TABLE OF CONTENTS The control of risks is essential to secure and maintain a healthy and safe workplace which complies with the relevant legal requirements. Hazard identification and risk assessment are covered in Chapter 5 and these together with appropriate risk control measures form the core of HSG 65 implementing and planning section of the management model. Chapter 1 covers this in more detail.
This chapter concerns the principles that should be adopted when deciding on suitable measures to eliminate or control both acute and chronic risks to the health and safety of people at work. The principles of control can be applied to both health risks and safety risks, although health risks have some distinctive features that require a special approach.
Chapters 7 to 14 deal with specific workplace hazards and controls subject by subject. The principles of prevention now enshrined in the Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations need to be used jointly with the hierarchy of control methods which give the preferred order of approach to risk control.
When risks have been analysed and assessed, decisions can be made about workplace precautions.
All final decisions about risk control methods must take into account the relevant legal requirements, which establish minimum levels of risk prevention or control. Some of the duties imposed by the HSW Act and the relevant statutory provisions are absolute and must be complied with. Many requirements are, however, qualified by the words, so far as...
