Completed Workplace Risk Assessments

[glenb]

Hi Everyone

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum but couldn't see anywhere else to put it!

I'm currently helping a colleague write a workplace risk assessment document and it strikes me that for the "average uk office", 95% of the risks would be generic.

Are there resources that anyone can recommend to help with this task? Ideally if someone knows of a completed workplace risk assessment document that covers all the usual (display screens, manual handling etc etc.) that we can take and amend this would be ideal.

For the entrepreneurial of you out there, I'm not really looking for pitches for risk assessment consultants to visit us and do this for us!!! :D

Thanks in advance (ever the optomist!).
Glen

[Antonia @limeone.com]

Start with the HSE site, there are examples of risk assessment forms on there and ideas for drafting your own for various premises free of charge.

[Sparky331]

Just a reminder that fire risk assessments must be carried out by a competent person and must be 'suitable and sufficient'. There is a definition of 'competent person' in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which is now the primary legislation for fire safety in this country. You can download the guide for offices and shops from http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk2

Best of luck with it. Don't get out of your depth otherwise we'll have to come and bail you out!!!!

Can't really help with H & S risk assessments as I'm only qualified in fire safety.

Bob

[glenb]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the help - and so quickly!!!

Point taken about Fire Risk Assessment. I'm competent to the point of not sitting and smoking next to a jerry can full of petrol....

Cheers
Glen

[blazing_air]

Glen
Noticed that you are in my neck of the woods, so thought i would offer a helping hand.
As already stated the HSE Website has a lot of general information on there regrding Fire Risk Assessment, Manual Handling etc...
I have also downloaded most of the legislation available so to save you time, if there is anything you are stuck with, just give me a pm and i'll be glad to point you in the right direction.


Carl

[Ashley]

Can I give my 2 pence.

risk assessments are seen as a burden by most, well let me tell you my tale.

I to saw them as a burden but owning hotels I needed a fire risk assessments and it was beyond me.

So I brought in outside help, the firm I used where brilliant and good value for money.

The fire assessment is very detailed at many hundreds of pages long. Every bedroom goes into great detail as does every work area, it has easpce plans for different times of the day. It also gives clear job lists to everyone to avoid certain risks arising.

I soon realised that the firm could do so much more for me and at an affordable price. I've had them set policys for everything withiun in our firm now that involved a risk.

Now last year I had someone fall down the beer drop and he was going to take me to court. I sent to his lawyer the risk assessment on the beer drop and our countermeasures and also his signed confirmation he had been made aware of the risk, 2 weeks later on this lawyers advice he dropped the matter.

I think that in years to come that risk assessments are going to be super important in liability cases and that a well prepared assessment backed up with training or briefing will almost bring these cases to a standstill and in cases where damages are awarded they will only be of tokens amounts.

I like the fact they make the employees responsible for their own actions again, about time IMO because I was feeling it was going to get to the point where I had to go wipe their bum after using the toilet.

Also be very careful as has been said about your fire risk assessment as if you should have a fire and it was not up-to standard you will find yourself in the dock as the person who wrote it and your mate will be next to you.

I would bring in an outside company but I understand the cost can be scary, well it was not as much as I thought it was going to be, mine cost £1k per hotel, and £250 per office.

In the end I signed a contract for £3k a year per hotel and £700 for the office (we have a small office in a different building) to do everything, including fire-warden days and fire awareness etc, every risk assessment you can think of all the signs etc.

[Sparky331]

Ashley,

I'm glad you're pleased with your supplier. Doesn't seem a bad price for all your risk assessments, not just fire, and training thrown in too. Four sessions of fire safety training could set you back £1,200 a year at least.

Having carried out FRAs at some fair sized hotels around Europe for the tour operators in the past I can tell you that some of the hotels in this country fall far short of what is now required. We thought our hotels were safe but you only have to look at the Newquay incident last year to see that it can and still does happen occasionally.

In my opinion some of the Spanish hotels are the best I've seen but that was only a snapshot. There are probably extemely crap ones too, as in any country.

Our record is still very good in this country in respect of deaths from hotel fires but, in my opinion, there are a significant number of hotels and boarding houses that still need to take fire seriously! (I am concerned that a number may not have even carried out a fire risk assessment!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Glad to see you have done and take the matter seriously.

Bob