Risk Assessment 

The best place to start is with a risk assessment of your groups activities. If your group takes place in building not owned by the group make sure the building owners have a risk assessment for the building.

Your group should do one for the activities that you provide. This helps you to see the risks before they can cause harm and then put measures in place to reduce that risk. We all know that accidents happen but we can do our best to prevent them from happening! 

       There are five simple steps to follow when doing a risk assessment:    

1.        Look for the hazards, eg slips, trips and falls, working high up, exposure to hazardous substances, high noise levels, moving vehicles, fire and explosion.

2.        Decide who might be harmed and how.

3.        Evaluate the risks and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or whether more needs to be done.

4.       Record your findings.

5.       Review your risk assessment from time to time and revise it if necessary - particularly if new hazards are introduced to your workplace.

      These do not have to be long winded or use fancy language. The more plain and simple the language the easier it is for people to understand and follow.

An overview

Checklist: watching out for workplace hazards

You should guard against potential hazards affecting your group. You must also consider those which affect the environment in general, group members and others affected by your group. Some hazards can be easily spotted. However, many can be easily overlooked. Make sure you:

·                      tidy up loose or trailing cabling

·                      look out for wet, slippery, unclean or badly surfaced floors

·                      ensure all areas are well lit

·                      check for adequate ventilation

·                      ensure that chemicals, including cleaning substances, are stored,  handled and disposed of properly

·                      put in place safe procedures for handling flammable substances

·                      check for faulty or inappropriate electrical equipment

·                      manage waste responsibly

·                      fix bad drainage

·                      ensure ladders and scaffolding are safe

·                      improve poorly designed workstations

·                      check for exposure to vibration from tools, equipment or processes

·                      implement sufficient rest breaks

·                      provide appropriate and well-maintained protective wear

·                      provide appropriate training

·                      ensure vehicle loading and unloading operations are carried out safely

·                      check for exposure to excessive work pressure