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Risk Assessment

What is a risk?

Risk may be considered as the potential for


adverse effects resulting from an activity or
event

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Acceptable level of risk
This is generally determined by what is
prepared to be lost balanced against possible
gains

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Individual Perceptions
• Risk is a very individual concept.
• It is different for every one.

• Consider the activity of driving.


• How would you rate driving (on a scale of 1 to 5)
• For a Grand Prix Driver?
• For a Taxi Driver?
• For my 88 year old grandmother?

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Risk

Risk is often viewed very differently from individual to


individual.

Another thing to consider is that the perceptions of people


change as familiarity increases with the hazard.

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The Risk Management Process
the total procedure associated with

identifying a hazard,

assessing the risk,

putting in place control measures,

and reviewingA Nthe


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outcomes.
Accident Theory
SINGLE FACTOR THEORIES
This theory stems from the assumption that an
accident is the result of a single cause. Further,
if that single cause can be identified and eliminated
the accident will not be repeated.

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Accident Theory
SINGLE FACTOR THEORIES
Example: A person in a hurry walks through a poorly lit
area and trips over a piece of wood.

Single Factor Theory Solution: Remove the offending


piece of wood to solve the problem.

The reality is that accidents always have


more than one contributing factor.
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MULTIPLE FACTOR
THEORY
says that an accident occurs when a
number of factors act together to cause an
accident

This and similar ideas are favored by


most experienced safety and health
practitioners.

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MULTIPLE FACTOR
THEORY
Example: A person in a hurry walks through a poorly
lit area and trips over a piece of wood.

require answers to such questions as:


 Was there a necessity for that person to walk in that area or
 was there a safer route?
 If the person was not in a hurry would they have been more
aware and avoided the wood?
 If the area was better lit would the person have avoided the
wood.
 Could the wood have been removed?
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DOMINO EFFECT
Social Environment:
Those conditions which make us take or accept risks.

Unsafe Acts or Conditions:


Poor planning, unsafe equipment, hazardous environment.

The Accident:
The accident occurs when the above events conspire to
cause something to go wrong.

The Injury: Injury occurs when the person sustains


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DOMINO EFFECT
Often accidents occur without injury and they are referred
to as near misses. All too often, these near misses are
ignored until, figuratively speaking, the last domino is
knocked over and the injury occurs.

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DOMINO EFFECT
May be too limited to consistently reflect reality.

A more accurate picture of reality may be gained


by combining the elements of the Multiple Factor
Theory and the Domino Effect.

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Hazard Identification
Hazard:

Anything which may cause harm, injury, or ill


health.

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Hazard Identification
Hazard identification is the first step in the risk
management process.

Only people with a thorough knowledge of the area,


process or machine under review should carry out a hazard
identification survey.

The task of identifying hazards should be broken up into


clear and manageable sections, in a manner which suits the
organization, the task itself, and the people doing the work.
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Hazard Identification
PREVIOUS ACCIDENT
REPORTS

 Location
 Machine
 Person
 Age of Person
 Time of Day
 Day of Week
 Part of Body
 Severity of Injury
 Occupation
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Hazard Identification

PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE WORKPLACE

A physical examination of the workplace requires an


inquiring mind, lateral thinking, and the ability to be open
minded.

It is of little use to look at a particular area and,


in a casual manner, declare it to be hazard free.

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Hazard Identification

BRAINSTORMING

This is a process of conducting group meetings with people


who are familiar with the operation of the area under
review, recording all ideas and thoughts relating to possible
hazards and then sorting the results into some sort of
priority order.

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Hazard Identification

KNOWLEDGE OF
EMPLOYEES

Employees should be encouraged to report any


hazards they are aware of.

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Hazard Identification
CONTACTS

A counter-part in another subsidiary of the


company or even a contact in a competitive
company could be a good source of information as
they probably share similar safety problems.

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Hazard Identification
Industry Associations

Safety and health is often brought up at industry


association meetings or during informal discussions
before or after meetings.

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Hazard Identification

ASK, "WHAT IF . . . ?”

Its important to try to anticipate how human behaviour,


equipment, and system failures could combine to create a
hazardous situation.

Constantly ask yourself "What if?...."

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Risk Assessment
Risk:
The possibility of an unwanted event occurring

Likelihood:
The chance of an event actually occurring.

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Likelihood

 Very Likely -- Could happen frequently

 Likely -- Could happen occasionally

 Unlikely -- Could happen, but only rarely

 Highly Unlikely -- Could happen but probably


never will

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Likelihood

The location of a hazard can affect the likelihood of the


accident happening.

For example, an exposed V belt drive located adjacent to a


walkway where persons could easily come into contact
with the nip points would have a higher likelihood rating
than if the same drive arrangement were located in a
position from which persons were excluded.

