RISK ASSESSMENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzOK0GCw05o

Prof Lamiaa Fiala

Topics
 What is hazard & risk?
 Risk assessment definition and steps
 Why to do Risk assessment
 Risk analysis process
 Assessing risk
 Risk Control
 When to do risk assessment?
What is a hazard?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU1U8fdF85I

Is anything that can cause harm.

(e.g. chemicals, electricity, working at
height, fire, radiation, etc.)
Harm include:
ill health, injury,
damage to property, plant, products, or the
environment,
production losses or increased liabilities.
Hazards prompt-list
During work activities could the following
hazards exist?
 Slips/falls on the level.
 Falls of persons from heights.
 Falls of tools, materials, etc., from heights.
 Inadequate headroom.
 Hazards associated with manual
lifting/handling of tools, materials, etc.
 Hazards from plant and machinery associated
with assembly, commissioning, operation,
maintenance, modification, repair, and
dismantling.
Hazards prompt-list/2
 Vehicle hazards and travel by road.
 Fire and explosion.
·
S

 Violence to staff. -
-

,
1

 Substances that may be inhaled.

 Substances or agents that may damage the eye.
 Substances that may cause harm by coming into
contact with or being absorbed through the skin.
 Substances that may cause harm by being ingested
(i.e., entering the body via the mouth).
 Harmful energies (e.g., electricity, radiation, noise,
vibration).
Hazards prompt-list/3
 Work-related upper limb disorders resulting
from frequently repeated tasks.
 Inadequate thermal environment, e.g. too hot.
 Lighting levels.
 Slippery, uneven ground/surfaces.
 Inadequate handrails on stairs.
 Contractors' activities (any construction,
fabrication, assembling, drilling, demolition,
manufacture, related work on any structure,
facility, …. performed for others for a fee).
What is Risk ?
Risk is the likelihood /probability (high or low) that
a hazard will cause harm (severity/consequences).

Risk = likelihood (probability) x severity of outcome

-1 9 5 ,
/4 -

– smoking, speeding, extreme sports, ........ ect.

– ionizing radiation exposure, construction, .... etc.
Risk
RISK
So, Very

Likelihood
High
Risk is a function of both the
Likelihood of something happening High
Moderate
and Consequences of that Low
occurrence Very
Low

Consequences
We’ll assign values for likelihood and
consequences, which allows us to represent the
risk of a particular adverse event on a graph.
Risk = Likelihood x Consequences
Slide 8
What is Risk Assessment?
 A tool for identification, elimination, and control
of risk.
 A process for the management of risk.

 A legal requirement.

 A systematic approach to:

-Identify hazards,
-Evaluate the associated risk
-Determine appropriate measures to eliminate or
control (mitigate) the risk for any work process or
activity.
Systematic It should follow a defined and logical methodology. It should systematically
lead to evidence-based conclusions.
 Risk assessment
The process of evaluating the risk(s)
gir arising from a hazard(s), taking into
,

account the adequacy of any existing

controls, and deciding whether or not the
risk(s) is acceptable
Why do we need risk assessment (RA)?
Protect people:
o RA is the key to prevention of accidents. Every
employee deserves to go home safely at the end of
the day
o Identify who may be at risk (employees, cleaners,
visitors, contractors, the public, … etc.
Elevate safety awareness & ownership
o Aware of hazards, risks and controls and practicing
safe science.
o Determine if the existing control measure are
adequate
Protectthe business (property) and environment
Legal obligation to employers.
The primary purpose of risk assessment is
prevention: preventing incidents, injury
and ill health.

Records need to be maintained to make

information available to others working on
the project or in the same worksite.
Provide proof that assessment was done.
Provide evidence in the future of the work
undertaken.
Risk assessment helps to:
• Determine if existing control measures
are adequate or if more should be done
• Prioritize hazards and control
How to do a risk assessment?
 Assessments should be done by a competent
team of individuals who have a good working
knowledge of the workplace.
 Include staff, supervisors and workers who
work with the process under review as they are
the most familiar with the operation.
 Include both people familiar with the work
area, as well as people who are not – in this
way you have both the "experienced" and
"fresh" eye to conduct the inspection.
 Risk
Assessment
Strategy:

Source: CWA 15793:2011

Slide 27
Risk assessment steps
o Hazard identification
Look around the workplace: think what is wrong?,
what may cause harm (hazards)?. Think about:
 How people work? how plant and equipment are used?
 What chemicals and substances are used?
 What safe or unsafe work practices exist?
 Look back at accident and ill health records as these can
help identify less obvious hazards.
 Take account of non-routine operations, such as
maintenance, cleaning or changes in production cycles.
Risk assessment steps
o Dose-response assessment
What potential adverse health effects (harm) each
hazard may cause? Search for evidence in literature.
What are the health problems at different levels of
exposures?
o Exposure assessment: Who may be harmed?
For each hazard, assess who might be exposed to
hazards, how likely to be harmed and how serious it
could be? : among employees, contractors, visitors or
members of the public.
Measure or estimate the frequency, and duration of
human exposure to each hazard and what sources of
exposure?
Who is at Risk ?
 The most common error in basic risk
assessments is to not include all the people who
may be at risk from the operation or substance.
 In particular
– Contractors
– Visitors
– Cleaners
– Maintenance
– Vulnerable groups as trainees, young persons, new
or expected mothers, disabled workers.
Risk assessment steps
o Risk characterization/evaluation
(risk management)

What is the extra risk of health problems in the

exposed population.

