There are many businesses with 5 or more staff who are still not completing risk assessments as required by the law. Why?

Is it because there is not enough information out there?

– No: it is freely available from HSE websites. In fact the HSE are always saying do it yourself rather than getting competent advice

Is it because there is not enough sticks being waved at them?

– High risk businesses No: insurance, HSE (FFI), fire authority will regularly send out letters warning of inspections and businesses usually react

– Lower risk businesses Yes: From my experience businesses are not getting the right messages from the HSE or convinced by it, so getting businesses to complete and use risk assessments correctly i.e. to identify high risks and start reducing that risk as they are intended can be a difficult process.

Businesses do not want or have spare time to spend on H&S doing it themselves. The competent advice/help they can get or need at this time is ever more important to set them straight in their own time with support and will get them building their own safety management processes.

If they have never used risk assessments it becomes a time consuming exercise after the event i.e. seen as a paperwork exercise and just confirming what they are already doing or not doing.

These businesses are seen as waiting for an incident or accident to happen before they will react.

Alistair Hume, Cedar Health & Safety