Risk Assessments Within the Cleaning Industry

Every Responsible employer has a duty to undertake assessments of the risks posed to employees at the sites where they operate. CCS Medway has a very good record for health and safety and aims to maintain it.

The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 has, for nearly 20 years, required employers to take "reasonably practical" precautions in various areas to safeguard employees. To do this and to ensure that "reasonable practical" precautions are taken it is necessary to make a balanced judgment about the extent of the risk and its consequences against the time, trouble and cost of the steps needed to remove or reduce it. It can be said that the steps are not necessary only if the cost is "grossly disproportionate". With the introduction of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, employers now have to record significant results and the information based upon the assessments are given to employees in a much more specific way.

Glossary of some of the main terms used in risk assessment fields

HEALTH: A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

SAFETY: Suggests security, freedom from danger and risk of damage or injury.

HAZARD: Something with the potential to cause harm.

RISK: The likelihood that the harm could occur in the actual circumstance of use.

ACCIDENT: An unplanned and uncontrolled event, which has led to or could have caused injury to persons, damage to plant or other loss

INJURY: Physical or mental harm to a person or persons.

RISK ASSESSMENT: Identification of hazards present in any undertaking and evaluation and the extent of the risks involved, taking into account whatever precautions are being undertaken.

EXTENT OF RISK: The number of people who might be affected and the consequences.

Process of a Risk Assessment

There are certain logical steps to take when carrying out a risk assessment

• 1. Look for the hazard.
• 2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
• 3. Evaluate the risks arising from the hazards and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or more should be done.
• 4. Record the findings.
• 5. Inform colleagues/employees of your findings.
• 6. Review your assessment from time to time and revise it if necessary.