What is a Risk in Health and Safety?
When we talk about health and safety, the word risk comes up all the time — but what exactly does it mean? Understanding what is a risk in health and safety is key to keeping workplaces safe, compliant, and productive. In simple terms, a risk is the chance or likelihood that a person could be harmed by a hazard and how severe that harm could be.
For example, a wet floor in a corridor is a hazard. The risk is that someone might slip, fall, and injure themselves. Managing safety effectively means recognising both the hazard and the risk — and then taking steps to minimise that risk as much as possible.
Why Understanding Risk Matters
Understanding risk is at the heart of every good health and safety system. When employers grasp how risk works, they can:
- Prevent accidents and injuries before they happen
- Comply with legal obligations, such as the UK’s Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Protect their reputation and finances by avoiding costly incidents and downtime
- Build a strong safety culture, where employees feel confident identifying and reporting potential hazards
Failing to understand or manage risks properly can lead to serious consequences — not only for workers’ wellbeing but also for the business itself. That’s why risk management isn’t just a compliance task; it’s a vital part of responsible leadership.
Risk vs Hazard: What’s the Difference?
People often use the terms “risk” and “hazard” interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.
In other words, a hazard is what can cause harm, while a risk is the chance that harm will actually occur. You can’t always remove every hazard from the workplace, but you can control the risk it presents.
What is a Risk Assessment in Health and Safety?
A risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards, analysing how likely they are to cause harm, and deciding what measures can reduce or eliminate that risk.
Under UK law, every employer must carry out a “suitable and sufficient” risk assessment of their workplace. The typical steps include:
- Identify hazards – what could cause harm?
- Determine who might be harmed and how – employees, visitors, contractors, etc.
- Evaluate the risks – consider the likelihood and potential severity of harm.
- Decide on control measures – take steps to eliminate or reduce the risk.
- Record findings – document your risk assessment (mandatory if you have five or more employees).
- Review and update regularly – whenever there are changes, incidents, or new information.
Effective risk assessments are practical, proportionate, and regularly reviewed. They’re not just paperwork — they’re living documents that help keep everyone safe.
What is a Risk Register in Health and Safety?
A risk register is a structured document that lists all identified risks in the workplace, along with details of their severity, likelihood, and the controls in place to manage them.
It usually includes:
- A description of each hazard and associated risk
- The people who may be affected
- The risk rating (e.g., low, medium, high)
- Existing control measures
- Any additional actions required
- The person responsible and the target completion date
Think of the risk register as your central record of workplace risks — a snapshot of your organisation’s safety status. It’s especially useful for tracking progress, assigning accountability, and ensuring that no risk goes unmanaged.
Risk Control Measures
Once risks have been identified, the next step is to control or reduce them. The hierarchy of control is a useful framework that ranks methods of risk control from most to least effective:
- Eliminate the hazard – remove it entirely if possible.
- Substitute – replace it with something less hazardous.
- Engineering controls – isolate people from the hazard (e.g., barriers, machine guards).
- Administrative controls – change the way people work (e.g., training, procedures).
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – use equipment such as gloves or helmets as a last line of defence.
The goal is always to reduce risks as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) — balancing the level of risk against the time, cost, and effort required to control it.
Common Mistakes in Risk Management
Even with good intentions, organisations often make avoidable mistakes in managing health and safety risks. Some of the most common include:
- Confusing hazards and risks, leading to incomplete assessments.
- Treating risk assessments as one-off exercises rather than ongoing reviews.
- Failing to involve employees, who often know the job best and can spot overlooked risks.
- Over-reliance on PPE, instead of addressing root causes.
- Ignoring new or emerging risks, such as those related to mental health or remote work.
Avoiding these pitfalls helps ensure that your approach to health and safety is not only compliant but genuinely effective.
Conclusion
Understanding what is a risk in health and safety is only the first step — effectively managing those risks is where true workplace safety begins. But in fast-moving environments, manually tracking hazards, risk assessments, and corrective actions can be time-consuming and error-prone.
That’s where Vatix comes in. Our risk management software helps you centralise your entire safety process — from identifying hazards and conducting assessments to monitoring controls and generating reports — all in one intuitive platform.
With Vatix, you can ensure compliance, improve visibility, and empower your team to take proactive action before small issues become major incidents.
Book a free demo to see how Vatix can take the guesswork out of risk management and help you move towards a safer, more compliant workplace today.
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