We heard a lot of good things about THSP Risk Management’s new risk assessment builder so we decided to catch up with Chris Ivey, their Health and Safety Consultant Director and asked him a few questions, to see how it can benefit your business.
THSP’s Risk Assessment Builder is a unique on-line tool for creating task-based risk assessments. Created for high to medium risk industries, this programme walks you through the processes, requiring the user to think carefully about the task at hand as they build their assessment. The result is a robust assessment that is fit for the work and the people involved.
- Tell me about the Risk Assessment Builder…
THSP’s Risk Assessment Builder is an interactive tool devised by the health and safety and IT experts at THSP Risk Management. It is designed to simplify the process of creating risk assessments whilst ensuring a high-quality end result.
- Are there any other software programmes out there that are similar to this product?
No, our market research highlighted that there are lots of risk assessment options on the market, however, the majority are blank templates or generic libraries, not actual real-time risk assessment builders. We believe our Risk Assessment Builder is unique in the way that it analyses the selections and suggests appropriate control measures, likely injuries etc, building in real time as you go through.
- What are the benefits in using this software over the other providers?
The intuitive nature of the selection process, provides a comprehensive range of control measures, ensuring nothing is missed. The user can feel confident that they are being guided to create a watertight assessment of their risks.
You will have created a document that reflects you, your organisation and your good practices, not a generic document with control measures that may be inappropriate.
Being able to easily send an action plan based on the control measures to each person or group that are designated to implement those measures, ensures controlled communication of the risk assessment. Your staff get the information specific to their needs and relevant to keeping them safe.
- What is the number one important feature that your software can offer to a user?
The identification of appropriate control measures relevant to the task being carried out and hazards presented by that task. Control measures can be added or deleted as determined by your standard procedures or practices.
- Do you provide training or installation?
We provide installation free of charge to our Business Safe customers, and offer a range of free workshops in locations throughout the UK. There are also helpful hints and tips on the tool, as well as “how-to” videos, and our Consultants are always on hand to chat through the programme. If your risk assessment skills are a little rusty then we hold risk assessment training courses.
- We know from having tested this ourselves that it’s very simple to operate. Was this a key factor when the product was designed?
Being completely honest, the key factor was to develop a tool that would build legally complaint risk assessments. The fact that it is so simple to operate was a fortuitous consequence but one that we are extremely happy with.
- Are there any H&S guidelines that the software has to meet?
Yes, the risk assessment builder is modelled on the HSE’s five steps to risk assessment and adopts the well established principles of the hierarchy of control. This ensures the assessor thinks carefully about the task at hand, and adopts working practices to ensure safety before relying on PPE.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Regulation 3 there is a requirement to carry out risk assessments. –
3.(1) Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of—
(a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work; and
(b) the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking.
In addition, the control measure database complies with health and safety regulations and is regularly updated to ensure it remains compliant.
- What has the feedback been like since the product was launched?
Excellent – once users have fully engaged with the system we receive really positive feedback. Below are some examples.
“It is absolutely brilliant, takes the hassle out of doing risk assessments and is totally intuitive to use.”
“Would recommend to anyone who does risk assessments, especially if you are running sites as it makes life a lot easier.”
“If you had no knowledge of something it sends you in the right direction, love that it covers the whole job you are doing rather than parts of the work.”
- Are there any future plans to develop the Risk Assessment Builder?
This software is continually developing to keep up with customer demands as well as being updated with new control measures to fit a wide range of industries.
This tool has really opened our eyes to how good technology can support the management of health and safety. The success of this has made us consider different areas of health and safety where improvements can be made to see how we can simplify the process whilst maintaining compliance with legislation. Watch this space for more news!
