Managing Risk

Risk assessment is a pivotal concept in health and safety risk management. However, it is often seen as a bureaucratic or a complex process. Neither is true. Risk assessment is a valuable tool in preventing and controlling risks in the workplace, helping with the planning of work, the development of safety procedures and reducing the number of accidents in the workplace. It is also a statutory requirement and failure to comply, leaves the University vulnerable to enforcement action, with obvious deleterious costs to the University in terms of fines, increased insurance premiums and the loss of reputation, business and research continuity.

This policy sets out the legal context of risk assessments and clarifies the risk assessment process for those required to undertake them.

Key requirements

• All significant hazards must be risk assessed
• Risk assessments must be reviewed regularly
• Schools must maintain a risk assessment register
• Everyone must take responsibility for, and take an active role in, the risk assessment process, including; Managers, Academic Supervisors, technicians, researchers etc.