Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Agriculture
Self Assessment
Here are a few tips and strategies for getting the most out of the software, what we mean by some of the terms used and what you can expect from us.
You can also access the information on this page from the Help menu within the application.
Once you have completed the introductory pages (personal details etc), you will be presented with the first question - don't answer it yet. We suggest that you scroll back and forth through the questions in the various topic areas and have a look at some of the benchmarks and notes on the benchmarks before you start answering the questions.
To fully answer the questions in the assessment, it is a good idea to print off a blank copy and walk round your farm making notes about whether you meet the relevant benchmarks. Use these notes to help you complete your electronic version on the computer.
You do not have to answer all the questions in one session - it's not an exam - you can exit at any time and return to the assessment later (your answers are automatically stored).
You may be able to answer some questions immediately (eg those for which you know the answer or which are not applicable), while for others you may need to order the relevant guidance - just tick the guidance box, leave the answer blank and go onto the next question. At the end of the session you will have the option of ordering any guidance you have selected to that point or waiting until all the questions are completed.
Benchmarks are minimum good practice standards which are recognised by HSE as satisfying the law. By meeting the benchmark, you have in effect completed a risk assessment. Some of the benchmarks are very specific covering a very narrow field, while others are much wider and in these cases you will often be referred to the relevant guidance.
You should only answer 'Yes' to meeting a benchmark when it is fully met in all respects. If you do not meet the benchmark, you will be expected to do one of two things:
record the action you are going to take to meet the benchmark and give a date for the completion of that action;
explain why you do not think it is necessary for you to meet the benchmark (or some aspect of the benchmark).
If you choose the latter, your measures must achieve a level of protection equal to or higher than that provided by the benchmark. Remember not all measures provide an equivalent level of safety (eg physically guarding dangerous parts is better than a sign warning of the danger). When selecting measures to deal with significant risks, use the following hierarchy:
The law requires you to reduce risks to as low a level as is reasonably practicable - this will often require you to take a combination of measures.
As you work through your assessment, you will be setting down target dates for actions to meet the benchmarks. You can review these action dates by printing off the 'Action List' or using the print preview option. You will then be able to go back to any questions you wish to edit and amend the action date accordingly
You may come across questions and benchmarks where you are referred to published guidance or where you need some extra information to decide whether you meet the benchmark or an equivalent standard. The details for ordering non-HSE guidance are given in the relevant benchmark - you will have to order these yourself. To order HSE guidance, just put a tick in the check box of the relevant question and benchmark. Before submitting your guidance order to HSE Books, you will have an opportunity to review it.
If you have installed this software from a CD (as opposed to downloading it from the HSE website) then copies of all our agricultural guidance have been installed as a .pdf file (see Guidance - available from the main 'Help' menu).
All questions must have a green ‘completed’ indicator before you are allowed to move onto the next section. Any questions which have a red or yellow indicator or ones which have not yet been fully completed.
It would not be possible to ask questions covering every possible risk or hazard on your farm - we have concentrated the questions within the main body of the assessment on the main issues.
However, after you have completed the HSE questions you will be asked if you would like to add any additional risks. This will allow you to add any risks/hazards that you have identified which have either not been covered by the questions and/or which are unique to your farm.
The additional risks section is optional, so if you do not have any then you can simply move onto the next section.
If you have or are responsible for more than one farm or holding then you can complete an assessment for each one.
Under the File menu is a facility called 'Site Manager'. If you select this then you will be able to add a new site, switch between your sites and rename or delete any of your sites.
Each new site allows you to complete a separate assessment.