Risk Assessment

by | Feb 27, 2018 | Blog

Often we think of the role of an employer is to provide a safe workplace which is free from risk but what about other risks?

A case in point happened in Edenvale this week.

 

A Roadhouse was threatened with destruction by fire not from their own kitchen but something their next door neighbour was doing !

While happily serving tasty food to their customers an automotive spray paint booth caught fire.

Swift action by the fire department [about 4 blocks away] saved the Roadhouse but not many of the cars at the automotive premises.

This even brings home the basics about doing risk assessments.

The coming revisions of the Occupational Health and safety Act [OHS Act 85 of 1993] will compel all employers to have written risk assessments.

You can find a copy of the proposed amendments here:  http://kaizensheq.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Proposed-Amendments-to-OHS-2015.pdf

Most will be focused on their staff and the activities or tasks they perform on the employers premises.

But right next door could be a petrol filling station or a business making paint, both of which handle flammable chemicals.

 

Do you know what your closest neighbours do for a business?

Could their lack of controls spill over through a negative event and destroy your business ?

Have you informed each other of your emergency plans [ maybe you are the petrol station ]?

Have you communicated these risks to your staff and made them aware of what to do in an emergency.

Have you tested your emergency plan and maybe involved the local emergency services to check their ability to respond ?

 

You don’t even need a major event like a fire.

Just think what you would do if a customer walked into your business and had a heart attack?

Who do you call?

What do you do?

Who is going to be able to render assistance ?

Did you consider that this could be a risk that needs to be managed by you or your staff?

 

That is why the whole idea of doing a risk assessment is so important. It is about people and keeping them free from harm.

This is one of the areas that Kaizen SHEQ is passionate in making sure you never have to say “I didn’t know that could happen”, maybe to someone’s widow.

As a service, we offer a free consultation to assess your understanding of risks and any attention these may require.

30 minutes free may save years of pain.