Risk Assessment in the Workplace: A Practical Guide
Risk assessment in the workplace is a structured process for examining identified hazards, considering the risks they create and determining appropriate priorities for prevention and control.
What Is Risk Assessment in the Workplace?
Risk assessment is the process of examining workplace hazards and considering the possibility and consequences of harm. It helps organizations determine which risks require attention and what measures may be appropriate to eliminate hazards or reduce exposure.
A risk assessment should be based on the actual work being performed. Equipment, substances, work methods, environmental conditions, existing controls and the people who may be affected can all influence the level and nature of risk.
The objective is not simply to assign a number or rating. A useful assessment supports informed decisions about prevention, control and safe work.
Understanding the Difference Between Hazard and Risk
Hazard and risk are related concepts, but they describe different aspects of workplace safety.
Hazard
A source, situation or activity with the potential to cause injury, ill health or other harm.
Risk
The consideration of potential harm associated with a hazard, including factors such as likelihood, exposure and possible consequences.
Control
A measure used to eliminate a hazard where practicable or otherwise reduce the associated risk.
How to Conduct a Workplace Risk Assessment
The exact method should be appropriate to the workplace and the complexity of the activity being assessed. A practical process generally moves from understanding hazards to evaluating risk, selecting controls and reviewing the result.
Identify Hazards
Determine what could cause harm and consider who or what may be exposed.
Evaluate Risk
Consider relevant factors such as exposure, likelihood, potential consequences and existing controls.
Determine Controls
Identify measures that can eliminate the hazard or reduce the associated risk to an appropriate level.
Review
Check whether controls remain effective and reassess when relevant conditions change.
Considering Likelihood and Severity
Many risk assessment methods consider both the likelihood of a harmful event and the potential severity of its consequences. Some organizations also consider exposure frequency, the number of people exposed, duration of exposure or other factors relevant to the activity.
A risk matrix can help organize these judgments, but the resulting score should not replace professional judgment or knowledge of the work. Two hazards with similar numerical scores may require very different controls.
Where uncertainty exists, the assessor should seek additional information rather than relying on unsupported assumptions.
Consider Existing Risk Controls
A workplace may already have engineering measures, procedures, training, supervision, protective equipment or other controls in place. These measures should be considered when evaluating the current risk.
The assessment should also examine whether existing controls are suitable, correctly implemented and consistently used. A control that exists only in a written procedure may provide little protection if it is not applied in practice.
Using the Hierarchy of Controls
When additional action is required, control measures should focus on reducing risk effectively rather than relying automatically on the easiest administrative response.
Eliminate or Substitute
Where practicable, remove the hazard entirely or replace it with an option presenting less risk.
Engineering Controls
Use physical or technical measures to isolate people from hazards or reduce exposure at its source.
Administrative Measures & PPE
Procedures, training, scheduling, supervision and personal protective equipment may form part of the overall control strategy where appropriate.
Consider Who May Be Affected
Risk assessment should consider more than the person directly performing a task. Other employees, contractors, visitors or people working nearby may also be exposed to a hazard.
Individual circumstances may also affect exposure or vulnerability. The assessment process should therefore consider the actual people and working conditions involved rather than assuming every person experiences a hazard in the same way.
Assess Risks Beyond Normal Operations
Some of the most significant risks can arise during activities that are not part of routine operations. Maintenance, equipment setup, cleaning, troubleshooting, shutdown, startup and emergency response can change normal exposure conditions.
Contractor work, temporary activities and changes to equipment or processes should also be considered where relevant. An assessment based only on normal production conditions may overlook important risks.
Documenting a Workplace Risk Assessment
Risk assessment records should communicate enough information for relevant people to understand what was assessed and what action is required.
Depending on the workplace and assessment method, documentation may identify the activity, hazards, people potentially affected, existing controls, risk evaluation, additional measures, responsibilities and review information.
Documentation should support action. Excessive paperwork that does not improve understanding or control of risk can undermine the practical purpose of the assessment.
When Should a Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?
A risk assessment should not be treated as permanently valid simply because it has been completed and documented. Changes in the workplace may alter both hazards and the effectiveness of existing controls.
Review may be appropriate following significant changes to equipment, materials, work methods or environments; when new hazard information becomes available; following relevant incidents or near misses; when controls appear ineffective; or as part of an organization’s periodic safety review process.
Common Risk Assessment Mistakes
Generic Assessments
Copying an assessment without considering actual workplace conditions can leave important hazards and exposures unaddressed.
Focusing Only on Scores
A numerical risk rating is a decision-support tool, not a substitute for understanding the hazard and selecting effective controls.
Assess and Forget
An assessment loses value when required actions are not implemented or the document is never reviewed as work changes.
Risk Assessment Supports Better Safety Decisions
Effective risk assessment in the workplace connects hazard identification with practical decisions about prevention and control. Its value comes from understanding real working conditions, evaluating relevant risks, implementing appropriate controls and checking whether those measures continue to work.
Risk assessment methods should be proportionate to the work being examined and aligned with applicable organizational procedures and legal or regulatory requirements in the relevant jurisdiction.
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