• SLS Policy on Risk Assessment of Work Activities
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SLS Policy on Risk Assessment of Work Activities
(Approved by SLS H&S Management Committee on 3/11/06)

Risk assessment is basically a careful examination of what, in your work, could go wrong and cause harm or damage to yourself, others, work premises/equipment or the external environment. Risk assessment also involves making a decision on what precautions to take to minimise the risk of an accident or incident happening.

1. All work activities undertaken on SLS premises must be risk assessed and the risk assessments must be recorded in the Risk Assessment Database or on some other official University electronic or hardcopy form.
2. Risk Assessments must be reviewed every three years, or sooner if the activity changes significantly, control measures are found to be inadequate or there is any other reason to believe the assessment is no longer valid. More frequent review is encouraged if time permits.
3. Line Managers/Supervisors are responsible for:
   • Ensuring suitable and sufficient risk assessments exist for all work activities carried out by their team/group members and any other personnel under their supervision.
   • Checking and approving new assessments produced by the individuals referred to above.
   • Ensuring the individuals referred to above read, understand and sign the risk assessments relevant to them.
4. SLS Safety is responsible for:
   • Providing training and information on the Risk Assessment Database and risk assessment in general.
   • Advising and assisting personnel in the completion of risk assessments.
   • Maintaining the Risk Assessment Database.
   • Checking the quality of SLS risk assessments through random checks and formal inspection.
5. Those undertaking the work activity are responsible for drafting the risk assessment. It requires first hand knowledge of the task to produce a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.
6. Academic Teaching Staff are responsible for ensuring undergraduate practical activities are risk assessed and that the key aspects of the assessment are communicated to the students before the practical commences.
7. Technical Teaching Staff are responsible for drafting risk assessments for the practical classes they are involved in.
8. All SLS personnel must:
   • Participate in the risk assessment process.
   • Before undertaking a work activity for the first time:
     • read and understand the risk assessment for the activity they are about to undertake; be given the opportunity to ask questions about the assessment; sign and date the assessment on the appropriate page;
     • or, if no assessment is available, inform their Line Manager/Supervisor.
   • Implement the necessary precautions (also referred to as control measures) as identified in the risk assessment.
   • Report immediately to their Line Manager/Supervisor if they think the precautions are inadequate or inappropriate.
   • If a work activity changes, ensure that the relevant risk assessment is updated accordingly and repeat the read/understand/sign process.
   • Ensure assessments are reviewed as required.