Approach to Risk Assessment

The employer may choose how to approach risk assessment, but he should remember it is a process and a continuing cycle rather than a one-off task. Examples of how different employers approach the work include assessment for:

• the whole undertaking;
• each workplace in the undertaking;
• each type of job and operation in the undertaking;
• each item of equipment and each substance in the undertaking;
• a combination of one or more of the above.

The employer must have competent assistance in making risk assessments. For many assessments, existing managers and professionals can be trained. Specialists would only be needed for particularly hazardous operations in small firms which may not have the in-house expertise or knowledge required.

In most cases employers should consult or involve the employees, supervisors and managers working in the places or jobs relating to assessments being made or reviewed. Risk assessment can be regarded as a problem solving process and one of the first good management rules for problem solving is to involve the relevant people.