A risk assessment is simply a detailed look at what could hurt people in your workplace or during a specific job. It helps decide if enough safety measures are in place or if more should be done.
This process is crucial for maintaining a strong health and safety management system and culture. It involves spotting all hazards in any activity and calculating the risks considering the current safety steps.
The three main aims of risk assessment are:
- Setting the scope of the task at hand.
- Finding potential dangers and evaluating the risks they pose.
Deciding on the best safety measures to implement.
Duties
Base Managers must ensure risk assessments are done for their areas. Supervisors, Shift Supervisors, or Senior crew members handle these assessments for offshore or onshore operations. Every crew member has to follow the risk assessment results. They must stick to all the safety measures introduced.
- Hazard- Something that could cause injury, like chemicals, machines, work methods, or the way work is organized.
- Risk- The chance of actual harm from a hazard, including how many people it can affect and the seriousness of it.
- Harm
- Any injury to staff, no matter how minor
- Negative effects on someone’s health, whether short-term or ongoing.
- Impact on the environment.
- Harm to equipment, delays or losses
- Productivity is the measure of how much work gets done in a certain amount of time.
- An Accident is an unexpected event, which often results in harm, damage, or some other type of loss.
- A Near Miss is also an unexpected event, but it’s one where harm, damage, or loss was narrowly avoided.
Procedure
We need to check all tasks for possible dangers that could hurt people, damage the environment, or cost the company or other groups money.
Here are the main steps to follow when checking for risks at work:
- Look at every task, activity, and situation.
- Find the dangers that exist or might exist.
- List all the people who could be harmed by these dangers.
- Figure out how likely it is that something bad will happen and how bad it could be.
- Check if what we’re already doing to prevent harm is good enough.
- Compare the risks with the safety measures we have.
Hazards
When checking tasks for risks, there are lots of workplace dangers to think about. Here are some:
- Slips and trips
- Falling down or getting hit by falling objects
- Loud noise
- Very hot or cold surfaces or places to work
- Fumes, dust, or gases
- Harmful chemicals
- Sharp edges, tools, or items
Risk
Risk comes from two things:
- The chance that a hazard will cause harm.
- How bad the harm could be if it happens.
The risk we face is the chance of danger times the level of harm that could come from it.
What does ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) mean?
If making a place safer costs more in time, effort, money, or trouble than the benefit of reducing the danger, then it’s not sensible to do it. We have to balance the cost against how much safer it will make things.
People at RISK:-
- Think about everyone who might be in danger from something hazardous – not just those doing the job!
- When reviewing who’s at risk, include all people who could be affected.
- In your assessment, you must remember that different people could be at different risk levels.
- Think about others with creativity but also with a sense of what’s actually possible.
- Focus specifically on those who are at higher risk.
Risk Rating
A Risk Rating is the product of multiplying the chance of something happening (likelihood) by how bad the impact would be (severity).
- Use Risk Ratings to figure out which risks should be dealt with first.
After you figure out the Risk Rating, you can judge if a job or process is safe.
Mastering Risk Assessment:
- Focus on Threats, Not Just Unsafe Conditions: Look beyond visible risks to identify underlying hazards that could trigger an incident. Remember, a leaky pipe might not seem dangerous itself, but the resulting flood could be catastrophic.
- Think Cascading Consequences: Consider how one hazard could lead to another, creating a chain reaction of risks. For example, spilled fuel might ignite, causing burns and triggering an explosion.
- Ratings as a Guide, Not a Goal: Don’t get hung up on scoring systems. Use them as a tool to compare different risks, not as an arbitrary target.
- Consistent Evaluation is Key: Apply the same criteria to all hazards to ensure fair and accurate assessments. Remember, consistency helps you prioritize effectively.
- Severity Shift Needs a Real Change: Changes in severity should only occur if the hazard itself changes or the number of people exposed is significantly reduced. Mitigating measures won’t alter how harmful the hazard is inherently.
- Think Exposure, Not Elimination: Control measures aim to reduce contact with the hazard, not necessarily eliminate it completely. For example, wearing protective gear doesn’t make fire disappear, but it protects you from its heat and flames.
Documentation and Implementation:
- Formalize Your Findings: Use the designated forms to document all risk assessments. Submitting copies and keeping them on file ensures transparency and accountability.
- Aim for ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable): Always strive to further minimize risk before starting the task. Could additional, feasible measures be implemented?
- Action Speaks Louder Than Words: Put the controls in place! Ensure everyone involved in the task understands the risk assessment and the implemented measures.
- Constant Monitoring is Crucial: Regularly check that the controls are working effectively. Don’t hesitate to reassess if the work scope changes.
Remember, a thorough risk assessment is a proactive step towards a safer work environment. By taking these tips to heart, you can effectively identify, evaluate, and manage potential threats, ultimately protecting yourself and your team.
