When to do a risk assessment ??

[hazzygawa]

Recently my brother in law who is a builder got fined by health and safety for not doing risk assessments for him and his men when something went tits up on a site even tho they were contracted to a larger house builder.

So now he has to risk assess for them, plus sign his contractors risk assessment and them his.

 

Does this apply to us?? Do we do a risk assessment even tho we are a one man band working for another one man band? Hse do like to see paperwork.

 

I am told by him that we do.

 

Any takers??

[Ian C]

Yes we should do.

 

There only interested when things go wrong.

[tarzan]

My risk assessment goes some thing like this ( climb tree,cut tree,slide down tree,have cup of tea)

 

 

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

[Treemon]

Do it for every job it only takes couple of minutes , you can't do it after something has gone wrong.

 

 

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[benedmonds]

You must do one for every job, if there are over 5 employees it needs to be recorded.

 

Help becoming an ARB Approved Contractor

 

Even if you don't want to be an approved contractor, there are useful templates.. Including SSRA and Generic RA

Who says the AA never did anything for you... second time tonite this page has been linked..

[hazzygawa]

So if I am working for someone else as a subbie and it's me and him on the job. He's done a ra and now I have to do an ra and we have to sign each others? Sorry if I sound confused but I thought only he had to do one but what happened recently in the building trade has duped me.

[Johny Walker]

You must do one for every job, if there are over 5 employees it needs to be recorded.

 

Help becoming an ARB Approved Contractor

 

Even if you don't want to be an approved contractor, there are useful templates.. Including SSRA and Generic RA

Who says the AA never did anything for you... second time tonite this page has been linked..

 

you only need to do 1, if you have 5,or more employeees ,

 

or you are requested to provide 1, by the client

[Paul Jenks]

Actually you do have to do one. The burden of proof is more stringent the more employees one has.

If there are less than 5 employees, and that has to include the owner, the risk assessment should be verbal. If 5 or more it has to be documented and signed by all site attendees. They should also understand exactly what it means and what their duties and responsibilities are towards the health and safety of everyone; employees, client, other contractors, public.

[felixthelogchopper]

So if I am working for someone else as a subbie and it's me and him on the job. He's done a ra and now I have to do an ra and we have to sign each others? Sorry if I sound confused but I thought only he had to do one but what happened recently in the building trade has duped me.

 

It depends on whether or not you are a true sub contractor or hired in labour. If you are working under his instruction then you are seen as an employee and you would not have to do your own individual RA.

[daltontrees]

Even self-employed people are affected by the law.

 

Please note that what is important is that no-one is needlessly hurt. So risks should be assessed and eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level. That's not the same as 'doing a risk assessment' and sticking the bit of paper, unseen and undiscussed, in the truck. You do that and it won't protect anybody and won't cover the employer's a*se.

 

Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, relevant snippets below

 

3.—(1) Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of—

(a)the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work; and ...

 

(2) Every self-employed person shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of—

(a)the risks to his own health and safety to which he is exposed whilst he is at work; and ...

 

(6) Where the employer employs five or more employees, he shall record—

(a)the significant findings of the assessment; and .

(b)any group of his employees identified by it as being especially at risk.