15/05/2026
Work-related ill health and injuries led to an estimated 40.1 million working days lost in 2024/25, while an estimated 680,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury.
Many of these incidents would have been preventable. And in most cases, when employers face HSE enforcement action, civil claims, or tribunal proceedings, the issue comes back to one thing: Risk assessments that were missing, incomplete, or treated as a rushed tick-box exercise.
Here are 5 steps HSE says every employer must follow 👇
✅ Identify the hazards – Walk through your workplace and look for anything that could cause harm – physical, chemical, biological, or psychosocial. Ask your employees too, they often spot what you miss
✅ Decide who might be harmed and how – Think beyond your core workforce. Consider contractors, visitors, and any vulnerable workers
✅ Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions – Assess how likely harm is and how serious it could be and do everything reasonably practicable to reduce it. Eliminate the risk where possible, then control the risk that remains
✅ Record your findings and act on them – If you employ five or more people, you are legally required to record any significant findings in writing. Just recording the findings is not enough, you must implement the controls
✅ Review and update regularly – Your risk assessments must keep up with your changing workplace. Review whenever there's a significant change, and set a regular annual review date as standard
If you’re not confident in your approach or unsure if your assessments would stand up to scrutiny, get in touch for expert support ⚖️ https://shorturl.at/CziD3
