Simply Put – Identifying hazards in the workplace

Identifying hazards in the workplace

In an earlier post, http://www.lrbconsulting.co.uk/case-studies/point-risk-assessments/ we’ve spoken about what hazards are, but today, we’re looking at different methods of identifying hazards in the workplace.

There are many means of identifying hazards in the workplace, but some of the best places to start include the following:

• Observe and inspect:
  By observing and inspecting activities and sites, you can identify potential hazards and unsafe work practices by seeing them first hand.
• Consult:
  Talking to employees, representatives and advisors is an important means of identifying hazards. It can also improve the health and safety culture in the workplace by demonstrating that your employees’ health and safety is important to the business.
• Look at records:
  Looking at accident books, incident books, past instances of ill health, and maintenance records can help with identifying patterns and previous hazard occurrences.
• Look at documentation:
  It is often possible to identify hazards by consulting manuals, instructions, guidance, trade literature, supplier information etc., in order to find hazards that have already been identified by others.

For further information on starting points for health and safety in the workplace, take a look at the rest of our Simply Put articles.

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