- What is Risk?
What Is a Risk in Health and Safety?
SMS Europe is committed to making sure that every business is competent in understanding what is a risk in Health and Safety. Get to grips with the basic definition of risk, and responsibilities for managing situations where it occurs, in this guide. Take action to ensure you’re invested in safety precautions by investigating our Health and Safety services, including expert consultancy and staff training courses.
What Is the Definition of Risk in Health and Safety?
To understand how to control a risk, we must first ask ‘what is risk’. Risk is the combination of the likelihood of a hazardous event occurring, and the consequence of the event.
This is why we talk about ‘levels’ of risk. A hazard is anything that poses a potential threat to personal safety and can cause risk. Consequence is the term we use to describe the level of harm it could cause.
So what is a risk in Health and Safety terms? Risk exists in all of our daily lives, but never more so than in workplaces. In these spaces machinery and equipment are operated, people move from space to space and gather in concentrated numbers. That’s before you take into account staff turnover, meaning that new staff may not be as familiar with potential hazards.
That’s exactly why there is a framework for risk evaluation in Health and Safety to follow in order to identify risks and stop them before accidents occur.
Risk Identification
It’s important to know how to spot hazards in the workplace that could cause potential harm to employees and visitors. One key tool to help with this is to conduct risk evaluation.
What Is Risk Evaluation in Health and Safety?
Risk evaluation allows you to make smart decisions for your team. Understanding what is a risk in Health and Safety is the first step, the next is to evaluate your space for any.
How to Identify Risk in the Workplace
- Maintain an open line of communication with employees - As they interact with machinery, equipment and the workplace environment on a daily basis, they will have valuable insight into potential risks.
- Keep your staff up to date with Health and Safety training - This is especially crucial if you work in a place with any controlled substances, heavy machinery or manual handling.
- Conduct regular safety inspections - Do this regularly, but especially for any machinery that is operated on site and when there have been any changes e.g. new staff or new equipment.
- Put together a robust risk assessment procedure - A risk assessment procedure is the bread and butter of identifying and stopping hazards before they evolve. Every workplace should actively implement risk assessments where possible, and all employees should be familiar with this procedure.
Risk Assessment Procedures
Risk assessment is a useful tool to prevent injury or illness by controlling your environment. Why is a risk assessment important? A risk assessment is vital, because you or your staff may not realise that you have a potential hazard that requires management. When your eyes are open to the risks in your space, you can take preventative measures to minimise risk and liability.
With a risk assessment, you can easily identify:
- What is a potential hazard to Health and Safety in your workplace
- Who it could pose a potential risk to
- What level of risk it poses and what kind of harm could it cause
- A plan for how to control any risks before they cause accidents
Ensure that your staff are up to date with risk assessment training to keep your entire team alert to dangers. Once your team understands what a risk is in Health and Safety, your whole team can work together to minimise potential risk.
What Does the Law in the UK Say about Managing Risk?
You may be wondering who is responsible for Health and Safety at work. The law makes it very clear that employers must take all necessary precautions for the Health and Safety of their employees. Risk assessment is one such tool.
If you require an expert risk assessment review, SMS Europe’s specialist team can help to audit your space.
If you would like further information on Health and Safety and your responsibilities under Health and Safety law, please contact us to discuss with one of our qualified and registered Health and Safety Consultants and we will be happy to help.
CALL US ON 0845 224 0028 EMAIL [email protected]
Get In Touch
Contact Us
To speak to a Health and Safety Consultant to discuss your Health and Safety consultancy or training needs, fill in the form provided and we will answer your query as soon as possible.
