Maintaining a safe workplace is not just an obligation; it's also a chance to enhance the working environment for your staff. How do you ensure the safety of your workplace? What all factors do you need to consider? This is where an environmental health risk assessment comes in. 

An environmental health risk assessment is the process of visiting and observing the workplace in order to gain a better understanding of the environment in which employees work. This helps in identifying the physical elements at and surrounding the worksite that either promote or hinder employee health. 

In fact, the risk assessment process goes beyond just spotting the hazards. It also considers the safety of the built environment, which encompasses the streets, open spaces, and infrastructure. You can develop focused and strategic plans to establish a safer and healthier work environment by taking care of these aspects.

How Does a Health and Safety Risk Assessment Benefit The Company?

An evaluation of the physical workspace can help the company to find better ways to support and encourage healthy habits (like physical activity among their staff members) or to discourage unhealthy ones (like keeping the workplace tobacco-free). 

It also offers the following benefits:

• Reduces the costs of accidents and occupational disease
• Reduces sick leave
• Reduces attrition among employees
• Greater job satisfaction, motivation and productivity.

What Are The Requirements For A Health and Safety Risk Assessment?

Businesses must constantly make sure that the risk assessments they do for health and safety meet the following requirements:

• A written risk assessment is required, however it can take any form. For example, it can be electronically saved.
• At least every three years, or whenever there are changes that are relevant to the working environment, the risk assessment needs to be updated.

The organization needs to complete the following five steps in the risk assessment process:

• Examine the workplace to identify any health and safety concerns.
• List any concerns related to health and safety and consider potential solutions.
• Evaluate whether there are any aspects of the workplace that lead to more sick days taken.
• Create a plan of action that outlines the who, what, and when of problem-solving, among other things.
• Specify the plan of action's follow-up for the company, along with who will be in charge of putting it into effect.

Steps Needed To Manage Risk 

The risk assessment process is a methodical approach to reducing the dangers at the workplace. It’s always advisable to assign a capable person to assist you. Below mentioned are the steps to follow.

Identify Hazards

Take a look around your place of employment and any potential hazards. Consider:

• How people operate and how machinery and plants are used
• What substances and chemicals are used, and are there any safe or risky work practices
• The overall condition of your property
• Examine your past medical records for accidents and illnesses; they may provide insight into less apparent dangers.
• Consider non-routine tasks like cleaning, maintenance, and adjustments to production cycles.
• Consider health risks associated with manual labor, chemical use, and stress-related work environments.
• Consider the potential harm to staff, subcontractors, guests, or members of the public for each danger.

Certain workers, such as young workers, migrant workers, new or pregnant mothers, and those with disabilities, have specific needs. Speak with such employees to understand them. Engage your staff; they frequently offer insightful suggestions.

Evaluate the dangers

Determine the likelihood and seriousness of potential harm after you have identified the threats. This will give an idea about the degree of danger.

• Who could be injured, and how are you currently mitigating the dangers?
• What additional steps do you need to take to manage the risks?
• Who is responsible for performing the task
• When is it needed?
  
   

Limit the dangers

Examine your current actions and the controls that are in place. Consider this:

• Is it possible to eliminate the risk completely?
• If not, how can I manage the dangers to reduce the likelihood of harm?

If you require more controls, take into account:

• Rearranging the task, swapping out the equipment, supplies, or method
• Arranging your tasks to minimize exposure to the tools, equipment, or procedure
• Determining and putting into practice the necessary practical steps for safe employment, such as supplying personal protective equipment and ensuring that employees wear it

Do everything that is reasonably practicable

Install the controls that you have identified. While it's not required of you to completely remove dangers, you must take all "reasonably practicable" precautions to keep people safe. This involves striking a balance between the amount of risk and the steps required to really reduce the risk in terms of money, time, or trouble.

Note down your conclusions.

If you work with five or more individuals, you have to document your important findings, such as.

• The dangers (items that could hurt)
• Who could get hurt
• How you're trying to reduce the risks

Review the controls.

To ensure that the controls you have implemented are effective, you must review them. Reviewing them is also advised if:

• They might not be effective now
• Changes in the workplace, such as those involving personnel, procedures, materials, or equipment, could result in new dangers.
• If your staff has identified any issues, or if there have been any mishaps or near misses, take it into consideration.

Anytime you make changes, make sure to update your risk assessment record.

Common Workplace Risks

Here are the most common causes for major workplace injuries, like trips and falls and working at heights

• Asbestos
• Confined spaces
• Display screen equipment
• Electrical safety
• Equipment and machinery
• Fire safety
• Gas safety
• Harmful substances
• Manual handling
• Noise
• Personal protective equipment
• Pressure equipment
• Radiations
• Slips and trips
• Vibration
• Working at height
• Workplace transport
• Work-related stress
   

How Aesthetix Can Help

With advanced telecom security and safety solutions, Aesthetix can greatly improve the safety of your workplace. Our solution offers real-time monitoring and actionable insights to detect and reduce workplace hazards through the use of IoT sensors and powerful analytics.

Our robust telecom communication systems ensure that safety alerts and protocols are effectively communicated to all employees. Furthermore, we assist you in adhering to industry requirements by automating reporting and documentation procedures.

Ready to safeguard your workplace? Connect with Aesthetix today to learn how we can support you workplace safety initiatives.