What is a Risk Assessment?
A risk assessment is a systematic process performed by a competent person which involves
identifying, analyzing, and controlling hazards and risks present in a situation or a place. This
decision-making tool aims to determine which measures should be put in place in order to
eliminate or control those risks, as well as specify which of them should be prioritized according
to the level of likeliness and impact they have on the business.
Risk assessment is one of the major components of a risk analysis. Risk analysis is a process
with multiple steps that intends to identify and analyze all of the potential risks and issues that
are detrimental to the business. This is an ongoing process that gets updated when necessary.
These concepts are interconnected and can be used individually.
Risk communication is the process of exchanging information and opinion on risk with
concerned parties. Risk management is the proactive control and evaluation of threats and risks
to prevent accidents, uncertainties, and errors. Together with risk assessment, these are all vital
elements that help make informed decisions such as mitigating risks.
Why is it Important?
Identifying hazards by using the risk assessment process is a key element when ensuring the
health and safety of your employees and customers. OSHA requires businesses to conduct risk
assessments. According to regulations set by OSHA, assessing hazards or potential risks will
determine the personal protective gears and equipment a worker may need for their job. There
are guidelines available for different industries since present types of possible risks may vary, an
example of this is agribusinesses. Unique risks for this industry include manure storage, tractor
operation, animal handling, behavior, and health.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US specializes in assessing hazards related
to humans and its environmental receptors such as animals, chemicals, and other ecological
factors. While in the UK, conducting risk assessments are a legal requirement as stated in the
Health and Safety at Work Act. The specific regulation under this law can be retrieved from the
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Section.
The gravity of hazard identifications is clear with all these organizations and governments
requiring risk assessments at work. With this, it is apparent that risk assessment is important in
preventing and reducing risks to save lives and ensure that the workplace stays a safe space.
When Do You Perform a Risk Assessment?
Beyond complying with legislative requirements, the purpose of risk assessments are to
eliminate operational risks and improve the overall safety of the workplace. It is employers
responsibility to perform risk assessments when:
• new processes or steps are introduced in the workflow;
• changes are made to the existing processes,
• equipment, and tools; or new hazards arise.
Risk assessments are also performed by auditors when planning an audit procedure for a
company.
3 Types
While the exact details of risk assessments may vary greatly across different industries, HSE
distinguishes three general risk assessment types:
Large Scale Assessments
This refers to risk assessments performed for large scale complex hazard sites such as the
nuclear, and oil and gas industry. This type of assessment requires the use of an advanced risk
assessment technique called a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA).
Required specific assessments
This refers to assessments that are required under specific legislation or regulations, such as the
handling of hazardous substances (according to COSHH regulations, 1998) and manual handling
(according to Manual Handling Operations Regulations, 1992).
General assessments
This type of assessment manages general workplace risks and is required under the management
of legal health and safety administrations such as OSHA and HSE.
Examples of Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are essential to identify hazards and risks that may potentially cause harm to
workers. There are a variety of risk assessments used across different industries tailoring specific
needs and control measures. Here are common risk assessment examples:
• Health and Safety Risk Assessment – a type of risk assessment used by safety managers
to determine health and safety risks associated with the job, work environment, and
current processes. Hazards can be identified as biological, chemical, energy,
environmental, and the like.
• Workplace Risk Assessment – performed by office managers and school administrators,
this tool helps ensure that a workplace is free from health and safety threats. This
assessment also helps boost employee morale and productivity.
• Fall Risk Assessment – performed by the nursing staff of aged care units or centers to
evaluate the possibility of falling. This checklist will ensure that the facilities, equipment,
and other factors are safe for elderly patients.
• Construction Risk Assessment – a vital assessment used in the construction site to help
safety teams implement corrective measures and stakeholders comply with safety
regulations.
Here are reports of risk assessment examples performed using pre-existing risk assessment
templates:
Planning
Risk assessments should be carried out by competent persons who are experienced in assessing
hazard injury severity, likelihood, and control measures. To start off, good planning will be
essential in order to implement a risk assessment effectively. Consider the following 4 elements
as stated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):
1. What is your scope?
Determining the scope when planning your risk assessment can help you figure out what
resources you would need. Be specific about what you’re assessing. Are you assessing a
product? An organizational process? Or a workplace area?
2. What resources do you need?
Determine the kind of training, tools, equipment, and other assets your team needs to
effectively carry out the risk assessment. You should also determine the risk analysis
measures you are going to use and know why they are the best choice for your purpose.
3. Who is involved?
Note the personnel involved in your risk assessment planning and implementation. They
could be managers, supervisors, workers, or suppliers. This helps you identify additional
resources that can help you improve the effectiveness of your risk assessment.
4. What laws, regulations, and internal policies do you need to comply with?
Non-compliance could lead to hefty fines and other offenses that can spell trouble for
your operation. Determine the laws, regulations, codes, standards, and internal policies
you need to consider when conducting your risk assessment.
By determining all of these, you can create a solid foundation for an effective risk assessment.
Once you’ve planned out your risk assessment, you can proceed with performing the risk
assessment. A risk assessment is performed in 5 steps or stages.
5 Steps
Risk assessment is a step-by-step process that allows users to follow an ideal chronology in order
to make the most out of the tool and effectively identify risks and their possible controls. Below
are the 5 steps on how to efficiently perform risk assessments:
1. Identify hazards
Survey the workplace and look at what could reasonably be expected to cause harm. Identify
common workplace hazards. Check the manufacturer’s or suppliers’ instructions or data sheets
for any obvious hazards. Review previous accident and near-miss reports. Efficiently identify
hazards by using a hazard identification checklist. This ensures everything is discovered during
risk assessment and hazard identification which prevents risks from escalating.
Hazards and risks are sometimes used interchangeably; however, they actually refer to two
different elements of a potential incident. A hazard is something that has the potential of causing
harm to people, property, or the environment, while risk is the likelihood of a hazard to actually
cause harm or damage under defined circumstances.
2. Evaluate the risks
To evaluate a hazard’s risk, you have to consider how, where, how much, and how long
individuals are typically exposed to a potential hazard. Assign a risk rating to your hazards with
the help of a risk matrix. Using a risk matrix can help measure the level of risk per hazard by
considering factors such as the likelihood of occurrence, and severity of potential injuries.
Meanwhile, performing an environmental analysis lets you gauge potential risks and their
impacts on your business environment.
Make sure to also consider using specific tools for different functions, take for example—
excavation safety software to reduce the risk of excavation-related accidents, hazard reporting
software to quickly communicate any potential hazards found, or an all-encompassing tool that
has the general capabilities of these various software.
3. Decide on control measures to implement
After assigning a risk rating to an identified hazard, it’s time to come up with effective controls
to protect workers, properties, civilians, and/or the environment. Follow the hierarchy of controls
in prioritizing implementation of controls.
4. Document your findings
It is important to keep a formal record of risk assessments. This can help your organization keep
track of hazards, risk, and control measures. Documentation may include a detailed description
of the process in assessing the risk, an outline of evaluations, and detailed explanations on how
conclusions were made.
5. Review your assessment and update if necessary
Follow up with your assessments and see if your recommended controls have been put in place.
If the conditions in which your risk assessment was based on change significantly, use your best
judgment to determine if a new risk assessment is necessary.
