either on the team or as
sources of information, the supervisors and workers who work
with the process under review as these individuals are the most
familiar with the operation.
In general, to do an assessment, you should:

 Identify hazards.
 Determine the likelihood of harm, such as an injury or
illness occurring, and its severity.
 Identify actions necessary to eliminate the hazard, or
control the risk using the hierarchy of risk control
methods.
 Evaluate to confirm if the hazard has been eliminated or if
the risk is appropriately controlled.
 Monitor to make sure the control continues to be
effective.
 Keep any documents or records that may be necessary.
Documentation may include detailing the process used to
assess the risk, outlining any evaluations, or detailing how
conclusions were made.

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