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Example risk assessment for a motor vehicle mechanical repair workshop

Important reminder

This example risk assessment shows the kind of approach a small business might take. It can be used as a guide to think through some of the hazards in your business and the steps you need to take to control the risks. Please note that it is not a generic risk assessment that you can just put your company name on and adopt wholesale without any thought. This would not satisfy the law - and would not be effective in protecting people.

Every business is different - you need to think through the hazards and controls required in your business for yourself.

Setting the scene

The garage manager carried out the risk assessment. The business employed 12 mechanics including two apprentices who carried out mechanical repairs.

How was the risk assessment done?

The garage manager followed the guidance in “Five Steps to Risk Assessment”.

  1. To identify the hazards, the garage manager:
    • read HSE’s Motor Vehicle Repair web pages, the Health and safety in motor vehicle repair booklet and the Essentials of health and safety at work publication to learn where hazards can occur;
    • checked the manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment;
    • walked around the garage and took a note of things that they thought might pose a risk taking into consideration what they learnt from HSE’s guidance;
    • talked to staff to find out what work methods were in use, what training they had been given, and any particular requirements that the two young apprentices may have;
    • went over the arrangements for waste disposal with the licensed disposal contractor on the telephone;
    • listened to the employees' own concerns about health and safety; and
    • looked in the accident book.
  2. The manager then wrote down who could be harmed by the hazards and how.
  3. For each hazard identified, the manager recorded what controls, if any, were in place to manage these. He then compared these controls to the good practice guidance laid out in Motor Vehicle Repair web pages, the Health and safety in motor vehicle repair booklet, Essentials of health and safety at work publication and the manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets. Where existing controls did not meet good practice, the manager wrote down what further actions were needed to manage the risk.
  4. Putting the findings of the risk assessment into practice, the manager decided and recorded who was responsible for implementing the further actions and when they should be done. When each action was completed it was ticked off and the date recorded.
  5. The findings of the risk assessment were discussed by the supervisors and their teams of mechanics. The manager decided that a review and update of the risk assessment would be made annually, or sooner if things changed.