How to write a Risk Assessment

Summary

In this informative video, Simon from HSEDocs walks viewers through the detailed process of crafting a comprehensive risk assessment form. Using a downloadable Word document available at HS Docs, Simon covers everything from identifying potential hazards and who might be at risk, to detailing the control measures currently in place and any additional ones needed. The guide includes instructions on documenting both physical and substance-related risks, and annotating the steps necessary for implementing further safety measures. The process is made practical by explaining how to fill out each section of the form, ensuring all safety standards are met for a task such as hanging doors.

Highlights

• Risk assessments are crucial for identifying and mitigating hazards in tasks like hanging doors. 🚪
• The form separates physical risks from substance risks, making it easier to address each type. 🧱
• Clear guidelines on how to complete the form and implement safety measures effectively. 🛡️
• Simon encourages using digital tools for signatures to streamline document management. 🖋️
• Free downloadable templates are available, aiding in standardized safety documentation practices. 📂

Key Takeaways

• A risk assessment form highlights potential hazards and who might be at risk. 📝
• Each section requires detailing existing and additional control measures. 🔍
• Understanding and documenting both physical and substance-related risks is crucial. ⚠️
• Adhering to manufacturer instructions for substances is essential for safety compliance. 📋
• Digital signatures help in efficient document handling and sharing. 💻

Overview

Creating a risk assessment document is all about ensuring safety procedures are well-documented and followed diligently. Simon from HSEDocs simplifies this process using a Word template available for free at HS Docs. Starting from identifying the hazards, it covers who might be affected by these hazards and how severely. Each form section meticulously captures every little detail necessary to enforce effective risk management and workplace safety.

The importance of distinguishing between physical and substance risks is emphasized. Physical risks might involve tasks like working from heights, while substance risks could include dealing with chemicals. By clearly documenting both, companies can ensure they are comprehensively covering safety from all angles. Special attention is given to control measures, both existing and additional, to mitigate these risks efficiently.

Overall, Simon's approach to structuring the document is practical and user-friendly, especially with the inclusion of steps like using digital signatures. This video not only provides an in-depth guide on what constitutes a thorough risk assessment but also reassures that with the right tools and awareness, managing safety risks becomes a streamlined part of project management.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Risk Assessment The chapter, 'Introduction to Risk Assessment,' is presented by Simon from hss.com. In this chapter, Simon explains how to create a risk assessment form using a Word document available for free download at HS docs.com. The form covers various aspects including identifying hazards involved in a specific task, determining who is at risk, outlining actions currently in place to reduce risk, and identifying what further actions are necessary to enhance safety.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Overview of Risk Assessment Form This chapter covers the key components of a Risk Assessment Form, outlining who should implement additional safety controls and when they should be implemented. It also details both the physical and substance risks involved in a task. Substance risks refer to chemicals or substances used in tasks, such as expanding foam, grip fill, or dust, that may pose potential risks.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Company and Project Details This chapter provides a detailed breakdown of the administrative tasks involved in documenting company and project details for a specific task. It starts by mentioning safety considerations such as working from ladders and potential substance risks. The documentation process begins with recording the company name and the project name, which could vary widely from a school to a local authority or construction site. It stresses the importance of logging the task's start and subsequent review dates, typically scheduled for six months later, before proceeding with the initial steps of the project documentation form.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Potential Hazards and Risk The chapter titled 'Potential Hazards and Risk' discusses the evaluation of risks associated with hanging doors. It outlines the potential hazards involved and the individuals who might be at risk, particularly focusing on the risk of falling from height. The chapter notes that the operative, who would be responsible for reaching the necessary height to hang doors, is most at risk of injury. It highlights the importance of risk assessment in ensuring the safety of workers in varying situations.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Control Measures and Operative Responsibility The chapter titled 'Control Measures and Operative Responsibility' discusses the hazards of falling from heights and its potential impact on the operative, other workers on-site, and the general public. It emphasizes the control measures implemented to reduce or prevent these risks, such as allowing the operative to use a hop-up in good condition with a maximum working height of 500 mm. It highlights the responsibility of the operative to adhere to correct working practices, indicating that failure to do so imposes liability on the operative himself, especially if they engage in unsafe practices like balancing on inadequate supports.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Further Control Measures and Responsibilities The chapter titled 'Further Control Measures and Responsibilities' discusses a scenario where an incident occurs due to the improper handling of painting equipment, leading to injury. It emphasizes the need for additional control measures to reduce such risks. A specific example cited is the overturning of a tin of paint leading to injury, where it's suggested that the operative is partly responsible for the incident. The text highlights the importance of further actions to mitigate risks related to slips, trips, and falls by implementing and enforcing control measures, as indicated in a column dedicated to additional actions required. The supervisor plays a key role in enforcing these measures to ensure safety.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Physical and Substance Risks This chapter discusses the role of a supervisor in managing physical and substance-related risks on a worksite. It emphasizes the importance of keeping walkways clear and ensuring that waste or materials are not left on site. The procedure involves supervisors reminding operatives of these practices. Additionally, it outlines a record-keeping system that includes columns for the initials of individuals responsible for further control measures and a target timescale for implementing these measures. The target timescale may be set from the start of the contract or from specific dates.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Final Section and Conclusion The final section focuses on a tick box that requires a signature and date once further actions have been implemented. The form is structured in sections: the first section covers contract details, the second addresses physical risks, and the current section outlines substance risks. This section specifically identifies hazards related to substances necessary for task completion, with an example provided for expanding foam.

