Safe Systems of Work (Risk Assessments, Method Statements, CoSHH Assessments)

Site-Specific Health and Safety Documentation

Effective safety documentation needs to reflect the actual task, not simply describe a generic activity.

Our approach is to understand the work before developing the documentation. This includes considering:

• The task or work activity being undertaken
• Plant, equipment and tools being used
• Materials and hazardous substances
• The working environment and site conditions
• Access, egress and interaction with other activities
• Employees, contractors, visitors and other people who may be affected
• Existing control measures and organisational arrangements
• The competence, information, instruction, training and supervision required

This helps ensure your documentation is relevant, usable and connected to the way the work is actually performed.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments should provide more than a list of hazards. They should identify the significant risks associated with the activity, determine who may be harmed, assess the existing controls and identify what further measures are required.

Our risk assessments are developed around the principles of effective risk management, including:

• Identifying hazards
• Assessing the risks
• Identifying appropriate controls
• Recording significant findings where required
• Reviewing arrangements when circumstances change

The approach is aligned with the requirements and guidance of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and relevant HSE guidance.

Where reasonably practicable, controls should address risks at source and follow the appropriate hierarchy of control rather than relying solely on administrative measures or personal protective equipment.

Method Statements

A method statement sets out how a particular activity will be carried out safely, providing a logical sequence of work and the precautions and control measures to be followed.

We develop method statements from the findings of the relevant risk assessments so that the controls identified are translated into practical working arrangements.

Depending on the activity, documentation can address matters such as:

• Work sequence and preparation
• Plant and equipment requirements
• Access and exclusion arrangements
• Competence and supervision
• Required control measures
• Coordination with other workers or contractors
• Emergency arrangements
• Monitoring and review

Method statements are widely used as an effective way of communicating safe systems of work. They are not, however, a universal statutory requirement for every task; their use and format should be proportionate to the risks and the nature of the work.

COSHH Assessments

Where employees or others may be exposed to substances hazardous to health, suitable assessment and control arrangements are required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).

Our COSHH assessments consider the substance, process and circumstances of use, including:

• The hazardous properties of the substance
• Safety Data Sheet information
• How exposure could occur
• Who could be exposed
• Frequency and duration of exposure
• Existing control measures
• Further measures required to prevent or adequately control exposure
• Relevant workplace exposure limits where applicable
• The requirements for information, instruction, training and supervision

We also consider hazardous substances that may be generated by the work process, rather than only substances supplied in containers.

Built Around Your Working Environment

Good safety documentation should be usable by the people carrying out the work.

We therefore consider the practical realities of the activity before producing your documentation, helping ensure that the controls identified are capable of being implemented rather than simply recorded.

Our documentation can be prepared for:

• New work activities
• New projects or contracts
• Changes to existing processes
• Higher-risk or complex activities
• Site-specific construction activities
• Hazardous substances and chemical processes
• Existing documentation requiring review or improvement

Where work is repeated, we can also help you develop a consistent approach across projects while retaining the ability to update documents where the circumstances, hazards or working methods change.

Review, Update and Standardise Existing Documentation

Your safety documentation should not be treated as a one-off exercise.

Changes to equipment, materials, processes, staffing, premises, legislation or working conditions may mean that existing assessments and safe systems of work need to be reviewed.

We can:

Review existing risk assessments, method statements and COSHH assessments.

Identify gaps, inconsistencies and controls that may need strengthening.

Update documentation following changes to activities or working conditions.

Standardise your approach across multiple sites, teams or projects.

Support managers and supervisors in maintaining documentation that remains relevant to the work being undertaken.

Why Use a Site-Specific Approach?

Generic documentation can be difficult to apply when it does not reflect the actual work environment.

A site-specific approach helps your team work from documentation that is:

Relevant - based on the activity, equipment, materials and environment.

Practical - written so that supervisors and operatives can understand the required controls.

Proportionate - focused on the significant risks associated with the work.

Consistent - structured to support a repeatable approach across activities and projects.

Reviewable - easier to update when the work or circumstances change.

Supporting UK Health and Safety Compliance

Our safe systems of work are developed with the relevant UK health and safety framework in mind, including applicable requirements and guidance under legislation such as:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
• Other legislation and HSE guidance relevant to the specific activity, equipment, workplace or sector

For construction activities, documentation will also be considered alongside applicable requirements under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, where relevant.

Health and safety responsibilities remain with the duty holder. Our role is to provide competent technical support and practical documentation to help you manage those responsibilities effectively.