A risk assessment in a workplace is a sort of planning and strategy for the unseen future. It’s a must for a company that falls under hazards category to identify hazards in workplace. To answer the question of, how to do a proper risk assessment in a workplace? The process aims to think about the future by reflecting on the past. Risk assessment should involve a great degree of unpredictability. It focuses and prepares on resilience. Working towards a framework that helps in taking control of situations and prepares on how to avoid mistakes.
Below are few basic steps that you can take to complete a risk assessment. But always remember the best part of risk assessment is conversation with people. Discussing with the team and focus on people and not objects.
- Identify the hazards in a workplace
- Decide who might be harmed and how
- Evaluate the risks it possess and decide on precautions
- Record your significant findings
- Review your assessment and update if necessary
You can also have a risk assessment checklist. Checklist are great they save time and may fall under a process. But consider it as only a secondary task. Never get bound by a checklist especially in case of risk assessment. A checklist might hinder the ability to think fresh. Instead focus on activities and their byproducts. Even if you have a checklist you need to revisit/rethink on the checklist regularly. It is very easy to get carried away by just follow a checklist. When ever there is a new process or change in the process or a new work position is added it is important to rework on the checklist to do a proper risk assessment. Think about the different scenario of failure and question everything. Remember future is unpredictable.
