Importance of risk assessment in the industry environment
In the industry environment, it can be reflected that the increasing competition, as well as the global expansion of the business opportunities, has contributed towards increased challenges as well as process risk. Therefore, there is a need for the management to focus towards identifying and evaluating such industry risks and issues and based on such the strategies are to be developed that can contribute towards overall business growth and advancement (Hopkin, 2018). The discussion is focused on reflecting upon the need and importance of such risk assessment in the business environment, as well as evaluating the risk assessment process and defining the role and responsibility of the safety practitioner in the implementation of such risk assessment at the workplace. The overall analysis will further help in order to develop an evidence-based research paper that can further influence the board of directors to adopt the approaches to risk assessment.
Risk assessment can be identified as an essential approach to be followed or focused upon at the workplace. It can be reflected that in the present business environment, the management is required to adopt strategies and approaches which can ultimately lead towards improved business performance, in the process, there are various risks and challenges involved which are to be considered. Therefore, in such a process, proper risk management helps to identify the key issues or challenges associated with the service delivery within the industry and further can be eliminated to ensure overall success and effectiveness (Aven, 2016).
Further focusing towards the need for the risk assessment in the business environment, Crollard et. al (2014) have defined that in the industry there is a need for establishing a clear distinction between the key roles and responsibilities of the employees as well as the involved stakeholders. The lack of such understanding further results in increased risk as well as ineffective health and safety management. Therefore, the industry researchers reflect that in the present environment, the organizations are focusing on developing health and safety committees that can ensure proper and effective engagement of the employees to ensure proper implementation of health and safety practices at the workplace (Crollard, et al., 2014).
It can be reflected that the risk assessment in the industry environment not only contributes towards identifying any specific issues or challenges being faced within the sector but ensures that any hazard, related to the health and safety of employees, customers or associates can be identified and further be worked upon (Rennie, 2020). Focusing towards risk assessment contributes towards identifying workplace challenges that may result in being a key risk for the employees or workers. As in the manufacturing sector, the management is required to ensure that any factors contributing to workplace hazards can be eliminated. The organizations accordingly can be identified to be adopting key approaches including providing safety training as well as proper allocation of resources and conducting a timely risk assessment to ensure that such issues and challenges at the workplace can be eliminated (David A., et al., 2017).
In the global business environment as well as in the UK, it can be reflected that the regulatory agencies have implemented key guidelines and policies to ensure proper risk management at the workplace. For example, the guidelines being issued by the HSE UK reflects that maintaining or ensuring risk assessment does not require the leaders or managers to conduct a huge amount of paperwork, but should focus on integrating such practices with the operational practices so that its effective implementation can be ensured. In any industry sector, as per HSE the key areas to be focused upon includes proper equipment handling, providing proper training and guidance as well as eliminating violence, challenging or aggressive behaviour at the workplace and establishing a proper workplace relation such will help to ensure that the internal work culture can be improved and further can contribute towards improved patient satisfaction hence the growth of business in the dynamic industry (HSE, 2020).
Defining the role of the safety practitioner in the implementation of risk assessment
It can be identified that in the international business environment, the need for adoption and implementation of the safety practices or proper risk management, several entrepreneurs have established safety firms offering risk management support to the organizations. Accordingly, it can be identified that WorkNest is the leading safety provider in the UK industry, providing support to the organization to retain their workplace safety and eliminate the risks involved in the process (WN, 2020).
In the industry environment, it can be reflected that the risk assessment process includes the focus towards 8 key domains including the operational, clinical or patient safety, financial, strategic, legal, hazards, human capital, as well as technology areas (Sadgrove, 2016). The process or the approach to risk assessment includes a systematic process which may include the following stages or steps:
- Identifying the hazard: In order to access the risk at the workplace, it is required that the major focus is being ensured towards identifying the key areas that may create harm or negative impact within the workplace. Such can be related to the technological hazards, mental or the safety risk at the business organization. HAS reflects that it is not only the responsibility of the management or the employer to reflect upon the risk identification, but also the employees should contribute towards the identification of risk at the workplace (HSE, 2020).
- Understanding the impact of such hazard: Further, the impact of the identified risk or hazard is to be identified and evaluated over the operational process in the workplace. The impact of such risk or hazard is to be evaluated on the management, stakeholders, customers as well as employees at the workplace (Rausand, 2013).
- Evaluating the risk level: Further, in the risk assessment process, there is a need to focus on prioritising the identified risk depending upon their impact. Such will help to establish a well-defined risk management strategic plan which can further lead towards improved operational effectiveness. It can also be reflected through the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, which ensures that the employer in any of the business sector operating in the industry should follow the risk management approaches and any breach or ignorance in respect to such responsibility will lead towards penalty or legal actions (Russ, 2010).
- Communicate: The identified risk or issues is further to be communicated to the involved stakeholders in the industry. As such will ensure that the stakeholder’s interest can be aligned with the industry goals and the risk can be considered while defining upon the strategic goals or operational process.
- Implement changes: Finally, based on the identified risk or issue, the approaches are to be adopted to develop a change plan and be implemented. HSE reflects that within the risk assessment process, a clear distinction should be made between the job roles and responsibilities of various employees or the staff involved so that the set goals of the risk management can be ensured to be achieved through a collaborative and advanced focus in the industry (HSE, 2021).