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Exposure
When evaluating the likelihood of an accident,
a factor that will modify the likelihood category, is
exposure.

 Very Rare -- Once per year or less


 Rare -- A few times per year
 Unusual -- Once per month
 Occasional -- Once per week
 Frequent -- Daily
 Continuous -- Constant

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CONSEQUENCES
FATAL — Death

MAJOR INJURIES — Normally irreversible injury or damage to


health requiring extended time off work to effect best recovery.

MINOR INJURIES — Typically a reversible injury or damage to


health needing several days away from work to recover. Recovery
would be full and permanent.

NEGLIGIBLE INJURIES — Would require first aid and may need


the remainder of the work period or shift off before being able to return
to work.

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
Control: the measures we take to eliminate
or reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

Hierarchy of Control: The order in which controls


should be considered when selecting methods of
controlling a risk.

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
 Elimination
 Substitution
 Isolation
 Engineering Controls
 Administrative Controls
 Provide Personal Protective Equipment .

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
ELIMINATION

The Best method of dealing with a hazard is to


eliminate it. Once the hazard has been eliminated
the potential for harm has gone.

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
SUBSTITUTION

This involves substituting a dangerous process


or substance with one that is not as dangerous.
This may not be as satisfactory as elimination as there
may still be a risk (even if it is reduced).

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
Isolation

Separate or isolate the hazard from people. This method


has its problems in that the hazard has not been
removed. The guard or separation device is always at
risk of being removed or circumvented.

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
ADMINISTRATION

Administrative solutions usually involve modification


of the likelihood of an accident happening. This can be
done by reducing the number of people exposed to the
danger reducing the amount of time exposed and
providing training to those people who are exposed to
the hazard.

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HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
Provision of personal protective equipment should only
be considered when all other control methods are
impractical, or to increase control when used with
another method higher up in the Hierarchy of Control.

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MONITORING AND REVIEW
KEY POINT
A review follow-up is always essential.

Review is an important aspect of any risk


management process.

It is essential to review what has been done to


ensure that the controls put in place are effective

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CONCLUSION
Hazard identification, risk assessment, control and review
is not a task that is completed and then forgotten about.
Hazard identification should be properly documented even
in the simplest of situations

Risk assessment should include a careful assessment


of both likelihood and consequence. Control measures
should conform to the recommendations of the hierarchy of
control.

The risk management process is an on going one.


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HAZARD

Look only for hazards, which you could reasonably expect to result in significant
harm under the conditions in your workplace. Use the following example as a
guide: -

 Slipping/tripping hazards (e.g. poorly maintained floors or stairs)


 Fire (e.g. from flammable materials)
 Chemicals (e.g. Battery acid)
 Moving parts of machinery (e.g. blades)
 Work at height (e.g. from mezzanine floors)
 Ejection of material (e.g. during forging)
 Pressure systems (e.g. compressed air)
 Vehicles (e.g. fork-lift trucks)
 Electricity (e.g. poor wiring)
 Dust (e.g. from grinding)
 Fume (e.g. welding)
 Manual handling
 Noise
 Poor lighting
 Low temperature

List the hazards

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WHO MIGHT BE HARMED?

There is no need to list individuals by name – just think about groups of people
doing similar work or who may be affected, e.g.: -

 Office staff
 Operators
 Maintenance personnel
 Cleaners
 Contractors
 People sharing your workplace
 Members of the public

Pay particular attention to: -

 Staff with disabilities


 Inexperienced staff
 Visitors
 Lone workers

List groups of people who are especially at risk from the significant
hazards, which you may have identified.

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IS THE RISK ADEQUATELY CONTROLLED?

Have you already taken precautions against the risks from the hazards you
listed? e.g. have you provided:-

 Adequate information, instruction or training?


 Adequate systems or procedures?

Do the precautions:-

 Meet the standards set by legal requirement?


 Comply with a recognized industry standard?
 Represent good practice?
 Reduce risk as far as reasonably practicable?

If so, then the risks are adequately controlled, but you need to indicate the
precautions you have in place. You may refer to procedures, manuals,
company rules, etc. giving this information.

List existing controls or note where the information may be found.

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WHAT FURTHER ACTION IS NECESSARY TO CONTROL THE RISK?

What more could you reasonably do for those risks which you found where not
adequately controlled?

 You will need to give priority to those risks, which affect large numbers of
people and/or could result in serious harm. Apply the principles below when
taking further actions, if possible in the following order:-
 Remove the risk completely
 Try a less risky option
 Prevent access to the hazard (e.g. by guarding)
 Organize work to reduce exposure to the hazard
 Issue personal protective equipment
 Provide welfare facilities (e.g. washing facilities for removal of contamination
and first-aid)

List the risks that are not adequately controlled and the action you will take
where it is reasonably practicable to do more. You have to take the cost into
account, unless the risk is high.

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Thanks

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