Most accidents look obvious in hindsight. Risk assessment is simply doing that thinking in advance: spotting what could go wrong and sorting it first. This friendly guide walks through the five steps, how to control what you find, and the Safety Statement Irish law asks for.
Why it's worth the effort
Every workplace has its hazards — the trick is noticing them before they cause harm. A risk assessment is the simple, structured way to do exactly that.
It protects your team, and it shows you took safety seriously if anything is ever questioned.
The five steps
A short, sensible sequence anyone can follow. Click each step to see what's involved.
Identify the hazards
Walk the job and the workplace. What could realistically cause harm — machinery, chemicals, height, manual handling, slips?
Controlling risk, in order
Found a risk? Tackle it strongest-first — and leave PPE till last.
Eliminate
Remove the hazard entirely — design it out, or stop doing the risky task altogether.
Reduce & engineer
Substitute safer materials, guard machinery, add ventilation or change the method of work.
PPE
Protective equipment only protects the wearer and only when worn — never the first line of defence.
Don't start with PPE. Remove or design out the hazard first; protective gear is the backstop.
Doing it, step by step
Four straightforward moves:
Identify the hazards
Look at the real workplace and the real task. Ask the people who do the job.
Decide who might be harmed, and how
List the groups at risk and the way each could be hurt.
Evaluate the risk and act
Rate likelihood and severity, then apply controls top-down from the hierarchy.
Record, share and review
Write down significant findings, brief the team, and review after changes or incidents.
What Irish law asks
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005every Irish employer must identify hazards, assess risks and prepare a written Safety Statement. In practice that means being able to:
- Identify hazards and assess workplace risks
- Apply the hierarchy of controls
- Record significant findings and a safety statement
- Review assessments regularly and after changes