The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health have many excellent course that will teach health and safety skills. One of them is known as IOSH Managing Safely; it provides excellent occupational safety and health skills and gives successful candidates a recognised qualification to add to their skillset.
One of the main topics covered on the course are risk assessments. Employers are legally required to perform risk assessments to help reduce the risks at work.
Business owners can pass on the task of risk assessments to their managers providing they are competent to perform the job correctly. If no one has been trained in basic health and safety or assessments the IOSH Managing Safely course is an excellent option to consider when it comes to training.
The Managing Safely qualification will give managers and business owner's skills such as:
- How to plan and create actions that will meet health and safety objectives
- Ergonomic factors and the risks
- Accident and incident investigations
- Management practices
- Basic risk assessments
- How to spot hazards
Hazards can be difficult to spot in offices, especially where low risk activities are taking place. That doesn't mean there aren't any risks or that assessments are not required.
Even if you think the workplace is safe it is still your legal duty to ensure the assessments are made and if you employee five or more people the assessments must be recorded and kept safely.
In Low Risk offices Some of the Most Common Risks Include
- Slips, trips and falls
- Manual Handling
- Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
- Fire
- Equipment used at work
- Health of employees
- Working at height
Consider Who is at Risk
You have to consider who is at risk for each of the hazards above and any others that you are able to identify. Once you know who is at risk take note of the type of injuries, accidents or ill health that could occur if the risks aren't managed.
Consider how you are already working to combat the risks and apply any new control measures you discover as a result of your assessment. The IOSH Managing Safely course is available online in e-learning format. Learn more about completing your risk assessments and complying with the health and safety legal system!
