Hazard assessment and control form is the main part of the SABIC work permit system SHEMs 08.10 (ST-OMS-316.10) to identify hazards and control them. Hazard assessment and control form which involves hazard recognition and risk evaluation as well as analysis to control them (control measures).
Once the hazards have been identified by categorizing in section-02(1)- what can go wrong and (2) what can cause it to go wrong, decide the control measures are divided into two categories in section-03(3) what can be done to prevent and (4) if it does go wrong what can be done to minimize the negative consequence and last risk evaluation in section-06.
The Hazard Assessment and Control in SABIC requires a high level of effort on the part of the senior supervisor. They are assuming the challenge of risk evaluation and comparing the total risk factor score to the work control permit process to decide the risk level in section 06.
After reading this blog, you will be able to know the:
- Hazard identification.
- Decide the control measures and,
- Identify ways to risk evaluation and assess the risk level.
Is hazard assessment and control form electronic?
- Hazard identification
- Control measures
- Mitigation plan
- Risk score
- Implementation deadlines
What is hazard?
“ A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm”- according to toNEBOSH international general certificate IG-1. Anything under certain conditions at work. It can be an object, process, context, person, or set of circumstances that have the potential to create injury or health problems.
The central purpose of the Hazard Assessment and Control Form is to identify and control hazards in the workplace methodically. For example, it’s easy to see that an extension cord running across a busy hallway can cause someone to trip. It is more difficult to determine if a cleaning agent is toxic or factors that increase stress among workers or are precursors to bullying.
Eliminating the danger posed by the extension cord is a quick and easy solution. Other hazards that may be major always shall be assessed through formal JSA. Hazards are divided into five broad categories:
- Physical hazards usually (but not always) involve a transfer of energy from an object, such as a box falling off a shelf, resulting in injury. Physical hazards include contact with equipment or other objects, working at heights, noise, vibration, temperature, electricity, atmospheric conditions, radiation etc. All of these hazards can create harm in specific contexts.
- Ergonomic hazards occur as a result of the interaction between work design and the human body, such as workstation layout, tool shape, repetitive work, long-term sitting/standing requirements, and manual handling of materials.
- Chemical hazards cause damage to human tissue or interfere with normal physiological functioning. The short-term effects of chemical hazards can include burns and disorientation. Long-term effects of chemical hazards include cancer and lead poisoning. While some chemicals are inherently harmful, normally safe substances can be made dangerous by specific conditions. For example, oxygen is essential for human life, but in high doses, it can be harmful.
- Biological hazards are organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses etc. that harm human health.
- Psychosocial hazards are social, environmental, and psychological factors that can affect human health and safety. These dangers include bullying and violence but also incorporate issues of stress, mental fatigue, and mental illness.
HAZARD RECOGNITION
Hazard recognition or identification is the systematic task of identifying all hazards present, or potentially current, in a workplace. It is the first step of the Hazard Assessment and Control Form in SABIC. The second step is the control measures process contemplates preventive and corrective measures implemented to eliminate or mitigate the effect of the hazard.
The Hazard Assessment and Control Form process begins with the comprehensive identification of all hazards in a workplace. As noted in Section 02, there are 2 broad categories of hazards:
- What can go wrong?
- What can cause it to go wrong?
It is helpful to start the hazard identification process by considering the nature of the work and the workplace. The work context affects the type of hazards in the workplace. For example, recognizing that the work is taking place at a remote workplace, such as an oilfield drilling site, raises issues of emergency response, vehicle hazards, and Lack of a buddy system.
Similarly, if workers are hired on a part-time or temporary basis, this can affect communication and training. Vulnerable workers, such as newcomers or youth, may be not reluctant to identify hazards for fear of losing their jobs.
Hazard identification techniques
- Joint site inspection: The issuer and receiver visit the workplace and talk about hazards and mitigation as well as the method of task performed. it is a powerful step in identifying hazards. The inspection should not be limited to considering physical objects, such as machines, tools, equipment and structures, but should also include observation processes, systems and work procedures.
- Talk to senior workers: Passive observation can miss many important aspects of how work is done. Getting the perspective of the people leading the work will reveal other insights. This can be done informally through discussions or more formal means such as surveys or interviews.
- Job safety analysis: Acquiring step-by-step job descriptions and specifications can also reveal hazards. Mapping the workflow to create a task analysis allows for a systematic examination of how a job is supposed to be done. It is important to compare these data with worker interviews to identify instances where labour practices differ from formal procedures.
- Previous incident Data: Reviewing records of past workplace incidents, safety reports, and other documentation can yield useful information about hazards in a workplace.
- Investigation: Knowing that something is present in the workplace may be insufficient to determine if it is a hazard. You may need to research a substance, material, design, or environment to assess its potential for harm.
The hazard identification process must be carefully documented in the Hazard Assessment and Control form.
