Australia Model Code of Practice Managing the Risks of Biological Hazards at Work 5: Assess the risks from identified hazards to find which workers are at risk, what causes it and when, what controls are needed and whether existing controls work, as an ongoing process updated as conditions, activities, worker numbers and hazards change, documented and kept current

What does 5 require?

With every reasonably foreseeable hazard identified, the PCBU assesses the risks each one creates. The WHS laws do not make a risk assessment compulsory for biological hazards, but it is generally the best way to gauge the level of risk and to decide which measures will remove or reduce it. Assessment shows which workers could be exposed, what drives the risk and when it arises, whether controls are needed and of what kind, and whether the controls already in place are doing their job. It is never finished: as conditions, activities, headcount and the hazards themselves change, the approach changes with them. Although not required, the assessment should be written down and kept current.