Understanding Health and Safety Risk Assessments
A health and safety risk assessment is the process of identifying potential hazards and risks in the workplace, and then developing strategies in order to mitigate or eliminate the risk of them.
Health and safety risk assessments play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of employees and visitors to your workplace, who may be affected by the activities of your organisation.
Understanding Health and Safety Gap Analysis
A health and safety gap analysis is a comprehensive process that identifies the differences between your organisation's current health and safety practices and the required standards that your business should have.
The goal of a gap analysis is to ensure consistent compliance with legislation by outlining areas that need to be improved and mitigating potential risks.
The differences between risk assessments and gap analysis
Although a risk assessment and gap analysis do have some similarities, there is a fundamental difference between the two:
Both services have their own purposes, and although they are similar, they focus on different elements when it comes to health and safety. Where risk assessments focus on the likelihood and potential impact of risks, a gap analysis focuses on the differences between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’.
Once you have conducted a risk assessment, you will receive a prioritised list of recommendations for mitigating risks. Once you’ve conducted a gap analysis, you will receive a list of gaps, as well as the recommendations for improvements to align with desired outcomes.
Book a Health and Safety Assessment in Today
How does a gap analysis and a risk assessment work together?
A gap analysis and risk assessment work together by first identifying the difference between the current practices and desired standards, then evaluating the potential risks associated with those differences.
By combining the two practices, it allows organisations to proactively manage risks by targeting the route causes of vulnerabilities, ensuring they stay compliant with the relevant legislation and improving their overall health and safety practices.
Does my business need a gap analysis or a risk assessment?
If you’re not sure whether your business needs a gap analysis or a risk assessment, it's best to talk to an expert. Ultimately, both a gap analysis and risk assessments can be valuable tools for your business, and so the best approach really depends on your business’s specific goals and needs.
At Lanahan Risk Management Services, we can help through both our health and safety risk assessment and gap analysis services, providing tailored health and safety solutions for your business.
If you think your business could benefit from one of the services we’ve discussed today, or there has been a significant change to your premises and you don’t feel confident conducting a gap analysis or risk assessment yourself, we can do it for you.
Get in touch with our team today to see how we can help keep you and your business safe with our risk assessment and gap analysis services.