The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 [1] and 2006 amendments [2] require employers to:
1. Appoint an individual to take responsibility for complying with health and safety requirements
2. Provide employees with information and training related to health and safety.
3. Carry out a Risk Assessment
Employers must assess risks health and safety and implement measures to mitigate them. This assessment includes the identification of the hazards (e.g. physical, chemical and electrical) present and an evaluation of the severity of the risks involved, taking into account any controls already in place. This helps the employer identify what precautions must be taken to create a safe working environment, and is the basis for effective health and safety management. The assessment must be regularly reviewed to ensure standards are maintained.
It is only a legal requirement for workplaces with five or more employees to have a formal written risk assessment but it is strongly recommended that all practices have this in place.
Specific risk assessments must be carried out for young persons, new or expectant mothers, and temporary workers.
Some useful definitions are:
- Hazard - anything with the potential to cause harm
- Risk - the likelihood that harm will occur
- Control - measures already taken to reduce the risk
- Extra controls - measures that need to be taken to remove the risk