How to carry out a high-quality, step-by-step risk assessment in the workplace

Work risk assessment is one of the employer's responsibilities under the law. This is obvious to most employers, but when you start to think about the subject in more detail, the terms of the law can become unclear and the risk assessment in the workplace can be incomplete. The reform of the 2023 Summer Safety at Work Act has also introduced new areas to consider in the assessment process. It is therefore a good time to review how to carry out a thorough assessment in the workplace!

Work risk assessment is the basis from which all work safety development starts. The purpose of the assessment is not only to identify and record the risks in the workplace, but also to prevent damage in advance. This work contributes to workers' ability to work, prevents sickness absence and keeps workers off the job for longer, which is important both for the company itself and for society as a whole. It could be said that risk assessment brings nothing but benefits. That is why it is worth carrying it out in a high-quality and timely manner. As workplace conditions are constantly changing, risk assessment is also an ongoing process. However, once a proper basis has been established, it is easier to update the document and the updating process is smoother. A good quality risk assessment is therefore systematic, practical, proactive, documented and constantly evolving.

1. Plan your risk assessment carefully
   It is a good idea to decide at the outset who will be involved in the risk assessment. A good starting point is a site-specific approach and a PAT approach: it is good to have a good mix of decision-makers, experts and employees from the site concerned. Such as in our previous article we said, worker involvement is key to ensuring that up-to-date information on potential risks and hazards at different stages of the process is obtained from those who encounter them in their daily work. It is also a good idea to keep one person involved in all evaluations. This way, each assessment has a reference point and you can be sure that the assessments are carried out as consistently as possible. This person could be the health and safety manager, the health and safety representative, a shop steward or a front-line worker. If sufficient expertise cannot be found within the organisation, an expert should be used, as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. For example, dust, vibration and noise are issues for which it is often advisable to obtain expert skills.

2. Identifying hazards and adverse situations
   Hazard and incident identification involves identifying the hazard, i.e. the factor or circumstance that contributes to the occurrence of the incident. For example, a slip hazard is a factor or circumstance that may contribute to a slip. How is a hazard or nuisance identified? Hazard identification includes, for example, all safety observations, near misses, accidents, incidents, deviations, safety rounds, workplace surveys, development discussions and questionnaires that can be used to identify situations and conditions. Immediately after the hazard is identified, any immediate action is taken, such as the removal of slippery dampness. It is also worth documenting the situation, for example by photographing or videoing the situation, in this case the damp floor and its cause. Systematic documentation is very important for the development of risk assessment. The amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1 June 2023 clarified the employer's occupational safety obligations, and following the reform, the identification of hazards and adverse situations must also take into account ageing, pregnancy, the post-natal period and breastfeeding. In addition, social stress factors, such as communication problems, have been included in the risk assessment.
   
   
3. Once the situations have been identified, the magnitude and significance of the risk is determined
   Determining the magnitude and significance of the risk involves assessing the likelihood and severity of an adverse event. For example, where a slip hazard has been identified, the risk is determined by assessing the likelihood of a slip and the severity of the slip. A risk matrix is used to determine the magnitude and significance of the risk among the team. The risk matrix is used to assist in the next step of prioritising risk elimination or minimisation.
   
   
4. Selection and implementation of measures
   Once a hazard or harm has been identified and the magnitude and significance of the risk has been determined, measures are selected to eliminate the hazard or harm or, if elimination is not possible, to minimise the damage. How is the measure selected? The choice of measures can be guided by questions such as: can the working method be replaced by a less dangerous one, for example? Can the work process or, for example, the dust be technically removed? Is there a need for new working methods? Can the work be reorganised within the workplace or, alternatively, outsourced?
   
   
5. Measures will be monitored and evaluated
   In a good risk assessment process, hazards and adverse situations are added to the risk assessment document as soon as they are identified. In a good risk assessment process, measures are also continuously monitored and evaluated. The risk assessment process is therefore an ongoing, day-to-day activity.

As mentioned above, the risk assessment document should be updated whenever a hazard or adverse event occurs. The risk assessment should also be updated when:

• circumstances have changed 
• 5 years have passed since the review of the assessment.

A change in circumstances can be, for example, the introduction of a new chemical, a change in the work community, another change in the process or an abnormal task or project. By law, the entire assessment must be reviewed at least every 5 years, but we recommend that the assessment be reviewed every year.

There are a huge number of tools for assessing occupational risks, and Excel and Word forms, for example, are available free of charge online. However, the problem with these is that they often get buried and are difficult to update, especially in large workplaces.

The easiest way to carry out a work risk assessment is to use the comprehensive HSEQ tool, where the work risk assessment form is always in the right place and where changes to the Health and Safety at Work Act are already taken into account.

To find out more about the reforms introduced by the law change, how PRO24 is used in practice in the assessment process or how the law change has been implemented, use our risk assessment form, Our work risk assessment webinar is for you!