There are many rules and legislations to follow when it comes to health and safety and it can be difficult to keep up with updates. Health and safety legislation is put into place by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and it is important to follow legislation in all industries to protect yourself and your workplace.
By protecting your workplace, you are also reducing any possible absences related to accidents or injuries by ensuring that your work environment is safe. As health and safety is such a massive part of all workplaces, it can become confusing trying to keep up with any changes or updates to the health and safety regulations.
Throughout this blog, we will be exploring a range of different health and safety questions and answers. This is to test your knowledge and help give you a better understanding of health and safety rules and regulations. For more information, please read on!
Why are Health and Safety Important in The Workplace?
There are many reasons why health and safety is important in the workplace. If there are no health and safety regulations in place, there is a higher chance of accidents occurring.
Having the correct procedures for health and safety at work reduces any downtime caused by injuries. If you don’t have the correct health and safety regulations in place, then this can have a negative impact on your business.
This is because more people will be absent due to injuries, meaning that the business may lose money as appointments may need to be cancelled due to being understaffed.
How Do I Complete a Risk Assessment?
A risk assessment is used to identify potential hazards in your workplace. For example, if there is a tripping hazard, you would resolve this hazard by clearing the floor. The aim of a risk assessment is to pinpoint any hazards in the workplace and come up with ways to avoid or prevent them.
Firstly, you want to identify any hazards by walking around and looking for anything that could cause harm. Next, you will want to decide who is at risk and how you can protect those at risk too.
Once you have identified the hazards, you will need to record what you find and share it with the rest of the workplace. Risk assessments aren’t meant to be perfect, however, they are designed to be short and simple.
When completing a risk assessment, you should be able to show that:
- A thorough check was made around the workplace
- You asked those who might be affected
- You sorted all the obvious hazards (tripping hazards)
- You issued the correct PPE where necessary
- You provide welfare facilities if needed
Finally, you should review and update your risk assessment when necessary. This is because things are bound to change once you have conducted your first risk assessment, which is why it is important that you keep on top of it in case any more hazards arise. If you are unsure as to whether or not you need to take a risk assessment, we can help!
What is The Difference Between a Hazard and a Risk?
Simply put, a hazard is something that can cause harm, whereas a risk is the chance of a hazard causing harm and how serious it can be. You normally describe the risk as being low, medium, or high.
For example, hazards that can result in injuries and fatalities are classified as high risk, whereas hazard that is unlikely to cause accidents are classified as low risk. Finally, a medium risk level is an event that could result in a small amount of time off work.
Contact Beaconrisk
Here at Beaconrisk, we provide expert health and safety support to help you save time and money. We offer health and safety competent advice to ensure you are on the right side of health and safety law, as well as a range of accreditation and e-learning services for companies across the UK and Ireland.
Our aim is to work with our clients by simplifying Health and Safety management for you in a cost-effective way. From COSHH courses to electrical safety, fire safety, fire risk, emergency first aid at work to risk assessments, we have everything you need to protect your business and your employees.
For more information on what we offer, contact us at 0151 647 8658. Alternatively, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We are more than happy to help!