4. Risk assessment
(1) The person responsible for a workplace shall perform a risk assessment of a workstation in the workplace before it is first used by users.
(2) For workstations in service in the workplace immediately before the commencement of this Regulation and used by users on or after that commencement, the person responsible for the workplace shall perform a risk assessment of those workstations within 14 days after that commencement.
(3) For the purpose of complying with subsections (1) and (2), the risk assessment shall consist of a process of—
- (a) identifying the potential hazards arising from the work in the workstation;
- (b) deciding who might be at risk and how the person is affected;
- (c) evaluating the risks arising from the potential hazards and deciding whether existing precautions are adequate; and
- (d) recording the findings.
(4) If—
- (a) the person responsible for a workplace has reason to suspect that the conditions of a previous assessment may have changed; or
- (b) there has been a significant change in a workstation,
the person responsible for the workplace shall review the risk assessment performed in respect of the workstation and revise the record of findings accordingly.
(5) The person responsible for a workplace shall keep a record of all risk assessments performed by him in respect of a workstation, which shall include all findings recorded or revised under subsections (3)(d) and (4), and shall retain that record for a period of at least 2 years after that workstation ceases to be used by any user.
(6) Upon request by an occupational safety officer, the person responsible for a workplace shall produce for inspection any record kept and retained by him under subsection (5).
(7) Upon request in writing by an occupational safety officer, the person responsible for a workplace shall, within such period as may be specified in the request, deliver to the officer a copy of any record kept and retained by him under subsection (5).
5. Reduction of risks
The person responsible for a workplace shall take steps to reduce any risks identified in a risk assessment performed by him under section 4 to the lowest extent as is reasonably practicable.
