When is a risk assessment required?
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must assess the risks to the health and safety of their employees, and of anyone else who might be affected by their work. Where five or more people are employed, the significant findings of the assessment must be recorded in writing.
Beyond that general duty, specific activities and substances carry their own assessment requirements: hazardous substances under COSHH, manual handling, display screen equipment, work at height, and the needs of new and expectant mothers and young workers among them. In every case the law expects the assessment to be suitable and sufficient for what you actually do.
Assessments we carry out
Our consultants carry out the full range of workplace assessments, including:
- General workplace risk assessments
- Task and activity risk assessments, feeding your RAMS
- COSHH assessments for hazardous substances
- Manual handling assessments
- Display screen equipment (DSE) assessments
- Working at height assessments
- New and expectant mother assessments
- Young worker assessments
For fire, see our dedicated fire risk assessments.
How we work
We visit and observe
Our assessor visits your site and watches how the work is actually done, not how the paperwork says it should be.
We talk to your people
The people doing the job know where the real risks are. We speak to them directly, so the assessment reflects working practice.
You get clear, prioritised findings
Written findings in plain English, with a prioritised action plan so you know what to fix first and why.
We help you implement the controls
We stay involved while the controls go in, whether that means updating documents, arranging training or advising on the fix itself.
Keeping assessments current
A risk assessment is not a one-off exercise. It must be reviewed whenever there is reason to think it is no longer valid: when the work changes, when new equipment or substances are introduced, when the people doing the work change, and after any accident or near miss. Legislation and guidance move too, and your assessments need to keep pace.
Our retained consultancy packages build that review in, so your assessments stay current without you having to remember to ask.
Book a risk assessment
Tell us about your workplace and the activities you need assessed, and we will produce assessments your team will actually use, and keep them current as things change.
Risk assessment FAQs
What is a risk assessment and why do I need one?
A risk assessment identifies hazards, who might be harmed, and how risks are controlled. It’s a legal requirement and a key part of preventing accidents, injuries, and enforcement action.
What is a COSHH assessment?
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. A COSHH assessment identifies the hazardous substances used, produced or encountered in your work, such as chemicals, dusts and fumes, considers how people might be exposed to them, and sets out the controls needed to prevent or adequately control that exposure.
Do I need to write risk assessments down?
If you employ five or more people, the significant findings of your risk assessments must be recorded in writing. With fewer employees you must still carry out the assessments; they simply do not have to be written down, although recording them is good practice and often requested by clients.
How often should risk assessments be reviewed?
There is no fixed legal interval. An assessment must be reviewed whenever there is reason to believe it is no longer valid: after an accident or near miss, or when the work, equipment, substances or people involved change. In practice, many businesses build in an annual review as a sensible baseline.
Can you train our staff to do their own assessments?
Yes. Through our Course Advisor service we arrange accredited training such as IOSH Managing Safely, which covers risk assessment as a core part of the syllabus. Many clients pair training with our consultancy support, so assessments are done in-house with a qualified consultant to call on.