C8.1 Environmental Risk Assessment
A Risk Assessment is a method of examining an activity to identify the hazards present and to determine the likelihood and severity of that hazard causing harm.
In environmental terms, it is a hazard to the environment and the harm that it may cause to the environment.
Not all organisations are keen to employ risk assessment techniques. Many studies have been conducted to research this. One common reason offered is cost. Many organisations are also reluctant to embrace Risk Management because of a resistance to change and a fear that the process will result in excessive paperwork.
Other organisations are hesitant because they do not consider control and minimisation of the risks to be required or are not important! However, the more frequent issues considered to be a disadvantage to the process and are therefore a barrier are that risk assessments are too time-consuming, that non-one in the organisation has sufficient experience of risk assessments and that there is not enough information (and/or guidance) available and therefore they are unsure of how to complete a risk assessment.