Current occupational health and safety legislation requires all potential hazards to be assessed and the best possible preventive measures to be taken. In addition to the individual steps explained in the relevant chapters, we have compiled some general tips for you below.
Table of Contents
Risk Assessment: Basic Requirements and Factors
- Ensure that employees’ responses remain anonymous to their colleagues. Everyone should feel able to speak openly.
- Data protection must, of course, also be taken into account.
- Keep employees informed of progress throughout the process, including important intermediate steps.
- Managers must be properly trained and prepared before they take part in identifying hazards.
- Always ensure that the measures developed are genuinely effective and do not ultimately create other risks.
- Remain objective and be open to change; that is one of the purposes of a risk assessment. Keep in mind that the resulting changes are intended to benefit the organisation.
The Main Steps in a Risk Assessment
Psychological and physical risk assessments must be carried out separately because the factors involved differ considerably. The process itself, however, follows the same steps in both cases:
- Define the area to be analysed
- Identify the exposure
- Assess the exposure
- Develop and implement measures
- Check effectiveness
- Repeat the risk assessment to update it
- Document the assessment
Frequently Asked Questions About Risk Assessments
Who Is Responsible for Conducting a Risk Assessment?
Every organisation employing workers covered by statutory accident insurance must conduct a risk assessment without exception. Since 2019, an additional assessment relating to maternity protection has also been required. Senior management is responsible for conducting the assessment. It may delegate individual or all steps to particular managers, but responsibility itself is not transferred and remains with senior management.
What Must a Risk Assessment Actually Determine?
Always focus on the exposure, not the resulting strain on your employees. Exposures can be determined objectively as part of the risk assessment.
Are There Procedures Tailored to Specific Industries?
When selecting the method for your risk assessment, you will probably look for a procedure specific to your industry. Such procedures are becoming increasingly common; the insurance industry, for example, already has a standardised approach. In addition, a growing number of statutory accident insurers have developed industry-specific procedures and can also conduct them for you.
What Should Be Considered When a Third-Party Provider Is Involved?
Comply with all applicable requirements arising from the GDPR, particularly those concerning data processing agreements. Anything beyond this is at your discretion. In principle, the person involved will need as much detail as possible about your internal processes to understand what the assessment must consider. Individual work processes must not be overlooked. It may also be worth considering a confidentiality agreement; this is by no means unusual.
What Costs Should Be Expected?
Although some procedures are free, such as conducting the risk assessment yourself, a budget may nevertheless be required. It depends entirely on the method you intend to use. Will a third-party company be commissioned, or will several workshops need to be held in stages, for example?
Also bear in mind that, although conducting the assessment yourself does not generate additional direct costs, discussions with employees and employee surveys take place during paid working hours. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which option makes more sense, including from an economic perspective.
Can the Methods Be Combined?
Of course. The more detailed the analysis, the more clearly it will identify the points where action can be taken to address problems. Combining several methods can be particularly useful as work processes tend to become less uniform as the workforce grows.
What Is the Difference Between a Physical and a Psychological Risk Assessment?
While reference values for physical exposure can be derived from the physical demands involved, psychological factors are somewhat more complex. There are no fixed limits, and individual performance and resilience have a greater impact than they do in physical work.
How Can You Tell Whether the Measures Are Effective?
Only a direct comparison several months later can provide reliable information about whether further improvement is needed. Do not assume that employee sickness absence will fall significantly straight away. Recovery takes time, often longer than it took for the person to become seriously ill. Progress in relation to psychological strain may therefore become apparent only gradually. You may also set individual interim objectives to assess progress before the next analysis.
What Can Constitute Physical Exposure? Examples:
- Physical exertion
- Trip hazards
- Unstable or severely uneven floors
A detailed overview of this topic can be found in the chapters on physical hazards: the most common physical hazards and other possible types of hazard.
What Can Constitute Psychological Exposure? Examples:
- Excessive responsibility
- Excessive time pressure
- Social stressors
Detailed information on this topic can be found in the chapter on psychological hazards.
