What is a Business Risk Assessment

We’ve all heard the term ‘risk assessment’, but just like so many technical terms, the phrase is bandied about without many knowing what it means anymore. The term losing its meaning except to true safety professionals (ahem, that’s me.)

I tried testing my theory at a Company once, there were a group of senior managers attending a safety training day and I asked someone to explain the term risk assessment, as they had all nodded when asked if they had attended a session before. The glazed look cross their faces like a strobe light. Arms crossed, sitting back in the chair.

A junior spoke up,

“It’s about assessing the risks to a person in a certain situation and making sure they don’t come to harm.” 

“Very good. Now take me through the steps of the risk assessment for a deep swimming pool and a toddler playing nearby?” I encouraged.

Puzzled frowns.

“Just take the toddler away. Ban him or her.”

“But that’s what swimming pools are for, besides, what if he sneaks back?” I ask.

“Make sure his mother is with him.”

Sniggers.

“Can the mother swim?” I wheedle.

“Send her on a training course.”

Senior sniggers

“What if it were an 8 year old. Would the risk assessment change?”

Shifting around in their seats now…

“What if the pool were empty?” I ask.

“What’s this got to do with risk assessments in our Company?”

“Everything. Write down the business risk assessment you would do for a public swimming pool? Anybody here never been to one?” Two can play at their game.

Eyes up to heaven, but the group start writing. What else can they do?

The timer dinged.

What Not To Do

I asked the group to give me their responses. It started slowly and built into a heated debate. Some wanted a fence put around the perimeter, others lifeguards, some would only allow supervised sessions with mothers, others an alarm to call for help, CCTV, emptied pool when not in use. The risk averse decided to fill the pool in with cement – so many suggestions. All good and mostly relevant. However, none came up with the correct, systematic way to assess and control risks.

So I took them through the steps to apply to any situation.

How to do a Risk Assessment Properly

An infographic with the 5 steps of a recommended business risk assessment

The Five Steps of a Business Risk Assessment

  1. Identify the hazards: list any possible hazards now or in the future, such as during repairs, maintenance, holidays, nights etc. (water, deep hole, bacterial infections)
  2. Assess the level of risk with the current control measures in place – is the risk still high, medium or low depending on who may be affected, such as people who don’t know the area (injuries), those who cannot swim, those who encounter problems in the pool such as heart attack, drowning. Those who may become infected from bacteria (illness)
  3. Are more controls needed to reduce the risk further, more precautions (limit access to pool or deep hole – guarding, supervision, administrative, personal protective equipment, emergency precautions, chemical treatments.) If so, put them in place.
  4. Record all your findings from steps 1 – 3 above
  5. Monitor the workplace risk assessment regularly to ensure the controls are working (gather data, usage, incidents, reports of near misses.) If new risks appear, injuries or illness occurs or there are significant changes in the process/hazard control, start at step 1 again until all risks are as low as possible. A dynamic situation and not a one-of paper exercise.

Picture of an Elf on a green backgroundConclusion

A thorough business risk assessment is much more than looking at the risks from one perspective, it’s an all round consideration of anything that may happen, to anybody, young, old, infirm, careless, and in what circumstances. Failure to comply can result in serious fines and injury.

It is thinking about foreseeing possibilities. For workplaces, this process, imits the number of people who may be harmed; you would be unlikely to have a toddler on site but you may have inexperienced apprentices or those with health issues. New recruits or night workers.

All of these things need to be taken into consideration and control measures put in place to prevent foreseeable harm no matter what.

Resources and Information for Business Risk Assessments