Calculate the likelihood of harm x consequence of

harm from exposure to the hazard.
 Severity/consequences of harm
Information obtained about work activities is a
vital input to risk assessment. When seeking to
establish potential severity of harm, the following
should also be considered:
 Part(s) of the body likely to be affected;
 Nature of the harm, ranging from slightly to extremely
harmful:
1) Slightly harmful, e.g.:
Superficial injuries; minor cuts and bruises; eye irritation from
dust.
Nuisance and irritation (e.g. headaches); ill-health leading to
·
temporary discomfort.
Severity/consequences of harm
2) Harmful, e.g.
Lacerations; burns; concussion; serious sprains;
minor fractures.
Deafness; dermatitis; asthma; work related upper
limb disorders; ill-health leading to permanent minor
disability.
3) Extremely harmful, e.g.
Amputations; major fractures; poisonings; multiple
injuries; fatal injuries.
Occupational cancer; other severely life shortening
diseases; acute fatal diseases.
Likelihood/probability of harm
When seeking to establish likelihood of harm,
control measures already implemented and
complied with needs to be considered.
Issues considered:
 Number of personnel exposed.
 Frequency and duration of exposure to the
hazard.
 Failure of services e.g. electricity and water.
 Failure of plant and machinery components and
safety devices.
 Exposure to the elements.
Likelihood/probability of harm
 Protection afforded by personal protective
equipment and usage rate of personal protective
equipment;
 Unsafe acts (unintended errors or intentional
violations of procedures) by persons, for example,
1) May not know what the hazards are.
2) May not have the knowledge, physical capacity, or
skills to do the work.
3) Underestimate risks to which they are exposed.
4) Underestimate the practicality and utility of safe
working methods.
 Risk Evaluation
Severity Categories & Description
Level Human (Impact to Biological Impact Environmental Property
Physical Being) Damage Damage (S$)
(1) No Injury or light May not cause human disease, if Reversible Up to $5,000
Minor injury requiring only does, the disease is unlikely to
(slightly first aid treatment spread to the community and there
(MC < 4 days) is usually effective prophylaxis or
Harmful) treatment available;
(2) Any injury/ill health Can cause severe human disease, Reversible but $5,001 to
Moderate leading to ≥ 4 days not ordinarily spread by casual takes years $50,000
(harmful) MC or ≥ 1 day contact from one individual to
hospitalisation or another; it may spread to the
leads to temporary community, but there is usually
disability effective prophylaxis or treatment
available
(3) Fatality, permanent Can cause lethal human disease, Irreversible More than
Major Disability or life may be readily transmitted from $50,000
threatening disease one individual to another, or from
(extremely
animal to human or vice-versa
Harmful) directly or indirectly, or casual
contact, it may spread to the
community; usually no effective
prophylaxis or treatment available
Risk Evaluation

Likelihood Categories & Description

Level Events Frequency
(1) Remote Undesired event which may occur but
unlikely, once in 5 years
(2) Possible Undesired event which is probable,
once in a year
(3) Frequent Undesired event which probably
occur in most circumstances, once or
more in a month
Risk Evaluation
Risk matrix to determine Risk Level
Likelihood
Remote Occasional Frequent
Severity
Minor Low risk Low risk Medium risk

Moderate Low risk Medium risk High risk

Major Medium risk High risk High risk

Likelihood
Remote (1) Occasional (2) Frequent (3)
Severity

Minor (1) 1 2 3

Moderate (2) 2 4 6

Major (3) 3 6 9
 Risk Evaluation
Acceptability of Risk
Risk Risk Acceptability
Score Level of Risk Recommended Actions

Low No additional risk control measures required. To continue

<3 Acceptable to monitor to ensure risk do not escalate to higher level.
Risk
Acceptable to carry out the work activity; however, task
need to be reviewed to bring risk level to As Low As
Medium Moderately Reasonably Practicable.
3–4
Risk Acceptable Interim control measures such as administrative controls
can be implemented. Supervisory oversight required.

Job must not be carried out until risk level is brought to at

least medium risk level.
Risk controls should not be overly dependant on personal
High Not protective equipment. Controls measures should focus on
>4 Elimination, substitution and engineering controls.
Risk Acceptable
Immediate Management intervention required to ensure
risk being brought down to at least medium level before
work can be commenced.
Decide if risk is tolerable/acceptable
Risks are classified according to their estimated
likelihood and potential severity of harm.

