Expert guidance on risk management
These pages set out the approach that Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors use to evaluate risks. It is not something we would expect the average dutyholder to look at.
Our guidance on Managing risks and risk assessment at work will help businesses control risks and protect their workers.
We are publishing the pages in the interests of openness and because we know it is useful to some health and safety professionals and academics.
ALARP suite of guidance
This is guidance to HSE's own staff about what they should expect to see in dutyholders' demonstrations that the risk has been reduced 'as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)'; in those situations where the work activity is unusual (ie good practice is not yet established) or where there is a risk of a disaster (eg petrochemical and nuclear installations).
- Principles and guidelines to assist HSE in its judgements that duty-holders have reduced risk as low as reasonably practicable
- Assessing compliance with the law in individual cases and the use of good practice
- Policy and guidance on reducing risks as low as reasonably practicable in design
- HSE principles for Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) in support of ALARP decisions
- Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) Checklist
- ALARP "at a glance"
Reducing risks, protecting people (R2P2)
R2P2 describes HSE's decision-making process. It makes transparent the protocols and procedures we follow to ensure that the process of decision-making, including risk assessment and risk management, is perceived as valid. An electronic version of R2P2 has recently been updated to include a detailed index.
Remember this is a guide to our decisions-making process, not a guide to making a risk assessment.