Risk Assessment

How to Conduct a Workplace Risk Assessment: Steps and Practical Example

Risk assessment is the process of identifying workplace hazards, evaluating the likelihood and potential severity of harm, and determining appropriate control measures. A properly conducted risk assessment helps an organisation identify which hazards require immediate attention and what actions should be taken.

In manufacturing, construction, logistics and other industries, risk assessment is more than a documentation exercise. Its primary purpose is to identify hazardous conditions before incidents occur and reduce the likelihood of workplace injuries and adverse health effects.

What Is Risk Assessment and Why Is It Important?

Risk assessment enables organisations to proactively analyse potential hazardous events during work activities and plan measures to prevent harm.

The process is based on two fundamental concepts:

• Hazard: A source or situation with the potential to cause harm.

• Risk: The likelihood that a particular hazard will cause harm, together with the potential severity of that harm.

For example, a moving forklift in a warehouse is a source of hazard. A collision between the forklift and a pedestrian, potentially resulting in injury, is one of the risks that must be assessed.

Understanding this distinction is essential when selecting appropriate control measures. Identifying a hazard alone is not enough; it is also necessary to determine who could be harmed, under what circumstances and how.

Key Objectives of Risk Assessment

Risk assessment helps organisations systematically manage the following activities:

• Identify hazards and harmful factors in the workplace.

• Assess risks to employees, contractors and visitors.

• Determine whether existing safety measures are adequate.

• Prioritise additional risk control measures.

• Assign responsibility for implementing corrective and preventive actions.

• Review risks whenever working conditions change.

A risk assessment must reflect an organisation's actual operations. Simply copying an assessment prepared for another workplace may result in significant hazards being overlooked.

How to Conduct a Risk Assessment

The International Labour Organization (ILO) outlines a practical five-step approach to workplace risk assessment.

Step 1. Identify Workplace Hazards

The first step involves examining the workplace and the activities being performed.

Potential hazards vary depending on the nature of the work and may include:

• Falls from height during work at height.

• Exposure to electric current when working with electrical equipment.

• Falling loads during lifting operations.

• Collisions involving forklifts in operational areas.

• Harmful exposure to chemicals.

• Slips and falls caused by slippery floors.

Workplace inspections, employee consultations, equipment operating manuals and previous incident reports can all provide valuable information for hazard identification.

Routine operations are not the only activities that should be considered. Maintenance, cleaning and emergency activities must also be included.

Step 2. Identify Who Might Be Harmed and How

For each identified hazard, determine who could be harmed and how the harm might occur.

For example, in an area where forklifts operate, the people exposed to risk may include not only forklift operators but also warehouse workers, maintenance personnel and other individuals entering the area.

Key questions to consider include:

• Who may be exposed to the hazard?

• Under what circumstances could harm occur?

• How frequently does exposure take place?

• Are newly recruited or inexperienced employees exposed to additional risks?

The aim is not simply to list job titles but to understand actual exposure conditions.

Step 3. Evaluate Risks and Determine Control Measures

Risk evaluation involves considering both the likelihood of a hazardous event occurring and the severity of its potential consequences.

Some organisations use a risk matrix for this purpose.

A risk matrix is an assessment tool that helps compare risks and prioritise control measures based on likelihood and severity.

However, a risk matrix is not the only assessment method, nor is it universally suitable for every industry. Complex industrial processes may require additional risk analysis techniques.

Once risks have been identified and evaluated, existing controls should be reviewed and additional measures introduced where necessary.

The following hierarchy of controls provides a useful framework for selecting appropriate measures:

1. Elimination: Completely remove the hazardous activity or source wherever reasonably practicable.

2. Substitution: Replace hazardous substances, equipment or processes with safer alternatives.

3. Engineering controls: Introduce physical barriers, segregation systems and other engineered safety solutions.

4. Administrative controls: Improve work procedures, instructions, safety signage and work organisation.

5. Personal protective equipment (PPE): Provide and use protective equipment appropriate to the remaining risks.

Although PPE plays an important role, priority should be given, wherever practicable, to measures that eliminate or control hazards at their source.

Step 4. Record Findings and Assign Responsibilities

Risk assessment findings should be documented clearly and in a manner that allows effective follow-up.

