Risk assessment

Abstract

In many developed countries it is a legal requirement of employers to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees and visitors. In the UK this is embodied in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 [1] and a range of risks are covered by specific European legislation as given in Table 10.1. In addressing the requirement to develop risk management strategies, employers are increasingly recog-niszing other economic benefits from such strategies. This is because improvement of risk management is frequently associated with quality issues, as both have a shared aim to ensure that laboratory procedures are performed correctly through the use of records, protocols, formalized training, etc. Risk assessment is therefore an important part of both safety and quality management. The four fundamental principles of risk assessment are as follows:

• † to prevent injury to workers;

• † to ensure that individuals are not subjected to hazards;

• † to protect property;

• † to avoid long-term harm to individuals and the environment.