‘New Year, new me’ is often a phrase used at we turn our attention to the New Year and reflect on the one that has just passed us.
This applies just as much to businesses as it does to your personal attitude. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggest that risk assessments should be reviewed on an ‘ongoing basis’. Often an annual check is sensible for many businesses.
The purpose of reviewing risk assessments is essential to determine whether there have been any changes to the business activities which may, in turn, affect the risks associated with particular tasks/premises/individuals. It is essential that your risk assessments reflect the current conditions and they have not just been left to gather dust!
In particular, the HSE suggests you should look at your risk assessment and ask:
- Have there been any significant changes?
- Are there improvements you still need to make?
- Have your workers spotted a problem?
- Have you learnt anything from accidents, near misses, work-related ill-health (physical and mental) reports, sickness absence data or employee surveys?
It’s a worthwhile task to set you up on the annual January task-list of broader business compliance from a health and safety perspective. If you don’t review it now when are you going to find time to do it?
If you have any regulatory questions please do contact Sarah or James on sfrow@woodswhur.co.uk and james@woodswhur.co.uk or telephone the office on 01132343055.