Correctly done hazard identification and risk assessment helps to improve safety at work

We continue to encounter situations where the dangers and harms of the tasks carried out in the company have not been identified. There are ready-made primers and the quickest performer ticks the box and says the job is done - is this enough? No. An assessment with too little knowledge often fails to meet the requirements of the legislation. An inadequate job risk assessment does not protect the worker from hazards, nor does it help the line organisation in its investigative work in the event of a serious accident at work. Identifying hazards and risks at work is a legal obligation for employers and an excellent tool for identifying and improving the level of safety at work. What to consider when building a safe workplace? In this blog, we share three tips!

Every one of us deserves a safe workplace, but whose responsibility is it to ensure it? It's not just the responsibility of the health and safety manager, it's a shared responsibility of every worker. Just as management has a responsibility, for example, to comply with legal obligations and lead by example on safety issues, so do employees. Risks that have not been identified cannot be anticipated. This is why the involvement of employees is key to obtaining up-to-date information on potential risks and hazards at the various stages of the processes from those who encounter them in their daily work. How feedback from employees is put into practice also plays an important role - make sure that feedback is taken on board and not swept under the carpet to gather dust.

When we talk about safety, it is linked to all aspects of a company's operations, from the choice of partners to meeting practices and from production to sufficiently transparent communication. Quality and safety always go hand in hand. When a company operates with quality, it is also safe. So safety in the workplace is something worth investing in.

Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of identifying risks. But it can be difficult to assess, how big the risks are or what measures can be taken to reduce them. So it is not enough to have a list of risks unless you have measures and a timetable for dealing with them. For example, at Protect we have at our disposal a five-level matrixwhich we use to assess the magnitude of the identified risk, define measures and timetables, and monitor that they are carried out. Once the measures are completed, the estimated residual risk takes effect. The objective is always that the measures put in place will reduce the risk. When risk assessment is carried out professionally and thoroughly, the employees' experience of being heard increases, management commitment to safety improves, cooperation between different levels of the organisation on safety issues intensifies - and, of course, most importantly - the level of safety in the company is raised to the next level.

This will later be reflected in, for example. reduced accidents and costs, and a safer and better workplace for all.

Developing occupational safety starts from the ground up from the basics. The first step is to ensure that the minimum legal requirements are met, for example, that the company has an active health and safety policy and that employees have been trained. Employees must also have the opportunity to report any deviations they observe on an ongoing basis by means of various types of safety reports. These reports are an important part of hazard and risk identification.

An outsider can look in with new eyes the company's workplaces and operations, and provide insights and tools on how to improve safety at work. Quality and safety audits can sound complex, but in reality they are simply a way of looking at the current state of the company and identifying potential bottlenecks. Every working environment is different, but the challenges are often very similar. There are also questions about preparedness. Do you know how to ensure the safety of your operations and people during power cuts, for example?

Our mission at Protect is to safeguarding people's wellbeing, business and the environment. We are a pioneer and frontline partner in safety and quality services. When safety and quality become the norm, everyone wins.

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