The defined approach to risk assessment can actively contribute towards improved business performance. As in the present dynamic marketplace, the business organizations may face major threats from that of the external factors which are to be identified and their impact is to be prioritised. Therefore, implementing such a risk assessment process will help the business management to identify such emerging issues and to ensure the development of internal business strategies that can support further business growth and advancement.
The mentioned stages have also been advised under the legal responsibilities under the Health and Safety Work Act etc. 1974, the act defined by the industry regulatory authorities which reflects that not only the employers but also the manufacturers as well as the suppliers are required to contribute towards identification of safe work practices. Therefore, it can be reflected that it is the legal responsibility of the management to ensure that the risk related to the employees, customers, and partners are to be identified and proper arrangements are to be made to ensure effective planning, organizing and controlling of practices at the workplace. Such results in having a benefit to the organization in terms of improved customer and stakeholder satisfaction. In the risk assessment process further, there is a need to focus towards ensuring that a continuous process is being adopted which ensures that the changes emerging in the legal as well as the workplace environment can be identified and further be worked upon to ensure improved business effectiveness and competitiveness in long run (Oxley, 2013).
The Safety practitioner at the workplace are responsible in order to adopt key practices that can help to eliminate the issues and challenges involved in the risk management process. As per the safety standards being defined under the UK health and safety legislation, i.e., the equipment maintenance, proper alignment of the resources as well as maintaining proper lightning, the safety practitioner or the executive is required to follow a step-by-step process to monitor and control the implemented risk assessment plan and further actions are to be made to ensure overall effectiveness. It can also be defined that the safety practitioner has the key role to guide or support the management regarding the implementation of the safety practices as well as to ensure timely evaluation of the workplace (Delta Net, 2020).
Key areas to focus upon in risk assessment
The safety practitioner further has a key role and approach towards monitoring and handling the activities being conducted at the workplace. It has been defined that such safety executives and officers are also required to provide the required safety and health pieces of training to the employees as well as the managers and leaders regarding the adoption of key safety practices as well as investigating the safety and health incidents affecting the workplace service quality and effectiveness. Such practices within the organization contribute towards improved business ability to improve internal safety and stability at the workplace, which ensures internal employee satisfaction and elimination of the cost involved in the process maintenance and workplace management (Sadgrove, 2016).
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reflect that within an organization there is a need to focus on appointing an individual as a safety officer or practitioner. As appointing a dedicated individual as an officer ensures that the management alone is not required to focus on maintaining the internal workplace, the appointed individual can focus on evaluating the implemented practice and can make efforts to ensure improvement in the existing practices or approaches continuously implemented at the workplace. Based on such it can be reflected that the safety practitioner contributes towards an overall improvement of the sector including a focus towards both the managerial as well as stakeholder needs and requirements within the industry (HSE, 2020).
The industry researchers have defined that the integration of the above-mentioned process, as well as the effective implementation of the risk assessment process at the workplace, contributes towards improved organizational performance. An effort to effective health and safety practices at the workplace further contributes towards improved internal culture as well as ensures employee satisfaction, leading towards improved performance in the industry. As the risk assessment helps to identify the business risk and accordingly the innovative approaches can be identified such internal innovativeness further ensures that a positive attitude among the employees and the management can be created towards identifying and understanding the risk and making decisions that can contribute towards organization’s safety internal and growth (Torabi, et al., 2016).
Legg et.al (2015) has defined that the focus towards the working environment within the industry contributes towards improved operational performance. An effective focus on the risk assessment ensures that the internal challenges or barriers to the business performance and employee efficiency can be eliminated. Such in long term contributes towards improved employee satisfaction and performance resulting in increased operational effectiveness as well as declined operational cost or the additional cost to manage hazards or accidents at the workplace. Therefore, based on such it can be reflected that risk assessment contributes towards improved economic benefit for the organization by ensuring proper utilisation of resources as well as contributing towards improved process efficiency (Legg, et al., 2015).
Implementing an effective approach and practice to risk assessment further contributes towards the fulfilment of the legal needs and requirements within the industry. HSE has defined upon Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations, which ensures that the employers are taking necessary measures to ensure the elimination of the accidents or hazards at the workplace. The act defines the activities of the employer as well as the employee so that any kind of risk factor emerging can be identified and further be eliminated (HSE, 2020). Also, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, further guides and reflects upon the management’s responsibility to adopt key approaches and practices that can contribute towards eliminating risk at the workplace (Legislation.Gov.UK, 2020).
Process or approach to risk assessment
Conclusion
The discussion has been focused on evaluating the need and importance of the risk assessment within the business environment. The analysis reflects that adopting the approach of the risk assessment ensures that the health and safety of the internal employees can be ensured which provides them effective opportunity to grow and contribute towards organizational need and growth. It can also be reflected that only at the internal level, but the need and importance of the implementation of the risk assessment practices have been guided and justified by the industry regulatory authorities which reflects that being the employer it is the duty of the management to identify and analyse any potential risk involved and further based on such there is a need for the development of strategic approaches which in long run can lead towards business success.
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