Health & safety bulletin
On-Site Risk Assessment
4th February 2009
In a recent Health, Safety & Environment Bulletin (No 114), we discussed the issues found when we carried out a random audit of clearance certificates. The issues included very generic and woolly hazards being identified with insufficient detail as to the control measure adopted. A common example was given where the hazard was identified as "Traffic" and the control measure was "PPE" - this is obviously insufficient as wearing ear defenders, as an example (PPE), will have no effect on the traffic hazard (and could actually make it more dangerous).
The bulletin then described the appropriate method of carrying out risk assessments, and what priorities to apply when deciding upon appropriate control measures.
In order to highlight the information given in this bulletin, the significant details have been extracted and made into a checklist card that can be kept with your clearance certificates and referred to as you complete this document.
These checklist cards were discussed and issued to all attendees at our 2008 Health and Safety Awareness Day; a copy is attached to this bulletin.
If you have any concerns or questions regarding the completion of risk assessments or clearance certificates, or require clarification of anything on the checklist, please contact your supervisor.
Additional checklists can be obtained from the office upon request.
Please note that it is particularly important, given the current weather conditions that due consideration is given to slippery surfaces. Where possible, always use your van as a barrier; if you are unable to, locate barriers to give more warning to oncoming vehicles and a make sure you have a bigger work area than usual; remember that a skidding car will not be slowed by Chapter 8 fencing so you should be working a long way inside it to make sure you are safe.
Click here to download the checklist (540Kb PDF file)