Risk assessment example – Poultry farm

HSE has prepared an example risk assessment for a poultry farm which is intended to help small and medium sized producers and growers to complete their own assessments by showing them what an acceptable one could look like.

It can be used as a guide to think through some of the hazards on the farm and identify the steps that need to be taken to control the risks. It shows the kind of approach that companies might take to carry out this exercise. It is not a generic risk assessment that can be adopted wholesale without any further thought by just simply adding a company name and address. That would not satisfy the law - and would not be effective in protecting people. Every business is different and still needs to think through the hazards and controls that are appropriate to its own operations. The control measures adopted may be different from those shown in the example but may be necessary to meet the particular conditions in the workplace.

Risk assessment is about identifying practical measures to protect people from harm and injury at work - it should not be seen as just another bureaucratic exercise. It has a real benefit if done properly.

• Poultry farm risk assessment