A general risk assessment involves taking the time to look over one’s workspace and identify possible risks or current risks in the workspace. After the potential or current risks are identified, you can then analyze and evaluate what future steps to take, primarily to make the workspace safer than before. According to prosafetymanagment.co.uk, risk assessments should be reviewed annually unless changes to your workspace occur. If modifications to the workspace occur, such as a change in rules, design, or even a significant difference in the day-to-day tasks, a risk assessment should be conducted again.
However, a risk assessment does not have to be solely conducted on a workspace or in a work-related environment. Someone could utilize risk assessments in day-to-day life, because of this when asked the question of “do I, in a normal life, do risk assessments all the time on a variety of situations?” I would respond with yes. Some examples of how an individual could utilize risk assessments in day-to-day life could be, evaluating if a sport is worth the risks involved or deciding and planning your financial lifestyle, and identifying the risks involved with current spending habits. There are many other examples of how individuals utilize risk assessments daily; however, there are differences in how an individual performs a risk assessment and how a company would do so. A company will attempt to be more thorough.
To continue, when asked the question, “how would I go about doing a risk assessment for an organization” and explain the steps I would utilize, there would be many different responses I could give. First and foremost, the steps I would use would differ depending on the type of organization I am conducting a risk assessment on and what part of the organization I am evaluating. Generally speaking, if the organization I was performing a risk assessment on had multiple departments or work environments, I would single out one and conduct a risk assessment on a single departments basis to make things easier and more thorough, as well as more organized. I would then inspect the tools being used in the work environment and daily tasks to identify possible risks each tool or task may have. According to ccohs.ca, after identifying potential risks in the work environment, I would then “determine appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard, or control the risk when the hazard cannot be eliminated (risk control).”.
To conclude, there are many different options for risk management an induvial or organization could use once the risk(s) is identified. According to projectsmart.co.uk, there are around five different options, one of which would not be considered a true response but to move forward and "simply accept the risk and proceeding." this is called risk assumption. The other options include risk avoidance, risk transfer, control, and utilizing knowledge and research. Risk avoidance takes a completely different approach that does not involve the identified risk; risk control involves taking the initial approach with a more controlled plan and identifying if the goal is overall worth the risk involved; risk transfer utilizes a third-party, such as hiring someone else to take care of the risk or to transfer the liability to someone else; utilizing knowledge and research is similar to controlling the risk but to more in-depth be able to identify if the goal is worth the risk and to plan/budget accordingly.
References
Burbidge, A. (2020, July 23). How often do Risk Assessments need to be reviewed? Pro Safety Management. https://www.prosafetymanagement.co.uk/risk-assessment-basics/reviewing-risk-assessments/
Risk Assessment : OSH Answers. (n.d.). Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/risk_assessment.html
Risk Management Options. (n.d.). Project Smart. https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/risk-management-options.php