How do risk assessments promote health and safety

Workplace Stress. Risk Assessment By law, employers and those who control workplaces to any extent, must identify hazards in the workplaces under their control and assess the risk presented by the hazards.

Assess the risks. Put control measures in place. What are Hazards, Risks and Controls? Submission completed, thank you! Enter your email address in the box below to receive an email each time we post a new issue of our newsletter:.

First Name:. You should use a few different methods for identifying the hazards. While observation is an important piece of this process, also talk to other people about their safety concerns. Combining experience and knowledge with observation skills can be effective in identifying and removing these potential risks. Historical workplace information can shed light on common, repetitive risk issues. Documentation needs to be kept about accidents and incidents, and this information can provide valuable insights to identify weak points in the system.

While the reports can be helpful, it is also beneficial to talk to the people involved in the incident. In addition to studying the recorded incidents, look at near-miss records to find potential ways to prevent near-misses from turning into accidents. Accidents and incidents should not happen in general, which is why every report should have a goal of preventing these incidents from happening again in the future.

If it is found that this is not happening, then it would be a relevant aspect that needs to be included in the risk assessment. A study done by ConocoPhillips Marine found that for every fatality in the workplace, at least , at-risk behaviors occurred. These behaviors encompass all activities that fall outside of safety program guidelines, such as eliminating a safety step to speed up completion or bypassing safety components built into a machine.

An effective risk assessment should address these at-risk behaviors since they set the foundation for more serious hazards and injuries. Implementing controls that reduce at-risk behaviors, in turn, reduces the frequency of severe injury or life-threatening circumstances.

When looking at accident and incident reports , are you designing and implementing corrective actions? Not only do these corrective actions need to be an integral part of the report, but you also need a system to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions — so changes can be implemented if needed. The goal is to not only identify potential problems but also get to the root cause so effective corrective action can be taken.

When your workforce primarily engages in intellectual or virtual activities, it means there is a lower risk of physical harm. But the risk of legal liability is still present, so you should adjust the focus of a risk assessment to match.

For example, engineering design involves a lot of work on the computer. In comparison, a tradesman installation could result in the crew facing hazardous risks on site, so the safety risk assessment is focused on direct exposure that might harm people or property. Some companies offer both of these types of services, which means that different risk assessments need to be used for various in-house departments. Labor-intensive work leans heavily on the activities of employees, which inherently increases the risk of potential injury.

On the other hand, equipment driven processes automation minimize the interaction of employees with the equipment. While industrial production has transformed in recent years to shift production from human workers to machines, the assumption is that increased automation is beneficial for both safety and productivity. This report communicated a clear message: risk is always present with automation. How much complexity is required to complete ongoing work tasks?

This inherent complexity can increase potential risk. Uncertainty is a challenge and a reality in complex projects, and this uncertainty often brings risk. Not only do you need to look at daily activities, but also consider how all component parts are affected. Complexity arises in the many factors that could impact a successful outcome: everything from market timing, technical feasibility, employee performance, management communication, and more.

Keep in mind that communication issues could add to the risk level of a complex project, which is why communication needs to be part of the assessment. When complex situations are present, the most effective way to implement a safety risk assessment program is to have a team of personnel who are familiar and knowledgeable about the industry.

Equipment malfunctions or breakdowns interrupts productivity and can result in potential danger to the safety of workers. Risk assessment is important for all equipment, but more essential in a workplace using older equipment. This assessment needs to evaluate reliability concerns, as well as ongoing practices for maintenance and repair. We discuss risk assessments in more detail below. The general steps to take are:. However, if you work in retail, hospitality or catering, just some of the many risk assessments you may need in place include:.

A number of recent incidents have highlighted the dangers of disregarding the importance of hazard-spotting and risk assessments. Just last month a distillery worker was left with serious burns after a company failed to manage flammable liquids. As well as severe burns, the fire also destroyed the warehouse, nearby houses and vehicles before it could be controlled by the Fire Service. Had a risk assessment been conducted in line with Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations DSEAR to ensure that everything was in working order, and the chosen procedure evaluated, the injury and damage caused could have been so easily avoided.

A school in Brentwood also pleaded guilty earlier this year after failing to comply with health and safety regulations, following the fall of a worker.

The year-old was on the roof and got his foot caught, causing him to fall approximately 2. He was taken to hospital with injuries, including a broken collarbone and chipped vertebrae. Following the accident, the HSE discovered that there were no arrangements in place for this work and it was not carried out in a safe manner.

For example in the UK it is written in law and sits within the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations The law states that a risk assessment must be 'suitable and sufficient' and it should show that a detailed and through check of the process or task has been carried out and documented. As noted by the Health and Safety Executive HSE the minimum you must do is: identify what could cause injury or illness in your business hazards decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously the risk take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn't possible, control the risk Assessing risk via formal risk assessments is just one part of the overall process used to control risks in your workplace.

So, why are risk assessments important in the workplace? Here are some of the reasons why companies, along with contractors, need to assess the various hazards and risks in order to put effective control measures in place via risk assessments: Protect people from potential harm and ill-health Help reduce and eliminate hazards to create a much safer working environment for all.

Identify and analyze the level of risk and likelihood of incidents occurring Determine effective control measures that can be implemented and monitored.

Tip - Check out our posts on the 2 types of risk assessment and the 5 steps to completing a risk assessment at work for beginners Risk assessment findings should also be communicated across all levels of the company. Using work equipment or machinery Exposure to hazardous chemicals Fire hazards such as waste storage Wet floors from cleaning Lack of staff adequate health and safety training in how to lift or carry objects Conclusion An effective risk assessment can drastically reduce the likelihood of work-related accidents.

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