CONTROL MEASURES
The second step in the Hazard Assessment and Control Form process is to determine and implement the most appropriate control for each hazard. Hazard control is a regulatory requirement in all SABIC affiliates and involves implementing measures to eliminate or reduce the potential for a hazard to cause an incident.
The Hazard Assessment and Control Form section-3 describes the details of control measures (see Hazard Assessment and Control form, PICTURE-01 above) divided into two categories:
- What can be done to prevent and
- If it does go wrong what can be done to minimize the negative consequence
Some forms of hazard control are more effective than others and consequently, a hierarchy of controls (with five levels) has been established:
- Eliminate the hazard in the workplace. For example, relocating work done to a height at ground level eliminates the risk of falls. This control is most easily implemented at the design stage, thus preventing the hazard from entering the workplace.
- Substitution involves substituting something that produces a hazard for something that does not. For example, we could replace chemical-based cleaning solvents with vegetable oil-based solvents. Substitution is similar to removal but is less effective because the new item or process may introduce different hazards or may not eliminate the original hazard.
- Engineering controls are for example, installing guards on machinery, installing ventilation systems, or purchasing ergonomically designed workstations to insulate workers from hazards.
- Administrative controls are changes to the work process, policies, training, or rules designed to reduce exposure to hazards. For example, policies that restrict the time workers spend in contact with a chemical hazard. “drop zone” zones that restrict worker movements in certain locations, mandatory training sessions, allow systems to control access to equipment or spaces, changes in schedules to avoid excessive shift work or just procedures that require regular check-in are all administrative controls.
- Personal protective equipment ( PPE) is equipment worn by workers that is designed to protect them in case they come into contact with a hazard. For example, hard hats, goggles, gloves, and fall protection systems are all forms of PPE. PPE is considered the least effective control because it restricts worker contact with the hazard and is highly dependent on human action for its effectiveness.
Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies
The Risk evaluation process can present significant degrees of subjectivity since its bases are the knowledge and experience of those in charge of their job and this implies a demanding and well-oriented analysis process.
The Hazard Assessment and Control Form covers any type of risk that may hurt the contractor, worker, plant and its continuity. Therefore, the more areas are subjected to analysis, the more effective the results will be. For this reason, each organization must incorporate this risk evaluation before work starts and attach it with a work permit.
What are risk evaluation and mitigation strategies?
Once the hazards have been identified, it is necessary to quantify the risk first. The Hazard Assessment and Control Form in SABIC is not just a technical practice. Through risk evaluation, certain risk factors will be brought to the fore and therefore more likely to be controlled.
The Hazard Assessment and Control form is a common tool used by SABIC, the probability that a hazard will result in injury or ill health. A Hazard Assessment and Control Form quantifies the likelihood of injury or illness by assessing the Potential consequence of error, Task complexity, and How frequently the is task done by the team.
Risk evaluation guidelines table
- A potential consequence of error (A): refers to the severity of the injury or ill health that will result from an incident can be (very) low, moderate and (very) high. Each descriptor is then assigned a numerical value (eg, 2, 4, 6).
- Task complexity (B): refers to assigning task complexity – the simple, moderate or complex and each descriptor is then assigned a numerical value (eg, 0, 1, 2).
- How frequent is a task done by team (C): refers to the frequency or regularity with experience (come into contact with the hazard) by often, once in a while and never – each descriptor is then assigned a numerical value (eg, 0, 1, 2).
Once the potential consequence, assigned complexity, and the experience on the assigned task have been quantified, they can be entered into a mathematical formula to quantify risk:
Total risk factor = potential consequence of error + Task complexity + How frequent is a task done by a team = A+B+C
|
Risk evaluation guidelines
table |
||
|
Potential consequences of
error |
Task complexity |
How frequently is a task done
by a team |
|
2: (VERY) LOW |
0: SIMPLE |
0: OFTEN |
|
4: MODERATE |
1: MODERATE |
1: ONCE INA WHILE |
|
6: (VERY) HIGH |
2: COMPLEX |
2: NEVER |
|
A+B+C= TOTAL RISK FACTOR |
||
The higher the final number, the higher the risk the hazard represents. Risk quantification allows us to compare the total risk factor to the work permit process. Major risks always be assessed through formal JSA.
|
Risk score |
||
|
9-10 |
Major risk |
Require formal JSA |
|
6-8 |
Significant risk |
Need to decide on formal JSA requirement |
|
4-5 |
Moderate risk |
Hazard assessment control form |
|
0-3 |
Low risk |
Hazard assessment control form |
Conclusion
- Increased efficiency: The electronic form eliminates the need to manually enter data and route the form to the appropriate personnel for review.
- Improved accuracy: The electronic form includes built-in validation checks to ensure that all required information is entered correctly. This helps to reduce the risk of errors.
- Increased consistency: The electronic form ensures that all hazard assessments are completed using the same standard format.
- Improved timeliness: The electronic form helps to ensure that all hazard assessments are completed and reviewed promptly. This helps to ensure that any necessary control measures are implemented as soon as possible.
