Step 5 - Safety Toolkit for Tourism Businesses

Every employer is legally required to manage safety and health at work so as to prevent accidents and ill-health. A safety statement is a document which sets out:

• the hazards that are linked to the work you do or the service you provide
• what is the risk attached to the hazard
• what you do to minimise or eliminate the risk of injury or ill health

A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what could cause harm to your workers and visitors. The aim is to weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or you could do more to prevent harm.

Its components can be broken down into five simple steps:

1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4. Record your findings and implement them
5. Review your risk assessment and update if necessary.

If you team up with other service providers make sure you are satisfied that they have taken adequate safety precautions.

• Do they have a Safety Statement? Ask for one.
• Do they have public liability insurance? Request to see it.
• Are their staff competent?
• Is their equipment in good condition? 

Remember if you provide the services of someone else as part of a package, your guest could seek compensation from you if something goes wrong.