Health and Safety Risks Are Key

Health and safety has always been an important factor for any business or commercial environment. The health and safety at work act is there to protect staff and public from harm. Risk assessments are a key element in reducing risks.

Risk assessments are key to any commercial environment, as they help to reduce the risk of a dangerous event occurring, increasing staff and public safety. Risk assessments should be updated if necessary on a weekly basis. Every employee within a business can carry out a risk assessment, if they spot a potential hazard. The following article will cover the following:

1) The importance of risk assessments.

2) CoSHH Risk Assessments.

3) Fire Safety and Fire Risk Assessments.

Regular risk assessments, should be carried out by every business and organization, to help protect the safety of staff and the public. Those companies who fail to carry out risk assessments, will suffer a bad reputation and could end up in a lot of trouble. The law knows that you can't simply prevent every risk, but you can help to reduce risks. It is the businesses responsibility to ensure the likely hood of a risk occurring is reduced.

Risk assessments help you to uncover potential risks, that may cause harm if not dealt with correctly. An environment which has hazardous chemicals, fire risks, areas which could cause a trip or fall are all examples of hazards. By completing risk assessments you are helping to protect your employees and your business to. Businesses and organization can be ruined, due to a lack of commitment in health and safety.

Businesses and organizations who require the use of hazardous substances, must fill in a COSHH sheet for each and complete a risk assessment. All chemicals used, must be correctly labeled. This must include corrosive, irritant, flammable and toxic labels. All chemicals which are hazardous must also be handled correctly. Personal protective equipment should be supplied to all staff, handling these chemicals. All staff using the chemicals must also be trained appropriately. Companies which require staff to handle hazardous chemicals have a duty of care, to ensure the employees under go regular medical examinations. Risk assessments should address the storage of hazardous chemicals. Hazardous chemicals should be stored neatly and safely, away from those untrained and away from other chemicals.

Fire assessments should be analyzed in every building. Any commercial environment or building available to the public, or workers, should meet the legal fire safety requirements and fire risk assessments should be addressed. There are a number of regulations and requirements which must be addressed to help prevent fires. Any health and safety course, should identify these risks to you and how you should manage them.

There should be an identifiable person who is responsible for all the health and safety, within an organization. The risk of a fire occurring within a business, can be reduced by carrying out health and safety and fire assessments. It is important that the employee trained also records the risk assessments and updates these records regularly. Some companies may require specialized health and safety equipment, such as fire fighting equipment, which only those who are trained should use. A businesses reputation can benefit from playing and active role in health and safety as it shows the business cares, for the well being of staff and customers.

Health and safety legislation's and risk assessment software, are available for businesses and it is vital to comply with these rules and regulations, for the sakes of your business. By sending and employee on a health and safety course or hiring a health and safety consultant, can help the reputation of your business, by showing that you care.