I've been asked by a friend to give advice to a company that employs 11.

From what I understand - there are 5 separate teams of 2 operating independently of each other - with each team being a different skill-set / expertise. The 5 teams are mechanical fitters, electrical engineers, plumbers, fitters and instrumentation. The 11th person is the company director / salesman.

The teams never / very rarely work on the same projects so one's teams RAMS will not affect any of the others

The company has a generic safety policy for its activities, accident investigation, PPE, training etc - but the director want to know whether each team of two men need to document their risk assessments? Although they work involves some high risk, none of the 11 see any benefit of documenting how they do things - they are all competent individuals.

Thoughts please - what are the benefits? (if any!!)

Regards the need to document your risk assessments...If its not written down you haven't done it....A solicitor told me that once.

In my view you would be creating a potential liability for your business should you not document your risk assessments. Especially as some of your work involves high risk.

Education and training of new team members joining from outside the business.

Education and training of current employees temporarily or permanently switching teams due to increased business workload or covering for absent colleagues.

Participation in the broader H&S culture within the business.

Those light bulb moments when actually writing it down starts the wider thought processes e.g. maintaining equipment according to manufacturer instruction minimises risk from HAV's.

The ability to include "lessons learned" from near misses and other reporting mechanisms.

A prompt to consider changes in legislation, new industry guidance and best practice during periodic review

Do not the aforementioned "RAMS" form the bulk and basis of Risk Assessments?
Would one assessment cover document not suffice to capture legal requirements?

Not a huge amount of work, and sufficient hopefully to satisfy commercial body and client's own PQQ processes?

Maybe keeping your friends company compliant with the law of the land i.e management regs is surely enough to have them document the R.A.
Just because they are competent to drive a car doesnt mean they can drive with no insurance or MOT. Its not even open for discussion, thou SHALL

Sorry, I misread as 2 teams of 5 when it's 5 teams of 2. It makes no difference though - the threshold is for the organisation not the team.

BENEFITS:- MORAL. LEGAL. FINANCIAL.

Well said Ray.

I would expect the teams to have some kind of recorded instructions, rules, procedures, about their person.

These will have emerged from the management risk analysis process, (including consultation with those doing the work.).

The company management will need to have records showing that they have dealt with significant safety problems, and the evidence of what 'dealt with' means. They are also well-advised to have a checking regime to ensure that what was arranged, continues, and remains adequate.
I could go on, but whatever, it needs to be simple, effective and easy to keep going or amend.

Deliberately written in 'normal speak' I hope.