Handling Health and Protection in the Office

Managing health and safety in the workplace is of major importance in virtually any business. To achieve this you need to take into account what might cause injury to people, both your staff and customers, and decide whether you are doing enough to prevent that harm. This is recognized as a risk assessment. Once you've identified the risks, you need to determine how to manage them and put the correct measures in place.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (known as the Management Rags) introduced a legal duty on business/employers to recognize and control workplace hazards where the chance of injury is significant.

A risk assessment isn't about creating huge amounts of paperwork, but instead about identifying sensible measures to manage the risks in your workplace. What the law states does not expect you to remove all risks, but to guard people by putting in place measures to manage those risks. You're probably already taking steps to guard your employees, your risk assessment will show you whether you should be doing more.

How can I measure the risks in my workplace?

A great starting point is always to walk around your workplace and try to find any hazards - a hazard is anything which could cause harm. Then look at the risks - a risk is the chance, high or low, of somebody being harmed by the hazard, and how serious the harm could be.

Consider how accidents could happen and who might be harmed. Ask your employees what they think the hazards are, as they may notice things that are not obvious for you and may possess some good ideas on how best to control the risks. Pay attention to the true risks - those who are most likely to cause harm. Look at the measures you're already taking to manage the risks and ask if you have anything you must do to create your workplace safer. Once you've identified the risks and what you need to do to manage them, you must put the correct measures in place.

Then record your findings. If you have fewer than five employees you don't have to create anything down, but it's good practice to keep a record. A good way to record your findings is to use a risk assessment form. No standard legal form exists that can be utilized, but so long as you record the chance and everything you are doing to manage it, that's all that's required. It is much better to keep it simple and straightforward and not allow it to be more difficult than it must be.

Few workplaces stay the same and sooner or later you will take in new equipment, substances or procedures that might lead to new hazards. It makes sense to review your risk assessment on a regular basis. If anything significant changes, check your risk assessment and update it.

By following these simple steps, managing health and safety in the workplace won't be an arduous task, but something that's an all-natural task in virtually any business.

Nigel J Welford is really a qualified Health & Safety professional and believes in making the method of health and safety in the workplace as simple as you can whilst still being effective and meeting all the regulations. Get a copy of his free report "The Secret To How Health & Safety Can Improve Your Business And Profits: 7 Everyday Pitfalls To Avoid" from https://www.centerforworklife.com/