Building Risk Management involves identifying hazards within a property, analyzing their potential impact on the organisation and responding in such a way as to eliminate or control the risks to an acceptable level. The process is proactive and a responsible approach to managing safety and welfare within the workplace.
When commissioning Building risk managementsolutions it is important to select a consultant with the appropriate competence, skills and experience as well as one who takes the time to understand the business aims, objectives, budgets and attitude to risk. Independence is also an essential criterion to ensure that the resulting recommendations are free from bias or commercial influence.
Risk assessment is usually the starting point and these should not be generic but rather specialize towards individual aspects of property management for example (by no means an exhaustive list):
- Water hygiene and legionnaires disease prevention, private water supply and private distribution network monitoring
- Fire risk management and arrangements for detection, warning, fire fighting and evacuation
- Air quality maintenance and provisions for servicing, cleaning and LEV testing
- DDE access audits
- General health and welfare provisions
The assessments should identify potential areas of risk and the recommended course of action. The response generally falls into one of the following categories:
- Avoidance: eliminating a specific threat, usually by eliminating the cause.
- Mitigation: controlling or reducing the impact of a risk event by reducing the probability of occurrence.
- Acceptance: accepting the consequences of the risk and developing a contingency plan to execute should the risk event occur.
It is important to appreciate that while a risk assessment is useful to identify the main hazards this provides just a snap shot in time and should be supported by ongoing Building Risk Management Services including regular testing, monitoring and maintenance.