Define a real working situation
Choose the scope: an activity, a workplace or a change. 'All work in the business' may be too broad for deciding a useful action. 'Carrying equipment from the van into the basement premises' offers a clearer starting point.
Section 7-1 of Norway's Regulations concerning Organisation, Management and Employee Participation requires worker involvement and risk assessment records appropriate to the business. The working environment also includes factors affecting psychological health and safety.
Move from observations to a decision
Use questions that let you explain the assessment afterwards. These are prompts for a working session, rather than a completed assessment of your business.
- What are we doing, where are we doing it and who could be affected?
- What could go wrong or cause harm over time? What have we actually observed?
- Which conditions affect the likelihood, and how serious could the outcome be?
- What is already helping, and what do we not yet know enough about?
- Which change will we make, who will follow it up and when will we check the outcome?
Explain the reasoning behind a score
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority describes different approaches and does not require a particular template. If you use a matrix, another reader should be able to understand your judgement. A green box alone says little about weak evidence, uncertain knowledge or a potentially serious outcome.
Record what needs to be established before choosing a working method. If you lack the knowledge needed to assess a hazard, make obtaining relevant expertise the next task instead of guessing a low score.
Fictional example: moving equipment to a basement
An imaginary service business needs to move equipment from its van to a customer's basement. The first draft only says 'heavy lifting'. The workers add what they have observed: a narrow staircase, little space and repeated trips. They do not yet know whether another access route is available.
They assign someone to check access with the customer before deciding the working method, with a clear deadline. They will review the workload after the first job. The example shows a question that needs answering; it establishes no safe lifting method or weight limit.
Common pitfalls
A list of hazards remains a list if nobody makes a decision. An action that only says 'be careful' gives you little to evaluate afterwards. A new workplace may also change assumptions that previously held true.
Revisit the assessment when its assumptions change and examine which parts still apply. Do not wait for a calendar reminder if you already know the text describes a different job.
The next step in RettHMS
Start with a current activity in your internal control work. Record the hazard, assessment and unresolved questions, then give the action an owner and a deadline. If a particular job needs a shared discussion with its participants, SJA can be the next workspace.