TABLE OF CONTENTS The purpose of risk assessment is to assist an employer and/or a responsible person to identify the preventive and protective measures required to comply with the law and in doing so, ensure, as far as reasonably practical, the safety of their workforce, premises and those around them who could be affected by their activities.
This chapter aims to provide the basic principles which are used during activity-based assessments and the more general risk assessment techniques. Chapter 14 will discuss the fire risk assessment process which is based upon many of the issues discussed in this chapter. An effective risk management strategy is a critical element in assisting an organisation to successfully plan their management of safety. Risk assessments conducted by an organisation will help to identify and quantify areas of strengths and weaknesses, prioritise actions for controlling fire risks and provide a basis for developing a positive safety culture.
As discussed in Chapter 1, the legal argument for managing fire and health and safety is only one of the three reasons that an organisation should manage safety effectively.
The same can be said for risk assessment, in so far as while assessments are required by law, the moral argument for reducing personal injuries and incidents of ill health by the use of risk control measures should also not be overlooked. The financial and economical implications of failing to identify risks generally, particularly those related to fire safety, can also have serious implications on an organisation s ability...
