Risk Assessment Processes.

admin • December 16, 2024

In any workplace, ensuring the safety and well-being of employees is paramount. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through a comprehensive risk assessment process. This process helps identify potential hazards, evaluate the risks associated with them, and implement measures to control or eliminate these risks.

This is a continuous and ongoing process, as shown in the diagram above.

Step 1: Identify Hazards

The first step in the risk assessment process is to identify potential hazards in the workplace. Hazards can be anything that may cause harm, such as:

  • Mechanical Hazards: Machinery, equipment or other items that could cause physical or impact harm.
  • Chemical and Biological Hazards: Harmful substances or chemicals, including pathogens.
  • Source of Energy: Such as electricity, heat, noise, light and radiation.
  • Body Stressing or Impact Hazards: Activities which cause stress to the body. For example poor workstation design, repetitive movements, manual handling tasks and slip and trip hazards.
  • Gravity: Activities where a person can fall or an object can fall on people.
  • Psychosocial Hazards: Events, circumstances or systems of work which can lead to psychological illness, including stress, harassment, workplace violence and fatigue.

Step 2: Assess the Risks

Once hazards are identified, the next step is to assess the risks associated with each hazard. This involves evaluating the likelihood of the hazard causing harm and the severity of the potential consequences. Consider the following factors:

  • Frequency of Exposure: How often employees are exposed to the hazard.
  • Duration of Exposure: How long employees are exposed to the hazard.
  • Severity of Potential Harm: The potential impact on health and safety.

It can be useful to use the Likelihood Consequence Table to help with assessing the risks (see below).

Step 2: Implement Control Measures

After assessing the risks, it’s crucial to implement control measures to mitigate or eliminate the risks. Control measures can be categorized into:

  • Elimination: Removing the hazard entirely from the workplace.
  • Substitution: Replacing the hazard with a less dangerous one.
  • Engineering Controls: Isolating people from the hazard through physical changes to the workplace.
  • Administrative Controls: Changing work procedures or policies to reduce exposure to the hazard.
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Providing employees with protective gear to minimize exposure.

It can be useful to use the Hierarchy of Control diagram to help you during this process (see below).

Remember that you must always use the highest possible level of control possible.

Step 4: Monitor and Review

Risk assessment is not a one-time activity. It’s essential to continuously monitor and review the effectiveness of the control measures. Regularly update the risk assessment to reflect any changes in the workplace, such as new equipment, processes, or personnel. Encourage employees to report new hazards and participate in the risk assessment process.

It is also important to make sure that your new control measure have not inadvertently introduced a new risk or hazard into your work environment.

Documentation

Documenting the risk assessment process is crucial for accountability and compliance. Keep detailed records of identified hazards, risk assessments, and implemented control measures. Communicate the findings and safety measures to all employees to ensure they are aware of the risks and how to protect themselves.

Consultation

Don't forget that at every stage of the risk assessment process, you must consult with the workforce. This is a legal obligation, but it is also extremely useful to the employer, as the workers who are doing the job are in the best position to identify risks and hazards in their own work environment and to find ways to control them too.

By following these steps and principles - organisations can create a safer work environment, reduce the likelihood of incidents and injuries, and promote a culture of safety. Remember, a proactive approach to risk assessment not only protects employees but also enhances productivity and morale.

Working from home

By admin • April 21, 2025
Working from home has become very common. Sometimes we can be permanently working from home, temporarily or as part of a hybrid arrangement. Even though we are not physically in our usually workplace, our home has now become our workplace and so this means that OHS Laws still apply, and all the legislated duty holders still have the same duties under The Act. The employer still has duties, including to ensure a safe workplace, mitigate OHS risks and to consult with their employees. The employee has a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and to co-operate with safety measure put in place by their employer. The risk management process should still take place, even though you are working in your home environment, and we must seek to identify hazards as a starting point. Common hazards which you may find when you assess your own home work environment could include: Poor lighting Noise Poor temperature control Electrical hazards Psychosocial hazards (eg: job demands, poor role clarity, lack of support, online abuse, bullying, etc) Fatigue Domestic violence Trip and slip hazards Poor ergonomics The individual worker is particularly important in the hazard identification and risk management process in the work from home context. This is because they are often the only person who will be aware of the risks associated with their individual home environment. For more information on this topic, take a look at: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/working-home https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/officewise-working-home

Hazard Hunts: A tool for creating safer workplaces.

By admin • April 15, 2025
Hazard Hunts can be a great tool to use in workplace safety programs. They're a proactive strategy to identify and mitigate potential risks before incidents or injuries occur. But what exactly is a Hazard Hunt, and why is it so valuable? Hazard Hunts are regular, structured inspections aimed at identifying and eliminating potential risks in the workplace. Advantages: · Prevent Harm: proactively identification of potential hazards before they caused harm. Hazard hunts can prompt us to focus on specific risks that may have been overlooked. · Engagement of Employees: Talk to employees in the area. They often have valuable insights into hazards that may take time to be evident to outsiders. · Empowers Individuals: Creates an opportunity for individual employees to make a tangible difference to the safety of their workplace. This can really empower the individual and turn their mind to safety. · Collect information: Hazard hunts can prompt us to focus on specific risks that may have been overlooked · Increases awareness: The engagement of the workforce in this way can turn the mind to hazard identification in a way which can sharpens our ability to identify potential dangers and enhances our overall safety. · Positive influences safety culture: The involvement of the whole workforce, from management to the shop-floor, can foster an environment where safety becomes a shared responsibility. It can encourage a culture of vigilance and care. What next? It is integral that there is thorough follow-up after a hazard hunt takes place. This means utilising the risk matrix and hierarchy of control to prioritise the hazards which are dealt with first. Then you must move forward with mitigating the risk of the hazards coming to fruition. As always, this process must take place with meaningful consultation. If you don’t do this, then the benefits of the Hazard Hunt will be lost. The effort put into the hazard identification exercise must be matched by the dedication of the employer to make meaningful safety improvements. The Role of HSR’s: The people who are doing the work are the best placed to identify hazards in their work. They are also often the best people to come up with successful OHS solutions. HSR’s can encourage the use of hazard hunts and encourage their co-workers to actively participate. As always, HSR’s act as a conduit between the workers and the employer – working to improve safety in their role as employee representatives.