The process of identifying potential hazards and risks in the workplace, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm that could arise from those hazards, and adopting suitable controls to minimize those risks is known as health and safety risk assessment. The following steps are frequently included in the risk assessment process:

• Identify potential dangers in the workplace, such as risky work practices, harmful substances, or improperly maintained equipment.

• Assess risks: This brings about determining the likelihood and severity of harm that could arise from hazards based on characteristics such as frequency and duration of exposure, type of hazard, and worker vulnerability.

• Put controls in place: This entails putting in place appropriate measures to reduce the identified risks, such as engineering controls.

• Review and monitor: This requires examining and monitoring the effectiveness of the controls that have been implemented on a regular basis and adjusting as needed.

The purpose of health and safety risk assessment is to make the workplace safer and healthier by identifying potential hazards, analysing the related risks, and adopting suitable controls to mitigate those risks. Employers can reduce the chance of workplace mishaps, accidents, and injuries, enhance productivity, and create a safer and healthier work environment for their employees by completing and maintaining risk assessments and adopting appropriate controls.