Libraries and leisure

Risk assessment

"A risk assessment is no more than a careful examination of what in your work could cause harm to people" Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Risk assessment is a means to an end, an analysis to ensure controls are in place.

How

• Structure your approach by starting early and involving all your staff and partners.
• Identify the possible hazards during the run-up to the event.
• Identify the possible hazards during the event.
• Identify the hazards in the post-event period.

Hazards

• These are defined as something with a potential to cause harm.
• Venue hazards might include obstacles to fall over, electrical equipment and crowd management. The HSE checklist (154)covers this in more detail.
• Structures may provide potential problems. The Institute of Structural Engineers provide written advice on temporary structures.
• Consider equipment generally and how this might impact on vehicles, drivers and staff.
• Examine your working methods and organisation for potential hazards.

People and hazards

Below are listed some of the individuals and groups that you will need to consider.

• Staff.
• Contractors.
• Members of the public during the setting up and taking down of the event or show.
• Visitors or audience to the event or show.

Control Measures

These are the steps that can be taken to prevent harm.

• Avoid hazardous situations at your event wherever possible.
• Combat at source i.e. try to eliminate the potential hazards.
• Adapt the work to make it as safe as possible.
• Manage the hazards to protect everyone, not just individuals. Personal protective equipment e.g. a hard hat should be the last resort.

Risk

• Ask yourself the question that if all these measures have been thought about and applied, what are the chances that harm will still be caused?
• Remember a case for risk assessment is that good safety is good business.
• Ensure accident prevention to avoid delay, closure and prosecution. It also reduces claims against loss prevention
• Making sure that health and safety are properly managed enhances an organisation's reputation.
• Risk assessment helps provide value for money and contributes to Best Value.
• Finally you are legally required to comply with health and safety legislation.