RISK MANAGEMENT

HOW TO CONDUCT RISK ASSESSMENTS Alison Hunt-Sturman

Why are we here?

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees of the employer a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. An employee must cooperate with an employer in any action that is taken to comply with the Act.

To do this we use the principles of

What do we have to do?

Learn about the Risk Management Process:
Identify hazards in the workplace Assess the level of Risk of harm Control the Hazard and Reduce the level of risk Review control measures and improve them

Remember, it is only 4 key steps!!!!!

Step 1: Identify Hazards:

Methods of Identification:
Workplace inspections Incident Reports Audits (internal and external) Hazard Alerts

Process Methodology:
Look at the activities in the workplace Look at the tasks that are in the activity What hazards are in those tasks?

Categories of Hazards:
CHEMICAL HAZARDOUS - toxic, corrosive, SUBSTANCES etc - carcinogens PHYSICAL - noise, heat, light, vibration
ENVIRONMENT

RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS - ionizing

BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS - viruses PSYCHOLOGIC - violence, agression ANIMAL - attack - disease SHARPS - needles, scalpels, glass

PLANT PERSONAL - entanglement, - slip, trip, fall engulfment ERGONOMIC - force, motion, repetition NATURAL - fire, flood, earthquake

- water, air, ground SERVICE - gas, water, electricity

HEALTH EXTERNAL - collapse, heart - war, riot, attack demonstration

Can you identify the hazard?

Step 2: Assessment of Risk:

We evaluate risk on the identified hazards:
How likely is it that the hazard we have identified will cause harm to us or the environment?
How often are we exposed to the hazard? Who is exposed? How serious will the harm be? Have previous incidents or near misses been recorded?

This helps us to determine the level

Assessment Methods
Use terms that answer the following: What is the:
Likelihood of an incident or injury because of the hazard Exposure of staff or students to the hazard Consequences or severity of the injury

Remember the evaluation:

Must be foreseeable for the incident to occur Must be reasonable for the event to occur

We use Definitions for each of the terms.

Risk Scoring:
Qualitative
Low Medium High Very High

Quantitative
Probability based, ie 1:10000 chance Numerical score that corresponds to a key

A Risky Maneuvre?

1. Two Variable Assessment

Likelihood / Consequences

Insignificant

Minor

Moderate

Major

Catastrophic

Almost Certain

M M L L L

H M M L L

H H H M M

VH H H M M

VH VH H H H

Likely

Possible

Unlikely

Rare

Determination of Risk Level

1. Select a term for each aspect
Likelihood Consequence

2. Draw a horizontal line across from Likelihood 3. Draw a vertical line down from Consequence 4. Circle the score

Likely to Occur?

2. Three Variable Assessment

Consequence Exposure Likelihood Catastroph 100 Continuous 10 Almost Cert 10 e Disaster Very serious Serious Important 50 Frequent 25 Occasional 15 Infrequent 5 Rare 6 Likely 3 Unusual 2 Remote 1 Conceivabl e 6 3 1
0.5

Determination of Risk Level

1. Select a term for each aspect
Consequence Exposure Likelihood

2. Multiply the terms together

Low Risk Medium Risk High Risk Very High Risk 0 90 91 299 300 599 600 +

3. Compare the score to the Key:

Consequence X Exposure X Likelihood

Managing Risk?

Step 3: Control of Risk

THE HIERARCHY OF CONTROL: ELIMINATE (E) SUBSTITUTE ENGINEER
Stop the process immediately Use another product Outsource the process Isolate the hazard Install guarding around the hazard Document safe work procedures Provide training Perform inspections The final frontier!!!

(S) (En)
(Is) (G)

ADMINISTRATE

(A)
(SWP) (T) (I)

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

(PPE)

Oops?

Step 4: What to Review:

What is the level of residual risk? Is this risk acceptable? Have the control measures been accepted? Is this a reliable control strategy? Are there further long term actions to do? Should the issue be escalated to your Supervisor?

Step 4: When to Review:

Schedule of review for all risk assessments:
On a 3 yearly basis if no changes When task or operation changes When equipment or environment changes After an incident or injury

Issues to Consider
Ensure Health and Safety
Eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable If not possible; Reduce risks as far as is reasonably practicable

What is Reasonably Practicable in regard to?

The likelihood of the hazard eventuating The degree of harm that would result The state of knowledge about the hazard Available ways to reduce the risk of the hazard The cost of eliminating or reducing the hazard

What about Acceptable Risk?

There is a level of risk in everything we do!!! Is the benefit work the risk of the process? Is the operator able to handle the task? Is the activity accepted by the community?

What The?

Putting it Together:
What you need on a Risk Register:
The activity name The task description The hazard identified (may be more than 1) The risk calculation and score The control measures The residual risk Date completed / date of review Who has authorised the document

Putting it into Practice:

We will do 2 case studies Use the 2 variable for the first one Use the 3 variable for the second one Look at:
Activity & Tasks Identify Hazards Assess the level of Risk Control the risk where need be

Risk Control: Engineering

Risk Control Gone Wrong

Risk Control: Substitution

Sometimes you cant win!

Case Study 1 (lab based)

A new employee with no work experience is employed to work full time. They are to handle tissue infected with a virus that is similar to HIV. The process involves homogenising the tissue. They are working on the bench. They are not wearing personal protective equipment
IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS ASSESS THE LEVEL OF RISK

Case Study 1 (non lab)

A new employee with no work experience is employed to work full time. They are employed to archive documents and move them to a storage facility. The archive boxes are very heavy and can weigh up to 20 kg when packed
IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS ASSESS THE LEVEL OF RISK DETERMINE THE CONTROLS

Case Study 2 (lab based)

Staff are using Formalin which has been classified as a hazardous substances (Worksafe). The Staff spend their days preserving tissue on the bench in open containers They do not wear personal protective equipment.
IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS ASSESS THE LEVEL OF RISK DETERMINE THE CONTROLS

Case Study 2 (non lab)

Staff are driving to homes to interview subjects and collect information on their general health status. The subjects have been referred to them by a GP. Some of the subjects may have a history of mental illness.
IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS ASSESS THE LEVEL OF RISK DETERMINE THE CONTROLS