What is a risk assessment?
During the risk assessment, the risks are determined and, if necessary, protective measures are adopted.
Risk assessment is an important tool for safety and prevention in every company. It helps you to identify risks and take measures to minimise them. By systematically evaluating risks, you can recognise potential hazards to your work processes and take measures to prevent them.
The risk assessment is necessary for
- Health and safety in the workplace
- Occupational safety
- Environmental protection
- Fire and explosion protection
Is a risk assessment mandatory?
The Occupational Health and Safety Act and the German Social Accident Insurance / DGUV 1 require every employer - regardless of the number of employees - to prepare a risk assessment for every workplace.
What does a risk assessment look like?
The scope of the assessment depends on the circumstances in your company. Work processes and procedures, work equipment such as tools and machines as well as working materials, but also maintenance and commissioning and decommissioning must be included. The qualifications and training of employees are also taken into account.
Risk assessment in fire protection?
When it comes to fire safety, the Industrial Safety Regulation places responsibility for health and safety at work squarely on the shoulders of the employer.
The purpose of a risk assessment is to support the employer in fulfilling this responsibility. In recent years, fire and explosion protection has become increasingly important in risk assessments.
How do I create a risk assessment?
The risk assessment procedure is as follows:
- Determine areas and activities
- Determine the hazards
- Evaluate the risk
- Define protective measures
- Implement the protective measures
- Check the success of the protective measures taken
- Update the risk assessment
By carrying out an assessment focussing on fire safety, you can determine whether your current fire safety measures meet the requirements of ASR A2.2. This assessment should include a review of the number and qualifications of your fire safety assistants and the equipment and extinguishing agents available. The risk assessment should also specifically mention the alarm system to be used in the event of a fire.
From the comprehensive results of the analysis, you can derive specific measures to eliminate all identified hazards. For example, if the results show that more fire safety assistants are needed, additional training will be planned. If the analysis reveals a need for more fire extinguishers, then the inspection and addition of fire extinguishers is carried out with the support of a qualified service provider such as Fritz Manke GmbH.
How often does a risk assessment need to be created or updated?
The risk assessment is an important tool that is constantly reviewed and updated. This is done in order to take into account new work processes, work equipment and workplaces. In addition, new or amended legal regulations and technical rules that regularly arise in fire protection are a further reason to check whether the risk assessment still meets the requirements or whether you need to adapt the protective measures to the specifications.
Checking the prescribed inspection intervals, for example for fire extinguishers, fire doors and SHEV systems, is also part of the continuous process and helps you to maintain an overview despite the flood of regulations.
A risk assessment should document the following:
-The identified hazards and their severity
-how urgent remedial action is required
-who is responsible for implementing the corrective measures
-When the corrective action should be taken
What must be documented in a risk assessment?
Identifying the hazard and its extent is the first step in creating a plan to protect people and property from this hazard. Once you have defined the hazard and its extent, you can begin to define the protective measures that need to be taken. These can be immediate, short-term, medium-term or long-term measures. Once you have determined what needs to be done, you need to assign responsibility for each task and set a timetable for implementation.
Documenting your plan is important as it serves both as a basis for implementing the protective measures and as proof for authorities and insurance companies. There are no formal requirements for the documentation, but it should be stored securely as an electronic document that is available at all times and protected against unauthorised access.
Legally compliant risk assessment?
The Occupational Health and Safety Act stipulates that the works council must be involved in the risk assessment process. For example, the employee representatives have a say in the method of analysis. In addition, the works council committee must be consulted on the appointment of the assessor and the preparation of the documentation (Occupational Health and Safety Act § 6). Only if you have included all the obligations of the employer (Occupational Health and Safety Act §§ 3-14) and the employees (Occupational Health and Safety Act §§ 15-17) in the risk assessment will it be considered appropriate and legally compliant.
Can I create a risk assessment myself?
Yes, but!
When it comes to risk assessments, it's important to have the right expertise on your side. After all, these assessments require a broad knowledge of occupational safety, health, environmental and fire protection. Unfortunately, small and medium-sized companies rarely have the necessary expertise. This is where Fritz Manke GmbH comes in. We can provide the unbiased opinion that larger companies need to make informed decisions about fire safety. So don't take any risks when it comes to fire protection. Just get in touch with us.