| Step 4. Record your findings.If you have less than | | | | precautions.You should also make sure that any |
| 5 employees then you do not need to write | | | | new employees read the documentation so that |
| anything down. Although you will find it useful to | | | | they are aware of what is being done.To make |
| keep a written record of what you have done.If | | | | things easier, you could refer to other documents, |
| you have five or more employees, then you | | | | such as manuals, the arrangements in your health |
| must put in writing the significant findings of your | | | | and safety policy statement, company rules and |
| risk assessment. This means writing down the | | | | regulations, working instructions, health and safety |
| significant hazards and your conclusions.Examples | | | | procedures, and your arrangements for general |
| might be something like:Electrical installations: | | | | fire safety.You may already list these procedures |
| insulation and earthing checked and found | | | | elsewhere. You do not need to repeat all of them, |
| OK.orFumes from welding: local exhaust ventilation | | | | but it is up to you how you wish to present the |
| provided and regularly checked.You must also tell | | | | documents. You could keep them seperately or |
| your employees about your findings.Suitable and | | | | combine them all into one document.Step 5. |
| sufficient, not perfect.Risk assessment must be | | | | Review your assessment and revise it if |
| suitable and sufficient. You need to be able to | | | | necessary.Sooner or later you are going to bring |
| show that:a proper check was made, | | | | in new machinery, substances or procedures |
| you asked who might be affected (at risk), | | | | which may lead to new hazards. If there is any |
| you dealt with all the obvious significant hazards, | | | | significant change, add this new hazard to your |
| taking into account the number of people who | | | | assessment. You do not need to amend your |
| could be involved, | | | | assessment for every trivial change, or for each |
| the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining | | | | new job.But if any change, or new job, brings in |
| risk is low.Keep your written record for reference | | | | significant new hazards, then you should consider |
| in the future. It will help you if a Health and | | | | them in their own right and do whatever is |
| Safety Inspector decides to pay you a visit and | | | | necessary to keep the risks down.And finally, it is |
| asks what precautions you have already taken. | | | | a good working practice to review your |
| Or if you become involved in any legal action for | | | | assessment from time to time, to ensure that |
| civil liability.It can also act as a reminder for you to | | | | the precautions are still working effectively.David |
| keep an eye on any particular hazards and | | | | Barnard is a personal injury accident investigator. |