RI&E: identify and tackle all current risks at your company
Entrepreneurs are exposed to risks in many areas. We at Venrooy know that and you, as an entrepreneur, will undoubtedly be aware of that too. After all, risks are part and parcel of entrepreneurship. It is important that a company has a clear overview of all the risks and actually addresses them. That is why, since 1 January 1994, all employers with staff have been obliged to carry out a risk inventory & evaluation (RI&E) in accordance with the Working Conditions Act. An RI&E is not all that difficult to do, but it is incredibly important. It underpins a company's working conditions policy and plays an important role in ensuring employees’ health and safety. It is precisely for this reason that Venrooy conducted an RI&E to identify all the risks within the company and their possible effects. This way, we can take the right measures to eliminate these risks – such as the use of personal protective equipment (e.g. protective clothing) and clear machine instructions for employees.
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Inventory & evaluation
An RI&E starts with an inventory of all risks within the company. Compile a list of all the risks to make this inventory. Think about all types of risks:
Physical/ergonomic risks such as lifting, tasks that require strength or standing for long periods of time, screen work and vibrations.
Safety and environmental risks such as risk of falling, risk of cuts, hazardous substances, noise and working in hot or cold temperatures.
Psychosocial risks such as work pressure, stress, irregular working hours and aggression at work.
You can then evaluate the risks by reorganising the list. Put the most critical risk at the top. During this evaluation ask yourself, among other things: What is the probability of this risk occurring? How many employees are exposed to this risk? What are the possible consequences?
Action plan
In an action plan, you specify how you are going to deal with each risk. The rule ‘prevention is better than cure’ applies here, so make sure you tackle the cause – rather than the consequence – of the risks. In the action plan, indicate precisely how each risk should be tackled, what knowledge, experience and materials are needed to be able to do that, and who will work on it and when. Also calculate the associated costs and specify the desired result.
Involve employees
A company can and may carry out an RI&E itself. As an employer, you do this yourself or you can appoint someone at the company to take on the role of prevention officer. It is also always good to involve your employees in the RI&E process. They know exactly what goes on on the work floor and what the potential risks are. Moreover, by involving them in the process, they are more likely to see the usefulness of certain safety measures and compliance with these measures will increase. If you do not have the necessary expertise in-house or if you are faced with major occupational risks, you can, of course, also call in an external expert to carry out the RI&E for you.
An up-to-date RI&E
An RI&E does not have an official period of validity. The main rule is that it is and remains up to date. In practice, this means that an RI&E must be reviewed periodically, for example every quarter or at least every year. You also need to update the action plan in the event of, for example, changes to working methods, working conditions or technology used. A practical example: you install a cable winding machine in your warehouse. It goes without saying that Venrooy's machines meet all safety requirements, but the introduction of the new machine will have an impact on work processes and this may involve new risks. You should identify these risks and then take measures to prevent them. For example, put the machine in a safe place and make sure that the employees who work with it have received clear instructions. You then include all new (preventive) measures in the action plan.
