What the law requires
Every employer must assess the risks their work creates, act on what the assessment finds, and tell and train their staff accordingly. If you employ five or more people, the significant findings must be written down.
The statutory test is that an assessment must be “suitable and sufficient”. In practice that means it must reflect the work actually being done — not the work described in a template written for a different business.
Where employers get caught out
An assessment copied from a generic template is worse than none at all. It demonstrates that the duty was considered and then discharged carelessly, which is a materially worse position than never having addressed it. Inspectors and claimant solicitors both notice immediately when an assessment describes equipment the business does not own.
What a proper assessment involves
Specific assessments
Beyond the general assessment, particular activities carry their own requirements — manual handling, display screen equipment, hazardous substances under COSHH, fire risk, and new or expectant mothers. We identify which apply to you rather than producing all of them regardless.
Liability
The employer is directly liable for damage suffered by employees in the course of employment. Employers’ liability insurance is compulsory, but it responds far more comfortably where the assessment and the controls were in place beforehand.
