Self Employed Sole Trader- Risk Assessments?

[chris cnc]

Self Employed Sole Trader- Risk Assessments?

 

I have been asked to send over risk assessments and method statements to a customer. Although I do a site specific RA for every job, I don't have any generic risk assessments or method statements.

 

A quick search on Arbtalk brought up plenty of templates etc etc (thanks to all who posted them up in the past), but I also came across a post that said that by law, companies with fewer than 5 employees do not have to complete risk assessments.

 

Is this true? and if so, does that mean I don't need a generic or site specific RA? (I am a sole trader and occasionally work with another couple of arbs who have all their own insurances etc). I currently have public liability insurance, if that is relevant.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Chris

[ad15]

good question chris,,, would love to know the answer too..

[Justme]

If that is true it still does not stop a customer asking for them & making them a conditional part of the deal.

[Rupe]

If that is true it still does not stop a customer asking for them & making them a conditional part of the deal.

 

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

If you've been asked for them then you need them. "Law" has nothing to do with it.

[combined tree services]

i have fewer than five staff but we still carry out a site specific RA on all jobs and where needed a method statment , we also have a full H&S policy with accompanying COSH assessments and all SOP's/ Method statements , the law may say that if you have less than five employes then you do not have to fill out a written site RA but you must carry out a verbal site RA , but it all honesty if a customer asks for a H&S policy then i would be inclined to provide one Regardles

[Rupe]

How can yhou do a site specific RA everyday without having a generic? The site specific one should only highlight specific requirements for that site that are not in the generic, one, or at least it shoudl refer to a generic in order ot cover the principal risk elemetns of the work. Otherwise you would have to RA tree climbing/chainsaw use etc etc. every day?

[chris cnc]

If that is true it still does not stop a customer asking for them & making them a conditional part of the deal.

 

yes i realise that, i guess my main question is the "law" bit. i will still be writing up ms's and ra's for this customer

[chris cnc]

How can yhou do a site specific RA everyday without having a generic? The site specific one should only highlight specific requirements for that site that are not in the generic, one, or at least it shoudl refer to a generic in order ot cover the principal risk elemetns of the work. Otherwise you would have to RA tree climbing/chainsaw use etc etc. every day?

 

i see what you mean, but the site specific one does cover basic stuff like keeping the work area tidy, using PPE etc etc, as well as location/ access details etc etc.

 

Most of my work is small back garden stuff so for example of i am pruning an apple with a silky/ secatuers, on my own, the r/a will be very simple.

 

again, the customer is asking for full risk assessments and method statements so i will be providing them. my question is about the law regarding these forms

[Rupe]

Ok, I see what you mean. In a way then your SS RA is a generic one, if it covers all usual points.

[chris cnc]

i guess your right yeah, although it doesn't go into masses of detail on "how to safely pick up a log" etc etc.

 

if i was doing the sort of larger, big kit, big team jobs some of you guys do my risk assessment would no doubt run into several pages! (in which case it would be impractical to write out every day)