The manager followed the guidance in Five steps to risk
assessment (www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf).
1 To identify the hazards, the manager:
■ looked at HSE’s web pages for small businesses, to
learn where hazards can occur;
■ walked around all areas of the shop, noting
potential risks and taking HSE’s guidance into
account. Occasional activities, such as changing light
bulbs, were also considered;
■ talked to staff to learn from their knowledge and
experience, and listen to their opinions about health
and safety issues; and
■ looked at the accident book, to understand what had
previously resulted in incidents.
2 The manager then wrote down who could be harmed
by the hazards and how.
3 For each hazard, the manager wrote down what
controls, if any, were in place to manage these
hazards. These controls were then compared to the
guidance on HSE’s website. Where existing controls
were not considered good enough, the manager wrote
down what else needed to be done.