Risk Assessment
What is a risk assessment?
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Risk assessment is the formalized process of identifying hazards, evaluating risk and controlling that risk to bring it to an acceptable level through applying appropriate precautions.
How many steps are in risk assessment?
There are five steps of risk assessment:
- Identifying the hazards,
- Who might be harmed and how,
- Evaluate the risk and decide on control measures,
- Record the findings and implement them,
- Review and update if necessary,
Identifying the hazards:
Hazards can be identified using a various method such as job safety analysis, legislation, manufacturer's information, incident data, visual inspection, permit to work system, signages and safety posters, safety data sheet, HSE Website, etc. can be classified as: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychological.
example of physical hazards such as work at height
Who might be harmed and how:
Workers, contractors, visitors and members of the public, contractors, maintenance staff, expectant mother, disabled person, lone worker, etc.
Evaluate the risk and decide on control measures:
Risk is the combination of likelihood and severity arising from hazards at the workplace cause harm to the people in terms of injuries or fatalities and damaged property.
Trailing an electrical cord positioned across a busy road might be calculated as
5 * 4 = 20 ( high likelihood * hospital treatment)
the same electrical cable trailing on the floor a rarely visited area then
1 * 4 = 4 (high unlikely * hospital treatment
Note: in both instances, the severity of the injury is the same but differ only in likelihood (probability)
Elimination - This might be done by completely avoid a task or eliminate hazards inherent in an activity.
Substitution - If hazard elimination can not possibly substitute it with fewer hazards.
Engineering control - isolate the hazards physically so nobody exposed to it, This might be done by total enclosure or containment or simply placing the hazard in an inaccessible location. Use the safety devices to ensure that the item is used incorrect way, for example, interlock switches.
Administrative control - Safe system of work, permit to work system and provision of instruction, information, training and supervision.
Personal protective equipment - It should be used for protection from residual risks ae remain after the existing controls, such as helmet, earplug or muff, safety shoe, safety gloves, respirators, etc. is the last defence.
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| hierarchy of control |
What is a risk assessment matrix:
Using the scoring system, providing a good graphical portrayal of risks across a task that how risk level can be categorized using numbers and colour coding, where likelihood and severity are allocated numbers on a scale.
Risk = Likelihood * Severity
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| risk assessment matrix |
Record the findings and implement them:
'Record the finding means' risk assessment' steps are completed or writing down the result of risk assessment, .. 1. identification of the activity and their hazards, 2. identification of groups at risk, 3. evaluations of the risk, 4. existing control measures, 5. date of assessment, 6. signature of the assessor and 7. review date
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| risk assessment |
Review and update if necessary:
May be condition are changed or need to improve or other people spotted a problem or learning from an accident or near misses should be updated. Many situations can trigger a review of risk assessment such as process change, substance change, equipment change, workplace environment change, legislations change, etc.