How to write a Risk Assessment Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hi I'm Simon from hss.com and today I'm going to show you how to create a risk assessment form the document I'm using is in word format and it's available for free download at HS docs.com the document I'm about to fill in shows us the hazards involved while carrying out a specific task it shows us who's at risk it shows us what actions are in place to reduce risk it shows us what further action is required
• 00:30 - 01:00 it tells us who should Implement additional safety controls it tells us when additional safety controls should be implemented and as well as showing us the physical risks that are involved in the task this document also shows us the substance risks substance risks are substances or chemicals that are used for the task that may pose a risk examples of this are expanding foam grip fill or simply dust so we have the physic iCal risks
• 01:00 - 01:30 from carrying out the task such as working off ladders and we have the substance risks that we may encounter whilst carrying out the task at the top of the form we put the company name and the name of the project we're working on for example it may be a school a local Authority a building site or a swimming baths next we type in the dates and the review date which should be 6 months into the future now we're ready to take a look at the first row of the form
• 01:30 - 02:00 column 1 and two are linked together there are a list of potential hazards the people that may be at risk and how they are at risk this risk assessment is for hanging doors and the first Hazard is falling from height in this case it's safe to presume that the only person that should suffer an injury from a fall would be the operative as he would need no more additional Heights than to reach the top of a door however if this risk assessment had been about fitting soft and faur at high
• 02:00 - 02:30 level the falling from height Hazard could possibly affect the operative others onsite and members of the public column three lists the control measures which are the actions already in place to limit or prevent risk in this case the operative is only allowed to use a hopup in good condition with a maximum working height of 500 mm in effect this means that should the operative not adhere to the correct working practices it is his own liability so if an operative balances on a tin of
• 02:30 - 03:00 paint to gain some extra Heights and the tin tips over covering the Carpe in paint and causing injury to the operative it's his own fault the next column is for additional control measures or actions that should be implemented to further reduce risk if we move down the page to the fourth row we're now looking at the hazards of slips trips and falls under the further action required column we can see that the supervisor is to enforce one of the control measures
• 03:00 - 03:30 from the previous column this simply means that as the supervisor is walking around he has to remind operatives to keep walkways clear and not to leave waste or materials on site the next column gives us the initials of the person responsible for the further control measures and the following column gives us a Target time scale for implementing further measures the target time scale may be from the start of the contract by a certain date or from a certain date
• 03:30 - 04:00 the final column is a tick box simply sign and date once further actions have been implemented the first section of this form was the contract details the second section was the physical risks and now as we move down the form we come to the substance risks in this section we identify the potential hazards that may arise from coming into contact with substances required to complete the task if we scroll down the First Column to expanding foam you'll see that the
• 04:00 - 04:30 second column tells us the risks and the third and fourth columns tell us to follow the manufacturer instructions and to read the C assessment prior to use in most cases of substance risk column three and four will state the same thing of course you will need to have a c assessment for each substance on this particular risk assessment one of the substances that differs in column 3 and four is dust here we can see control measures set out in column 3 to prevent excessive Ive dust and to protect the operative
• 04:30 - 05:00 finally we come to section four of this risk assessment in this section you simply type your name sign and date I'm in favor of using digital signatures on health and safety documents so that I can email signed electronic copies to people thanks for watching and I hope this has helped and remember if you'd like to use this risk assessment form it's available for free download at HS docs.com