The assessment record should ideally include at least the following information:

• Work area and activity being assessed.

• Identified hazards.

• Persons potentially exposed to harm.

• Existing control measures.

• Additional actions required.

• Person responsible for each action.

• Completion deadlines and verification results.

For example, the statement "Improve warehouse safety" is too general to be an effective action.

A more specific and verifiable measure would be: "Install physical barriers to separate forklift operating routes from pedestrian walkways."

Step 5. Monitor and Review the Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is not a one-time activity.

When new equipment is installed, work processes change, production areas are reorganised or incidents occur, existing risk assessments should be reviewed to determine whether they remain valid.

Implementing control measures does not mark the end of the process. Their effectiveness must also be monitored under actual working conditions.

Practical Example: Forklift and Pedestrian Movements in a Warehouse

Consider a warehouse where forklifts and pedestrians use the same traffic areas.

This example is illustrative. At an actual workplace, the risk level must be determined individually, taking into account the site layout, traffic intensity, visibility conditions and existing control measures.

Following the implementation of additional measures, the residual risk should be reassessed to determine whether it has been reduced to an acceptable level.

Assessment findings must be supported by actual workplace conditions, not merely by completed documentation.

Common Mistakes in Workplace Risk Assessment

Describing Hazards Too Broadly

Instead of using a vague term such as "mechanical hazard", specify which equipment or operation could cause harm and how the incident might occur.

Relying Solely on Personal Protective Equipment

For example, attempting to control the risk of a forklift–pedestrian collision solely through the use of safety helmets is not an effective approach.

More effective measures, such as separating vehicle and pedestrian routes, should be considered.

Failing to Involve Employees

Employees performing the work can provide valuable insights into hazardous situations and actual working conditions.

Failing to Assign Responsibility for Actions

Without a designated responsible person and a clear completion deadline, monitoring the implementation of control measures becomes difficult.

Failing to Update Risk Assessments

Continuing to use outdated assessments after work processes have changed may result in new hazards being overlooked.

Is Risk Assessment the Same as Workplace Attestation?

No. These are different processes.

Risk assessment focuses on identifying hazards and evaluating potential harm associated with workplace activities.

Workplace attestation of working conditions is a separate legal and organisational procedure under the applicable regulatory framework. It involves evaluating workplace conditions against prescribed criteria.

Although both activities relate to occupational health and safety, completing one does not automatically mean that the requirements of the other have been fulfilled.

How Can You Develop Your Risk Assessment Skills?

Conducting an effective risk assessment requires more than knowing how to complete a risk assessment form.

Professionals must be able to identify hazards, select appropriate control measures and document assessment findings accurately.

The HSE Preparatory Course offered by Industrial Support and Training Services (IST) covers hazard identification and risk assessment methodologies.

These skills are valuable for HSE professionals, production managers and individuals beginning their careers in occupational health and safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Should Conduct a Risk Assessment?

Risk assessments should be carried out by a competent person or team with appropriate knowledge of the work activities and associated hazards.

Complex technical risks may require additional specialist expertise.

When Should a Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?

Risk assessments should be reviewed when significant changes occur in work processes, equipment, materials or working conditions, or when there are concerns about the effectiveness of existing control measures.

Scheduled review intervals should be determined in accordance with applicable requirements and the organisation's risk profile.

Can Risk Assessment Be Conducted Without a Risk Matrix?

Yes. A risk matrix is one of several available risk assessment tools, but it is neither mandatory nor sufficient in every situation.

The chosen assessment method should be appropriate to the nature of the risk and the complexity of the work activity.

Does Risk Assessment Eliminate All Hazards?

No. Risk assessment helps identify hazards and evaluate potential harm.

Actual risk reduction depends on the effective implementation and ongoing monitoring of appropriate control measures.

Conclusion

Workplace risk assessment begins with hazard identification and continues through the implementation of appropriate control measures and verification of their effectiveness.

A well-prepared risk assessment does more than list potential risks. It clearly establishes what actions are required, who is responsible and how the results will be verified.

Develop your practical risk assessment skills. Explore IST's HSE Preparatory Course and discover relevant professional training opportunities.