Risk Assessment: Five Practical Steps

Risk assessment is a structured process for deciding what could cause harm and what must be done to control it. The result should be practical, specific and understood by the people doing the work.\n\n## 1. Identify hazards\n\nObserve the task, equipment, materials, environment and human factors. Speak with workers who know the activity and review incident, maintenance and inspection records.\n\n## 2. Decide who may be harmed\n\nConsider employees, contractors, visitors and members of the public. Include people who may need additional protection because of inexperience, disability, pregnancy, lone work or language barriers.\n\n## 3. Evaluate risk and select controls\n\nConsider likelihood and potential severity. Apply the hierarchy of controls: eliminate the hazard where possible, then consider substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.\n\n## 4. Record and communicate\n\nWrite down significant hazards, affected people, controls, responsible persons and target dates. Communicate the controls in a form workers can understand and apply.\n\n## 5. Review\n\nReview the assessment after changes, incidents, near misses, new information or at a planned interval. A risk assessment is useful only when it reflects the real work.\n\nThe assessor should verify that controls are implemented, not merely listed on paper.