Risk assessment for storage areas

Adequate resources make carrying out risk assessments manageable and achievable. If you are carrying out a major review of your risk assessments, it is recommended you plan the work and produce an action plan to track progress and help identify resourcing. If the assessment project is part of a major project, we recommend you include it in the overall project planning process.

There is a risk assessment checklist to help you review your current risk assessments and pinpoint where you're meeting the standard and areas where you could improve your assessments.

• Risk assessment action plan template (.dotx)
• Risk assessment review checklist (.dotx)

Allowing enough time ensures the assessment process will be carried out carefully and in full. This includes time to research legal and industry standards and best practice. Time should also be available for others to engage and support the assessor and in implementing the risk controls. Managers who recognise that it's part of the day to day work, and not an add on, will create an environment in which quality assessments can be produced.

If a storage area is shared across two or more departments, it is important that there is clear communication between these departments. To ensure this is managed effectively, a single overall responsible person must be identified on the risk assessment for the risks highlighted, along with responsibilities of all those included. This risk assessment must then be shared across all those departments involved.

The manager of a storage area will need to take responsibility for all assessments associated with their storerooms. Occasionally managers may need to assess a specific aspect of the storage process or area, alongside the need to check all assessments are adequate and sign them off at regular intervals.

Risk assessors need to be competent, and managers need to ensure they have adequate training and resource to do the assessments. There is risk assessment training available and help and advice from your Workplace Health, Safety and Wellbeing adviser and safety specialists (for health and safety risks). In some cases, hazardous materials may be so unique that specialist advice may be required to make valid judgements about the risk and justify their conclusions.

The risk assessment process is a careful examination of what could cause harm, who or what could be harmed and how. It will help to determine what risk control measures are needed and whether managers and supervisors are doing enough.

To simplify the process, managers can use the health and safety risk assessment templates, risk estimation tool and guidance for all risks associated with storage activities and materials. Please refer to the risk estimation guidance (.docx) under how to carry out a risk assessmenthow to carry out a risk assessmenthow to carry out a risk assessment.

If a new risk assessment is required it is advisable to carry out initial risk assessments to help managers identify whether existing resources and facilities are adequate to ensure risk control, or if immediate actions need to be made. To assist with this, a sample template is available below.

For clarity, a risk assessment will be required:

• for storage areas which are considered to be of a high risk
• if higher risk items are or have been introduced into a storage area.

Whereas the risk assessment for the office could include any storage areas which are considered low risk, for example a small cupboard, when a separate risk assessment is not required.

Our standard on risk assessments provides guidance, tips on getting it right, as well as resources and the forms to help managers to produce suitable and sufficient risk assessments must be used.

• Storage area risk assessment template (.docx)
• Refer to carrying out a risk assessment carrying out a risk assessment carrying out a risk assessment for step-by-step guidance.

Risk assessments must relate to the actual work and workplace and must be monitored by the responsible manager. If there are significant changes to the activities, locations, equipment or substances used or stored, the risk assessment will need to be reviewed, updated and the old version archived.

Things to consider

• Do those working in the storage area have the capabilities, training, knowledge, skills, and experience to undertake job tasks? Are they competent or are there gaps in their knowledge of any consequences if procedures and instructions are not followed?
• In fast changing areas, is there a need to carry out dynamic risk assessment by those with health and safety responsibility of the storage area? Are they understood and recorded?
• Do employees have the correct personal protective equipment for the hazards identified and training in how to use it?
• Does the storage area undergo routine testing and maintenance of the facility(ies) and equipment? If so, who is responsible to monitor planned and preventative maintenance of general plant and specialist equipment is completed at the required intervals? Is external 3rd party competent support required?

If you require further guidance, please contact safety@essex.ac.uk.