Street Friends - Risk assessment guidance
What is a risk assessment?
Risk assessment is a way of identifying and controlling the things that could cause harm to people in their work as a member of staff or as a volunteer. This risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in carrying out your activities, could cause harm, so you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm.
Definitions
Two main elements combine to form the basis of a risk assessment exercise:
- Hazard - Means anything that has the potential to cause harm.
- Risk - Is the likelihood that somebody will be harmed by the hazard, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.
Why does Bromley Council need to complete a risk assessment for volunteers?
Bromley Council wants to ensure volunteers completing tasks on behalf of the council are kept safe. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also place a duty of care on the council for volunteers and a responsibility to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of all significant risks to their health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their undertakings.
What is Bromley Council responsible for when it comes to health and safety?
- The safety of volunteers
- Producing a risk assessment and ensuring that volunteers have read and understood the risk assessment
- Identifying potential precautions that can be taken by volunteers to minimise risk
- Ensuring that volunteers have access to personal protective equipment that helps to keep them safe
- Ensuring that volunteers receive appropriate training for the activities that they are undertaking
- Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of precautions applied to reduce risk
What is your responsibility as a volunteer?
Whilst carrying out activities for Bromley Council as a volunteer you are responsible for considering your own health and safety and that of others around you.
As a volunteer you should not put yourself in a position that could place yourself, or others, in danger.
You are under no obligation to undertake any activity and you should never undertake any activities if you have concerns about your own or others’ health and safety.
Please:
- Put your safety and that of others first
- Read the risk assessment
- Consider specific health and safety hazards associated with the specific task and location that you are working in
- Apply practical precautions to minimise the level of risk
- Report any concerns about safety related to the activities undertaken to the council
How to assess the risks in the area where you are undertaking volunteer activities?
The risk assessment included at the end of this document aims to identify all risks associated with the activities that you may be conducting when you volunteer for the council, however, it is still important that you conduct your own dynamic risk assessment each time you start activity as there may be some risks that are specific to your location or individual circumstances. To do this please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Look for any hazards.
Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how.
Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done.