Slightly Extremely
harmful Harmful harmful

Highly TRIVIAL RISK TOLERABLE MODERATE

unlikely RISK RISK

Unlikely TOLERABLE MODERATE SUBSTANTIAL

RISK RISK RISK

Likely MODERATE SUBSTANTIAL INTOLERABLE

RISK RISK RISK
Risk assessment steps
o Risk control: decide on suitable control measures.
List the controls already are in place. Ask yourself:
 Can I get rid of the hazard altogether (eliminate by substitution))?
 If not, how can I control (reduce) the risks so that harm is
unlikely?
If you need further controls, consider:
-
 Redesigning the job
G
 Replacing the materials, machinery or process
 Organising the work to reduce exposure to the materials,
machinery or process
 Identifying and implementing practical measures needed to
work safely
 Providing personal protective equipment and making sure
workers wear it
A simple risk-based control plan
RISK LEVEL ACTION AND TIMESCALE
No action is required, and no documentary records
TRIVIAL need to be kept.
No additional controls are required.
TOLERABLE
Monitoring is required to ensure that the controls are
maintained.

Efforts should be made to reduce the risk. Risk

MODERATE reduction measures should be implemented within a
-
defined time-period.

SUBSTANTIAL Urgent action should be taken and work should not

- -

be started until the risk has been reduced.

-

Work remains prohibited and should not be started

INTOLERABLE
-

until the risk has been reduced.

 Prepare risk control action plan

The outcome of a risk assessment should

be a list of actions, in priority order, to
devise, maintain or improve controls:
what must be done to control the risks
identified?
Stages of risk control
op
 Undertake a risk assessment.
 Provide training/information, as necessary. This may
be specified in the Risk Assessment.
11/

 Implement risk control measures, as specified in the

Risk assessment or accompanying method statement.
 Ensure staff understand the controls.
%s
 Monitor the measures required by the risk assessment.
>
-

 Review and introduce any corrective actions. Repeat

the risk assessment process.
 RISK CONTROL
What can be done to control risks in the workplace?

Use hierarchy of controls

-
to reduce risk: (from most
to least preferred):
1) Elimination dispose
of or do not purchase Safe
hazardous material design

2) Substitution -
substituting a
hazardous material or ‫(خالطترةخلأوصعدممن اشملرواائدها‬1‫ال‬
process with a less ‫التصميم اآلمن‬
‫ استبدال‬- ‫( االستبدال‬2
Safe
worker
hazardous one/ safer. ‫مادة خطرة أو عملية‬
‫أكثر‬/‫بأخرى أقل خطورة‬
.‫أماًنا‬
 RISK CONTROL/2 Cont.

3) Engineering controls -
installing machine
guarding or enclosing a
hazardous machine.
4) Administrative controls
applying a permit-to- Safe
work system or lock-out, design

policies, safe work

procedures, training,
labels, storage, maintain
registers.
5) PPE - safety glasses, ear Safe
worker
protection, aprons,
gloves, helmets, etc.
Engineering Controls
Engineering controls
are the best way to
-

remove the person

from the source of the
risk.
Always better than
protective clothing
-
and equipment
-
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipment must be:
 Suitable for the
Hazard
 Looked after and
Maintained
 Suitable for the users
 Used by trained people
‫مناسب للمخاطر‬
‫يتم العناية به وصيانته‬
‫مناسب للمستخدمني‬
‫يستخدمه أشخاص مدربون‬
Example control of a chemical control:
• Eliminate the Hazard - e.g. don’t use it.
• Substitute the problem chemical with a safer option
• Enclose the process
• Use engineering controls (such as exhaust ventilation)
• Operate with a Safe System of Work (such as permit to
work schemes and explicit Method Statements)
• Use Personal Protective Equipment (the last resort)
• Maintain the systems
• Test the equipment
• Monitor exposure levels
• Undertake Health Surveillance
Risk assessment steps cont.
o Recording findings
Record your significant findings (more than 5 employees),
=
including:
 The hazards (things that may cause harm)
 Who might be harmed and how
 What you are doing to control the risks
-

o Review the controls

Review the controls you have put in place to make sure they are
working. You should also review them if:
o They may no longer be effective
o There are changes in the workplace that could lead to new risks
such as changes to: staff - a process - the substances or equipment
used
o Also consider a review if the workers have spotted any problems
Risk assessment steps cont.

o Risk communication
It is defined as an interactive process of
exchange of information and opinion between
-
risk assessors, risk managers, and other
-

interested
-
parties (stakeholders).
Risk communication is an integral component
&

of risk analysis.W It assists in overall

-

-
understanding and approval of risk
management decisions.
-
When to do a Risk Assessment
 Whenever a potential hazard may be present.
 Whenever a significant hazard is identified.
 Following an incident (or complaint)
 When there is a change in the system or methods
used.
Occupational Risk Assessment
Occupational risk assessment involves
identifying, analyzing, and evaluating hazards in
the workplace to protect workers' health and
safety.
Purpose:
- Prevent injuries and illnesses.
- Minimize risk exposure.
- Ensure compliance with health and safety
regulations.
 Key Elements of
Occupational Risk Assessment

 Hazard Identification: Recognizing potential risks.

 Risk Analysis: Evaluating the likelihood and
severity of harm.
 Risk Evaluation: Determining acceptable or
unacceptable levels of risk.
 Control Measures: Implementing mitigation
strategies.