Risk Assessment and Method Statements Flashcards

A risk assessment shows that a task cannot be made safe without exceeding the employer's financial capacity. What must the employer do?

Answer: Not carry out the task until adequate controls can be implemented — insufficient funds do not justify proceeding with unsafe work

Financial constraints do not justify carrying out unsafe work. If adequate controls cannot be implemented, the task must not proceed. The employer must find a way to implement the necessary controls or not carry out the activity.

What is the legal status of a method statement?

Answer: Method statements are not a direct statutory requirement but are part of implementing the legal duty to have a safe system of work for significant risks

Method statements are not explicitly required by a specific regulation in all cases, but they are the primary means by which employers demonstrate a safe system of work for significant risks. They are therefore an implicit legal requirement when risk assessments identify the need for one.

A site manager must brief workers on a new high-risk task. The briefing should include:

Answer: The hazards, the controls specified in the RAMS, the sequence of work, emergency arrangements, and the opportunity for workers to ask questions

A comprehensive task briefing covers: the hazards specific to this task, the controls in the RAMS, the sequence of work, emergency and first-aid arrangements, and allows workers to raise questions. This ensures workers understand before starting work.

The risk assessment for working adjacent to live traffic must specifically consider:

Answer: Traffic speed and volume, safe working distances, traffic management measures (TMP), appropriate PPE (Class 3 hi-vis), emergency procedures, and safe access and egress for workers

Working adjacent to live traffic involves the risk of vehicle incursion. The risk assessment must address: traffic speed and volume, appropriate traffic management (barriers, signal control, reduced speed limits), Class 3 hi-vis for all workers, safe exclusion zones, and emergency procedures.

After completing a risk assessment, what is the most important action the site manager must take?

Answer: Implement the identified controls, brief the relevant workers, monitor the controls during the task, and review if conditions change

A risk assessment has no value unless its controls are actually implemented. The manager must: implement the controls, brief workers before the task starts, monitor to ensure controls are maintained during the work, and review if conditions change.

A risk assessment matrix typically combines likelihood and severity to produce a risk rating. What are the typical risk rating categories?

Answer: Low, medium, high (and sometimes very high/critical) — used to prioritise action and determine appropriate control measures

Risk rating matrices typically use categories such as low, medium, high, and critical/very high. These categories guide the urgency and nature of control measures required — high and critical risks require immediate action before the work proceeds.