Workplace Risk Assessments Identify Hazards. Protect Your People.

Yes. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (Regulation 3), every employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and anyone else who may be affected by their undertaking. This applies to every business, regardless of size. If you have five or more employees, you must record the significant findings in writing. Self-employed persons must also assess risks to themselves and others affected by their work.

Risk assessments should be reviewed whenever there are significant changes to your workplace, equipment, processes, substances or staffing. They must also be reviewed after any accident, incident or near-miss that suggests the current assessment may be inadequate. As best practice, RADCaT recommends a formal annual review of all risk assessments even if no changes have occurred — regulations evolve, and what was acceptable last year may not be this year. Our retained clients receive scheduled review visits.

The law requires risk assessments to be carried out by a "competent person" — someone with sufficient training, experience and knowledge to identify hazards and evaluate risks. For simple, low-risk workplaces you may be able to do basic assessments yourself using HSE templates. However, for any workplace with significant hazards — machinery, chemicals, heights, fire risks, manual handling — a qualified health and safety consultant will produce far more thorough, legally robust assessments that stand up to HSE scrutiny.

Our consultant visits your premises at an agreed time, walks every area and observes your work activities in progress. They examine equipment, processes, substances, workplace layout, housekeeping, welfare facilities and existing safety measures. They talk to staff about the hazards they encounter day-to-day. The visit typically takes 2–4 hours depending on the size and complexity of your workplace. You then receive a comprehensive written report with findings, risk ratings and a prioritised action plan.

A risk assessment identifies what the hazards are and evaluates the level of risk. A method statement (or safe system of work) describes step-by-step how a task should be carried out safely, incorporating the control measures identified in the risk assessment. Together they form "RAMS" (Risk Assessment Method Statement) — commonly required in construction, maintenance and other high-risk activities. RADCaT produces both as part of our health and safety consultancy. Learn about method statements →

Yes. A general workplace risk assessment covers your premises and common hazards, but specific regulations require additional assessments for specific risks: COSHH assessments for hazardous substances, manual handling assessments for lifting tasks, DSE assessments for screen users, fire risk assessments for your premises, DSEAR assessments for flammable substances, and working at height assessments for elevated work. RADCaT carries out a comprehensive gap analysis to identify exactly which assessments your business needs.

Costs depend on the size of your premises, the complexity of your operations, the number of work activities requiring assessment and whether specialist assessments (COSHH, DSEAR, fire) are needed. We provide clear, fixed-price quotes after an initial discussion about your requirements — no hourly rates, no hidden extras. For businesses needing multiple assessments, our bundled packages offer significant savings. Contact us for a free initial consultation and no-obligation quote.

Yes. While we're based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, we carry out risk assessments for businesses across the entire UK — from the North West across Yorkshire, the Midlands, London, the South, Scotland and Wales. We support single-site businesses and multi-site operations with consistent assessment standards across all your locations.