Risk Analysis Standard Operating Procedure

Description

Procedure 1. Hazards. Identify the hazards Identifying the hazards involves physically walking around the workplace to identify anything that might cause harm. Risks can also be determined by looking at lists of dangers on the HSE website, by asking employees what they think, and by examining the workplace accident records. Examples of hazards in pharmacies include liquid spills, lifting heavy items, tripping overstock boxes, use of step ladders, violence towards staff and handling chemicals. 2. Risk Mitigation. Decide who might be harmed and how For each hazard identified, the people who might be injured must be listed. For example, if lifting heavy boxes is recognised as a hazard, then the people who might be harmed could be shop assistants or delivery drivers. Within this section, special attention needs to be given to people with particular needs like pregnant women or people with disabilities. This is important because if an employee’s circumstances change, the risk assessment must be reviewed for that individual. 3. Decide on Precautions Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions The third step is about taking action — deciding what to do about the hazards that the assessment has identified. According to the HSE, “the law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as ‘reasonably practical’.” This means that the hazard should either be removed or, if this is not possible, then its risk should be minimised. This could be achieved by, for example, changing a procedure to a less risky option, preventing access to a hazard, or issuing protective equipment. In a pharmacy, a potential danger might be tripping over boxes. Ways to minimise this risk include better housekeeping, creating a specific storage area and training staff on the importance of keeping walkways clear. 4. Record your findings and implementation Record your findings and implement them Recording the results of the assessment and the action taken is essential for any employer with more than five employees and is generally the easiest way to demonstrate that a risk assessment has been undertaken. An example of a record might be: “Hazard: tripping over boxes. Action: a specific area designated for storing boxes, staff instructed, process checked weekly”. 5. Review and Audit Review your assessment and update if necessary Risk management is an ongoing process. An annual review of the risk assessment is needed to ensure it is up to date, i.e., any new equipment or procedures should be assessed.