MoD Health & Safety Handbook 

JSP 375 Vol 2 

56.2 

How much are people exposed to and for how long? 

How often is it done? How long does 

it take? What is the quantity?

 Look carefully at the figures and decide whether it is a lot or whether 

the quantity is too small to represent a problem. However always remember that highly toxic 

materials can cause adverse effects, even death, in small quantities. 

56.3 

Are any of the routes of entry a significant risk? This can only be evaluated by critically 

examining the work that is carried out and trying to see where the potential problems exist. In other 

words could the substance enter the body by inhalation, absorption through the skin, ingestion, eye 

contact etc.? 

56.4 

Are there any special factors that you need to take into account? E.g. is the substance 

more toxic to men than women or vice versa? Do personnel have other medical conditions that 

may make them more susceptible to the effects of the substances? Etc. and 

56.5 

It is particularly important to realise your own limitations when carrying out the risk 

assessment particularly where a need for atmospheric monitoring or medical surveillance is 

implied. These instances will be beyond your capability to assess correctly and specialist input will 

be required at an early stage. 

57  If you are confident that the 

process would present significant risks to health if no controls were in 

place?

    i.e. 

Yes,

 then go on to question (d).  If you are confident that the potential risks are not 

significant, go to question (c). 

58  If you suspect that atmospheric monitoring or health surveillance may be required, or you don t 

know or are unsure, your conclusion will be 

Conclusion 4

. 

(c) 

Could the risks to health become significant? 

59  To arrive at this question you must have decided that the risks to health are not significant because 

either: 

59.1 

The material itself is inherently safe and no special precautions are warranted; 

59.2 

The quantities and / or rates of use are simply too small to constitute a risk; 

59.3 

The form of the material is such that none of it can get into the body by any route; or 

59.4 

Combinations of the above. 

60  In these circumstances the only additional question is  what could go wrong?  If the answer is  it 

doesn t matter what goes wrong there is still no risk  then the answer to  

Could the risks to health 

become significant?

  is  

No

  and you have reached 

Conclusion 1

. 

61  If, however, a plant failure; adverse weather; a leak; a spill; an uncontrolled release or other chance 

event could increase the risk to health then you must choose 

CONCLUSION 3

. 

(d) 

Are the control measures adequate? 

62  Look at your information about controls. This will show whether the control measures 

recommended by the supplier and any other sources of guidance match what is in use. If the controls 

match exactly or the standard of actual controls in the workplace exceeds that specified by the required 

controls, i.e. there are no entries in the 

DEFICIENCY

 column, then it is reasonable to assume that the 

control measures are adequate. So you reach 

Conclusion 3

. 

63 Selecting 

CONCLUSION 3

 will not be the end of the matter however. As you will see later, if a 

significant health risk is contained by adequate control measures then the possibility of breakdown is 

always present and plans need to be made to regain control should a breakdown occur. 

Leaflet 5 Annex F 

April 2003 

 Page 

9