HOW TO CONDUCT A RISK ANALYSIS 

Risk analysis and risk assessment when choosing protective clothing

Risk analysis and risk assessment form the basis of workplace safety. If they are not carried out, or are performed incorrectly, there is an increased risk that hazards will not be identified and that necessary safety measures will be omitted. This can have serious consequences and, in some cases, even constitute a violation of the law.

There are many different risks in the work environment. The employer is responsible for ensuring a safe workplace for all employees. A carefully conducted risk analysis often shows that personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed to protect against these risks.

To make it easier to choose the right protection, the EU has developed standards against which PPE is certified. These ensure that protective clothing is tested and labelled in a uniform and correct way. In this text, we explain the basics of risk analysis and risk assessment when choosing protective clothing.

Basic concepts

To create a common foundation, we define some key concepts in risk analysis and risk management:

Risk analysis 

Risk analysis is the overall concept for analysing risks in the work environment. The analysis involves identifying which risks and hazards exist, how serious they are, and how likely it is that someone may be injured. In everyday language, the term “risk analysis” is often used to describe the entire risk management process, which is not entirely correct.

Risk assessment

Risk assessment is the process of evaluating risks and hazards to workers’ safety and health. This includes assessing, among other things, the level of risk and how it can be managed. It is a systematic review of the various tasks involved in the work, identifying what may cause harm and whether the risks can be eliminated. If this is not possible, appropriate preventive or protective measures must be identified to control the risks.

Risk management 

Risk management encompasses the entire safety management process. In addition to risk analysis and risk assessment, it also includes the implementation of measures, follow-up, and ongoing updating of the process as needed or at specified intervals.

What does the law say?

According to basic work environment legislation, all employers are required to carry out risk analysis and risk assessment and to establish appropriate measures to eliminate any risks in the workplace. The responsibility for ensuring that this is carried out and continuously followed up lies with the company management, all the way up to the CEO. 

The EU Framework Directive 

The most important EU legislation concerning risk assessment is Framework Directive 89/391 (European Union guidelines for risk assessment at work (89/391/EEC)). This directive has been transposed into national legislation. However, Member States have the right to introduce stricter provisions to protect their workers, which means that differences between European countries are possible.  

Within the EU, legislation on personal protective equipment is governed by the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. The minimum requirements that products must meet to protect against specific risks are specified in various standards.

All relevant risks must be considered 

Correct risk management means, among other things, ensuring that all relevant risks are taken into account (not just the immediate or obvious ones), checking that the safety measures taken are effective, documenting the results of the risk assessment, and reviewing and updating it regularly ar at specified intervals. 

If a risk has been identified, the employer must first eliminate it, but where this is not possible, employees must be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE). In Sweden, PPE is often referred to as PSU. 

Different methods for risk analysis and risk management 

As mentioned, there are several different methods for risk analysis and risk management, both general and industry-specific, that are widely used. Below, we highlight two approaches represent most types of general risk analysis methods. These are the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s SAM method and the European Commission’s RI&E method. 

RI&E  

RI&E is an abbreviation for Risk Inventory & Evaluation and is a structured method for assessing risks within a given context. The method was developed by the European Commission and is available as a free resource for small businesses.

Identify  

There are many different ways to examine the work environment in order to detect and identify risks. Common methods include conducting safety inspections, carrying out employee surveys, and studying previous work-related accidents. 

Risk assessment 

Once the risk has been identified, a risk assessment must be carried out. The image below shows an example where the risk is assessed based on two parameters: the likelihood of injury and the severity of the injury, in accordance with DGUV 203-077.

Act 

In the image above, the red-marked area represents risks that are so evident and serious that no one is allowed to work under these conditions. If the risks are assessed as yellow or red according to the table above, they must be addressed immediately.  

Control 

The final step is to regularly check and follow up to ensure that the measures have had the desired effect and that a safe working environment is maintained for all employees.

Significant reduction in fatal accidents

The importance of risk analysis and protective equipment

With increased safety requirements, fatal workplace accidents have decreased significantly. The graph below shows how the number of fatal accidents has decreased over the past century.  

In this example, from the Swedish authority Elsäkerhetsverket, it shows that the number of deaths caused by accidents in connection with electrical work has decreased considerably. Increased risk awareness and fundamental workplace safety, including the identification of risks and hazards, have likely played a major role in this positive development.

Involve the employees 

Finally, we would like to emphasise that risk assessment is not just a desk based exercise. It is crucial that employees are involved and that a thorough review of risks and protective measures is carried out together with all relevant staff. 

Also remember that the responsibility for risk assessment and employee safety lies with company management. To support this work, there are several standards to rely on.

Analysis, assessment, and management of risks are ongoing tasks. Checks must be carried out continuously and the risk assessment must be updated whenever something in the work situation changes.  

By proactively managing risks in the workplace, you lay a solid foundation for a safer and more secure environment for your employees. 

Risks and risk analysis in different industries

Although different industries vary in terms of working environments and risks, a general method is usually used when carrying out risk management. However, the content may differ because the risks differ between industries. Below, you can read more about the risks and hazards that must be considered when conducting risk analysis and risk assessment across six different industries.