Workplace risk assessment

What it means

A workplace risk assessment is a written evaluation of hazards and risks at work that every employer must have. It describes what could harm employees, how likely and how serious that harm would be, and what measures the employer has taken to remove or reduce the risk. It is the foundation of occupational health and safety.

The duty applies regardless of company size or sector, so even an office of a few people needs one. In an office the assessment covers things like screen work, electrical equipment, slips and stress; in production, machinery, chemicals, noise or work at height.

The assessment drives the choice of personal protective equipment, training content, working procedures and medical checks. An employer without one cannot show that it does what the law requires for its employees' safety.

How it works in practice

The assessment is usually prepared by a safety technician or an authorised safety technician working with managers and employees. The steps are: identify hazards, estimate the risk, propose measures, assign responsibilities and deadlines, and document the results.

It is updated when working conditions change, new machinery or technology arrives, the workplace moves, and after every workplace accident or dangerous occurrence. A regular review even without changes helps catch risks that have appeared in the meantime.

Employees must be informed of the results, ideally during induction and periodic training. The risk assessment is also closely linked to fire protection, which has its own duties and documents, though in practice the two are often handled together.

What to watch out for

Labour inspectors ask for the risk assessment among the very first documents. A missing assessment, or a copied, formal one that does not match reality, leads to a fine and, after an accident, to the employer's liability for damages.

The assessment must also cover home-office workers and people with specific needs, such as pregnant women, young workers or people with disabilities. A one-size-fits-all document that ignores these groups is incomplete.