Risk assessments
UNISON health and safety reps have an important role in examining employers’ risk assessments and deciding whether they are suitable and sufficient.
If you are a UNISON member and have identified a potential risk or hazard in your workplace, speak to your safety rep immediately.
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What is a risk assessment?
Risk assessments are part of the risk management process and are included in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
A risk assessment is the process of identifying what hazards currently exist or may appear in the workplace. A risk assessment defines which workplace hazards are likely to cause harm to employees and visitors.
What does a risk assessment include?
Risks need to be considered in all aspects of the working environment. Here are some examples of the things that should be included in a risk assessment:
- Hazards: electrical safety, fire safety, manual handling, hazardous substances, risk factors for repetitive strain injury, stress, violence, infectious diseases.
- Tasks: cleaning with chemical substances, maintenance work or dealing with the public.
- Organisational factors: staffing policies, systems of work, equipment-purchasing policies, consultation and participation, management techniques or working hours, shift patterns, lone working.
HSE no longer expects COVID-19 to be included in workplace risk assessments, but employers must continue to consult workers and their representatives on issues affecting health and safety. See UNISON’s public health advice on COVID-19 for more information.
Who needs to conduct a risk assessment?
By law, every employer must conduct risk assessments on the work their employees do. If the company or organisation employs more than five employees, then the results should be recorded with details of any groups of employees particularly at risk such as older, younger, pregnant or disabled employees.
How employers carry out risk assessments
Risk assessments should be simple to conduct, following a process that includes:
- Looking for and listing the risks to health and safety.
- Deciding who might be harmed and how.
- Checking that protective measures are effective.
- Evaluating the risks arising from the hazards and deciding whether existing precautions are adequate.
- Recording the findings.
Reviewing the assessment from time to time and revising it when required, particularly if the building is refurbished, moved, or when there is a change in staffing.
At UNISON, safety reps help members by examining employers’ risk assessments and deciding whether they are suitable and sufficient.
External advice and support
Frequently asked questions
UNISON’s volunteer safety reps play a very important role in inspecting premises and working with employers to make sure the workplace is as risk-free as possible. Find out more about becoming a safety rep.
Legal disclaimer
The information contained within this article is not a complete or final statement of the law and is based on the laws of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
While UNISON has sought to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not responsible and will not be held liable for any inaccuracies and their consequences, including any loss arising from relying on this information. If you are a UNISON member with a legal problem, please contact your branch or region as soon as possible for advice, or for non-employment matters call UNISONdirect.