RISK – It’s Something We All Live With

In the current uncertain times of Covid-19, we are all learning to live with the risk of being infected with the virus. We’ve learned to take suitable precautions, such as getting vaccinated, wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, regularly washing hands, etc., to mitigate the risk and therefore to continue to live something approaching a normal life.

International Standards for management systems refer to ‘risk-based thinking’ as being essential for achieving effective systems. To conform to any Standards’ requirements, an organisation needs to plan and implement actions to address any and all identified risks.

The point here is that we, as a species, are used to taking risks in our daily lives and we consciously, or even subconsciously, take account of the risks and take steps to mitigate them. There are numerous examples that come to mind:

• wearing a crash helmet and suitable clothing when riding a motorcycle;
• taking anti-malarial drugs before visiting countries with high malarial risks;
• getting an annual flu ‘jab’ (especially for the elderly);
• wearing a lifejacket when sailing… even down to taking an umbrella with us if we’re out walking and rain is forecast.

 

Risk Management

The difference is that for an organisation seeking certification under one of the many International Standards it is necessary to formalise the process of risk management; to document the risks associated with the management system being designed; to assess those risks and quantify them and then to apply controls to mitigate the risks. Finally, to re-assess the controlled risks to ensure they have been brought within a boundary of acceptability for the organisation.

If that sounds complicated, don’t worry. It’s what we, at PerformancePlus, specialise in. Assisting organisations to identify and assess the risks, apply the appropriate controls and document the whole process in a manner that will pass an external audit. And we have a 100% success rate in achieving ISO certifications for our clients.

Follow our latest news to see more of our penguin videos as we publish them. In fact, we’re using Percy the PerformancePlus Rockhopper Penguin as our mascot to help us stand out. You can meet Percy at the Norfolk Chamber B2B Exhibition on 14 October 2021 at the Norfolk Showground. Percy has been created for us by Little Green Crafts (www.littlegreencrafts.co.uk) and will be a giveaway at the show.

If you want to know more, then contact us for a friendly, no obligation, and completely free chat on 01284 330400 or email us at info@performanceplus.co.uk.

www.performanceplus.co.uk
info@performanceplus.co.uk
tel: 01284 330400

PerformancePlus works with small to medium size businesses across the East Anglia Region in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge.