Example risk assessment for a motor vehicle repair body shop

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 business employs two sprayers and two others who assist with body preparation, panel beating etc, one of whom is an apprentice. The premises are on an industrial estate and include an external parking area for four cars; a small reception area and the shopfloor. This consists of the vehicle preparation area, which can accommodate three vehicles; a dedicated mixing area for paints; and a single downdraught spray booth with ‘pit’ extraction. The company have recently invested in a new UV-cured Small to Medium Area Repair Technique (SMART) system. The spray booth, local exhaust ventilation and compressor are examined and maintained by the company’s insurers. Above the reception there is a mezzanine floor used for storage, which has double handrails and a permanent wooden staircase for access.

A corner of the preparation area has been partitioned off to create a mess room where there is a sink, kettle and microwave. Lockers are provided for storing work clothes and equipment. At the entrance there are toilet facilities with a hand basin; water heater; soap dispenser; and paper towels.

The company use an occupational health provider, who visits once a year.

How was the risk assessment done?

The garage manager followed the guidance in Five steps to risk assessment.

To identify the hazards, the garage manager:
- read HSE’s motor vehicle repair web pages – particularly the ten myths related to isocyanate paint spraying, and the free leaflet An introduction to health and safety INDG259[733KB] to make sure he hadn’t missed any hazards;
- checked the manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment and downloaded the COSHH essential sheets relating to bodyshops;
- walked around the body shop, noting things that he thought might pose a risk and taking the information in HSE’s guidance into consideration;
- talked to staff to listen to their concerns about health and safety and how risks can best be controlled, to confirm what training they had been given, and to consider any particular requirements that the young apprentice may have; and
- looked in the accident book, to understand what problems have occurred in the past.
The manager then wrote down who could be harmed by the hazards and how.
For each hazard identified, the manager recorded what controls, if any, were in place to manage these. He then compared these controls to the HSE guidance. Where existing controls did not meet good practice, the manager wrote down what further actions were needed to manage the risk.
The manager put the findings of the risk assessment into practice. He then 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. He made the risk assessment part of the induction process for new staff.
The findings of the risk assessment were discussed with the sprayers and other staff. The manager decided that a review and update of the risk assessment would be made annually or sooner if things changed.