# 14.2 Risk Assessment
**Version:** V2
**Last Updated:** October 2025
**Category:** Health and Safety
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## Purpose
To establish a systematic approach for identifying, assessing, and controlling workplace hazards at Little Coffee Bean Co locations, ensuring the health and safety of all staff, customers, and visitors.
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## Scope
This procedure applies to all Little Coffee Bean Co locations, including fixed shops and mobile Tuk Tuk units, and covers all work activities, equipment, and premises.
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## Legal Requirements
This SOP complies with:
– Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
– Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
– Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
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## Risk Assessment Process
### 1. Identify Hazards
Systematically identify all potential hazards in the workplace:
**Common Hazards in Coffee Shop Operations:**
– Hot liquids and steam from coffee machines
– Hot surfaces (panini grills, pizza ovens, coffee machine)
– Slips, trips, and falls (wet floors, cables, stock)
– Manual handling (lifting stock, moving equipment)
– Electrical equipment
– Sharp objects (knives, can openers)
– Burns from hot equipment
– Repetitive strain injuries
– Working alone (mobile units)
– Customer aggression or violence
– Fire risks
– Gas equipment (mobile units only)
### 2. Identify Who Might Be Harmed
Consider all persons who may be affected:
– Staff members (baristas, managers)
– Customers
– Delivery drivers
– Contractors and maintenance personnel
– Members of the public
– Vulnerable groups (young workers, pregnant staff, disabled persons)
### 3. Evaluate the Risks
For each identified hazard, assess:
**Likelihood:**
– Rare (1) – Unlikely to occur
– Unlikely (2) – Could occur occasionally
– Possible (3) – Might occur sometimes
– Likely (4) – Will probably occur
– Almost Certain (5) – Expected to occur frequently
**Severity:**
– Negligible (1) – Minor injury, no time off
– Minor (2) – First aid treatment, up to 3 days off
– Moderate (3) – Medical treatment, 3-7 days off
– Major (4) – Serious injury, over 7 days off, reportable
– Catastrophic (5) – Fatality or permanent disability
**Risk Rating = Likelihood × Severity**
**Risk Matrix:**
– 1-4: Low Risk (Green) – Acceptable with existing controls
– 5-9: Medium Risk (Yellow) – Additional controls recommended
– 10-15: High Risk (Orange) – Additional controls required
– 16-25: Very High Risk (Red) – Immediate action required
### 4. Record Control Measures
For each identified risk, document:
**Existing Controls:**
– What measures are already in place?
– Are they adequate and effective?
– Are they being properly implemented?
**Additional Controls Required:**
Apply the hierarchy of control:
1. **Elimination** – Remove the hazard completely
2. **Substitution** – Replace with something safer
3. **Engineering Controls** – Isolate people from the hazard
4. **Administrative Controls** – Change the way people work
5. **PPE** – Personal protective equipment (last resort)
### 5. Implement Control Measures
– Assign responsibility for implementing each control measure
– Set realistic deadlines for completion
– Allocate necessary resources
– Communicate changes to all affected staff
– Provide training where required
### 6. Review and Monitor
– Review risk assessments annually as a minimum
– Review immediately after any incident or near miss
– Review when work activities change
– Review when new equipment or processes are introduced
– Review when new staff join or roles change
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## Risk Assessment Documentation
### Required Information
Each risk assessment must include:
– Location/site name
– Date of assessment
– Assessor name and signature
– Activity or area being assessed
– Identified hazards
– Persons at risk
– Existing control measures
– Risk rating (before and after controls)
– Additional controls required
– Action plan with responsibilities and deadlines
– Review date
– Manager approval and signature
### Storage and Access
– Risk assessments must be stored in the site SOP folder
– Digital copies uploaded to Connect app
– Accessible to all staff members
– Displayed in staff areas where relevant
– Provided during staff induction
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## Specific Risk Assessments Required
All Little Coffee Bean Co locations must have risk assessments for:
1. **General Workplace Risk Assessment**
2. **Fire Risk Assessment** (Section 14.3)
3. **COVID-19 Risk Assessment** (Section 14.4)
4. **Manual Handling Risk Assessment**
5. **Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessment**
6. **Working Alone Risk Assessment** (mobile units)
7. **COSHH Assessment** (cleaning chemicals)
8. **New and Expectant Mothers Risk Assessment** (when applicable)
9. **Young Workers Risk Assessment** (under 18s)
10. **Violence and Aggression Risk Assessment**
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## Staff Responsibilities
### All Staff Must:
– Follow all risk assessment control measures
– Report any new hazards immediately
– Report any incidents, accidents, or near misses
– Participate in risk assessment reviews
– Complete required training
– Use provided safety equipment correctly
### Managers Must:
– Conduct risk assessments for their location
– Ensure control measures are implemented
– Monitor effectiveness of controls
– Review assessments regularly
– Investigate incidents and update assessments
– Ensure staff are trained and competent
– Maintain risk assessment records
### Company Director Must:
– Ensure risk assessment policy is implemented
– Allocate resources for risk control measures
– Review serious risks and incidents
– Ensure legal compliance
– Approve significant changes to risk assessments
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## Incident Reporting
All incidents, accidents, and near misses must be:
– Reported immediately to the duty manager
– Documented on the Incident Report Form (Connect app)
– Investigated to identify root causes
– Used to review and update risk assessments
– Reported to HSE if RIDDOR criteria met (Section 14.8)
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## Training Requirements
All staff must receive training on:
– Risk assessment principles
– Hazard identification
– Control measures for their role
– Incident reporting procedures
– Emergency procedures
Training must be:
– Provided during induction
– Refreshed annually
– Documented with signatures
– Updated when risks change
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## Quality Checks
– Risk assessments are completed for all activities
– Control measures are implemented and effective
– Staff are aware of risks and controls
– Documentation is complete and accessible
– Reviews are conducted on schedule
– Incidents are investigated and assessments updated
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## References
– Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
– Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
– HSE Guide: Five Steps to Risk Assessment (INDG163)
– Section 1.3 Troubleshooting Escalation Protocol
– Section 14.3 Fire Risk Assessment
– Section 14.4 COVID Risk Assessment
– Section 14.8 RIDDOR Guide
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**Document Control:** Health and Safety | Section 14.2
**Compliance:** UK Health and Safety Legislation
**Review Date:** October 2026