Risk assessment for clients and staff

Calculation of risk severity.

In assessing a RISK you need to take into account two factors.

1. How serious could an injury be?
2. How likely is it to occur?

The following would be a rough guideline;

• High risk; A very serious injury that had a high probability of occurring.
• Medium risk:
  a.) A serious injury unlikely to occur.
  b.) A lesser injury likely to occur.
• Low risk – Very little or no risk likely to occur.

If you take (1) above as a scale of 1 to 5 (5=high)
(2) above as a scale of 1 to 5 (5=high)

Then multiply them together, this would give a scale as follows:

Seriousness of Injury

5 = Very high potential for multiple death and or wide spread destruction.
4 = High causing death or serious injury to an individual i.e. reportable accident under the RIDDOR regulations.
3 = Moderate causing injury or disease capable of keeping someone of work for three days or more, may require reporting under RIDDOR regulations.
2 = Slight causing minor injuries, i.e. person able to continue work after first aid.
1 = No risk of injury or disease.

Likelihood of the event occurring

5 = Very likely to happen.
4 = Likely to occur i.e. easily predicted with slight carelessness for external event, e.g. vibration.
3 = Quite possible, the accident is only likely to occur with help, i.e. if somebody slips, failure to replace a light bulb.
2 = Possibly – probability is low to minimal.
1 = Not likely at all, there is no real risk and accidents will only occur under freak conditions.