‘The Risk Inventory & Evaluation (RI&E) is often a paper tiger.’ Anyone who works in safety, health, or environment will surely recognize this. Once a neatly prepared document, but slowly becoming outdated. Not because you don't think it’s important, but because the hustle and bustle of daily life simply takes over. Organizations change, work processes change, and before you know it, the RI&E has been overtaken by reality.
That is exactly what I noticed in practice. There was no clear overview of the number of RI&Es, action plans without a clear owner, and above all, a document that no longer keeps pace with daily reality. As a result, the risk inventory often remained a static document that did not sufficiently adapt to changes within the organization. Based on that observation, we at Lexerta developed the Dynamic RI&E.
‘By bringing your RI&E to life, you create overview, ownership, and above all, control.’
Melle Velema
From static to dynamic
What is the difference?
The basis of the RI&E naturally remains the same: identifying risks and doing something about them. But where it often goes wrong is in the application. Legislation, article 5 of the Working Conditions Act, states it clearly: your RI&E must be current and reliable. The reality? Too often, the RI&E ends up in a drawer somewhere while the organization continues to grow and change.
With the Dynamic RI&E, we have developed a way to ensure that risk assessments continuously keep pace. Every change, whether it concerns a new machine, a different substance, or changed legislation, is immediately included via a Management of Change (MOC). This way, the RI&E always remains up-to-date and relevant.
Eight gears for movement
A dynamic process requires structure. That’s why we work with eight gears. These are the components that together ensure the system keeps running. Think of ownership, clear documentation, and involved stakeholders. If one gear falters, this impacts the entire dynamic system surrounding the RI&E. In addition, we work with the RI&E pyramid. This makes it clear for organizations which RI&Es you have, which are still missing, and where you are therefore exposed to risks.
During the Dynamic RI&E masterclass, it was precisely this pyramid that participants identified as the big eye-opener. It shows at a glance where blind spots are and where, as an organization, you still need to take steps.
Getting Started Together
At Lexerta we guide organizations step by step with a Dynamic RI&E workshop. We map out the current situation, introduce the RI&E pyramid, and take participants through the system of the eight gears and the MOC process. The goal? To gain insight, meet the obligations, and ensure that improvements are sustained.
Many organizations have subsequently started working independently. I see it time and again; once you know where your bottlenecks are, you can take immediate steps. Sometimes it’s a matter of one gear not turning, sometimes more is needed. But with the right approach, things soon start to move.
A Look at the Future
What have I learned myself? The RI&E is not a standalone document, but a (central) part of a bigger whole. By setting up the process properly, you ensure that the RI&E remains up-to-date and workable. And with the rise of artificial intelligence, I see that this dynamic will only increase in the future. Think of automatic analyses, connections between systems, and smarter impact analyses.
Also read:
- 5 handy tips for your RI&E
- How we helped Berries Pride with the implementation of the RI&E
- Implementation of RI&E?
What are you waiting for?
Are you unsure whether the Dynamic RI&E is suitable for your organization?
I invite you to simply explore it. The workshop gives you immediate insight and practical tools to get started. Others have gone before you and they have also revived their RI&E. Safety, health, and the environment deserve an approach that adapts. That’s what I believe in.
