How to Carry Out a Risk Assessment: The Five Steps Explained

Why Risk Assessment Matters

Risk assessment is the cornerstone of managing health and safety in any workplace. It is the process of identifying what could cause harm to people, deciding whether you are doing enough to prevent that harm, and putting sensible controls in place. Done well, it protects your employees, your customers, and your business.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require every employer to assess the risks to the health and safety of their employees and anyone else who might be affected by their work. If you employ five or more people, you must record the significant findings of your assessment in writing.

Step One: Identify the Hazards

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, such as working at height, hazardous substances, electricity, manual handling, or poorly maintained equipment. Walk around your workplace and look at what could reasonably be expected to cause injury or ill health. Talk to your employees, as they often know about risks that are not immediately obvious. Check manufacturers' instructions and your accident records, which can highlight less obvious hazards.

Step Two: Decide Who Might Be Harmed and How

For each hazard, identify who could be harmed. This includes employees, contractors, visitors, and members of the public. Pay particular attention to groups who may be at greater risk, such as new and young workers, expectant mothers, and people with disabilities. Being clear about who is at risk helps you choose the most effective controls.

Step Three: Evaluate the Risks and Decide on Controls

Once you have identified the hazards, decide what to do about them. The law requires you to do everything reasonably practicable to protect people. Start by asking whether the hazard can be removed altogether. If not, work through the hierarchy of control: substitute with something less dangerous, use engineering controls, introduce safe systems of work, and finally provide personal protective equipment where a residual risk remains.

Step Four: Record Your Findings and Implement Them

Writing down the results of your risk assessment encourages you to take action and provides a record you can review later. Your record should show that a proper check was made, that you dealt with the obvious significant hazards, and that the precautions are reasonable. Most importantly, the controls you identify must actually be put into practice rather than left on paper.

Step Five: Review and Update

Workplaces rarely stay the same. New equipment, new processes, and new staff can all introduce fresh hazards. Review your risk assessment regularly and whenever there is a significant change, such as after an accident or near miss. A risk assessment that is years out of date offers little protection.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating risk assessment as a paperwork exercise rather than a practical tool
• Copying a generic template without considering your actual workplace
• Identifying controls but failing to implement or monitor them
• Forgetting to involve the people who do the work every day
• Never reviewing the assessment after changes or incidents

How We Can Help

If you are unsure whether your risk assessments are robust, our team can help. Our health and safety consultancy service includes carrying out and reviewing risk assessments, and our independent audits and inspections can confirm that your controls are working in practice. Contact us for a free, no-obligation chat about your requirements.