Introduction
Risk assessments are an essential
tool for occupational health and safety management. They give
an idea of potential hazards and help prioritise the actions that
are required to reduce or eliminate risks.
Other requirements for risk
assessment come under various forms of health and safety legislation,
of which some of the subject areas are listed here:
- Access and egress
- Asbestos
- Control of substances hazardous
to health
- DSE (computer work stations)
- Fire protection
- Lead
- Manual Handling
- New & Expectant Mothers
(Pregnancy)
- Noise
- Radiation (ionising and non-ionising)
& nuclear facilities
- Stress
- Vibration
Legal Requirements
Employers have
a legal obligation to protect their health and safety and that
of their employees, as set out in the Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974 and explicit duties under the Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999,
to risk assess their premises and processes, as set out below:
- Assess the
risks to the health and safety of their employees while they
are at work (regulation 3)
- Assess the risks posed to
new and expectant mothers within the workplace (regulations
16 - 18)
- Assess the risks posed to
young people within the workplace (regulations 3(4) and 3(5),
19)
- Take appropriate measures
to eliminate or reduce the highlighted risks (regulation 4)
Legislation governing the areas
listed in the introduction section should also be consulted.
Some aspects of risk assessments
can be perceived as being specialist technical areas, or even
too time consuming to carry out in-house. All Safe OH & S
are able to provide consultancy services to review or carry out
risk assessments.
Two of the most commonly asked
for risk assessments in an occupational health setting are described
below:
DSE Workstation Assessments
Introduction
For those working in an
office environment, computer workstations that are incorrectly
set up for their users can cause problems with musculoskeletal
disorders, fatigue and stress. Employers have obligations as set
out within the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulating 1992,
as amended 2002. These include conducting DSE workstation assessments
and the provision of free eye tests at the request of employees.
What's Involved?
Computer workstation assessments
look at the following factors:
- Equipment
- Environment
- Computer & user interface
- Meetings with managers or
supervisors if applicable
- Any special requirements
resulting from the user's health status
- Advice regarding reasonable
adjustments
- Advice about the applicability
of the Disability Discrimination Act
An assessment can take between
45 minutes and one hour. It is essential that the person using
the workstation is present at the time of the assessment, otherwise
full ergonomic considerations cannot be taken into account.
Once the assessment has been
carried out, a detailed report is generated and both the employer
and employee are given sent a copy of the report.
New &
Expectant Mothers' Risk Assessments
Introduction
Around 350,000 women continue
to work during their pregnancy every year and of those, 69% return
to work after giving birth (TUC 2005). The duty of employers to
protect new and expectant mothers is given in the Management of
Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulations 16 -
18. Here an employer is required to identify and protect new and
expectant mothers from any processes or working conditions that
could cause harm. Risk assessment is an essential tool to comply
with the above legislation.
Legal Requirements
- The Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 include regulations
that protect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers
who work.
- Under the
Sex Discrimination Act 1975, if an employer fails to protect
the health and safety of their pregnant workers, it is automatically
considered sex discrimination.
What's Involved?
The Occupational Health Advisor
can come onto the company premises and conduct a face-to-face
new & expectant mothers' risk assessment, This can take between
45 minutes and one hour. For office based employees a DSE workstation
assessment is usually carried out at the same time. The new &
expectant mothers' assessment will follow the guidelines set out
by the HSE taking into account general workplace risks, risks
of infection and any other issues raised by the employee and her
manager. A copy of the report generated will be given to the employee
as well as the nominated person within her company.
Risk Assessment services
are client specific and further details can be obtained on an
individual company basis by contacting us.
Please contact
us for further information and pricing
All
Safe OH & S - Keeping you, your company and your employees
All Safe
© All Safe OH &
S Ltd 2007 - 2011
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