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.

WorkSafe HSR of The Year!

By admin • March 3, 2026
The Annual WorkSafe Awards Night was held last week at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne. BeSafe was there and, of course, the highlight of the night was the presentation of the Award for Health and Safety Representative of The Year! This category acknowledges Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) who have represented their designated work group (DWG) in an outstanding manner. There were four finalists this year and all of them showed how effective representation by HSRs is vital to safe workplaces. Anna Musgrave – Ambulance Victoria Anna is an ALS paramedic from Maffra who worked on a really challenging workplace hazard: fatigue. She advocated for the health and safety of her DWG, ultimately creating a fatigue monitoring self-assessment tool and changing the culture around fatigue and fatigue management. See more about Anna here: https://youtu.be/7tXtrXnVfME?si=BdtOF4t-ZP61otfx Ben Lennon – Crown Melbourne Ben is a table games dealer at Crown Casino, a delegate and HSR. He has been able to ensure all workers’ DWGs are represented, help workers to understand their rights and to feel safe to report. By helping spa treatment workers with their safety issues, he was able to facilitate a resolution. He has focused on effective consultation through building trust and working together. See more about Ben here: https://youtu.be/iVCcWq1mjKw?si=7qz2VfKfv_RLiF9L Bess Taitoko and Owen Glassenbury – Northern Health Two amazing HSRs who worked together to address serious Occupational Violence and Aggression issues in the Broadmeadows Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. The working environment involved the balancing of patient safety and wellbeing and that of the staff. These HSRs worked within a complex environment to ensure the safety of the work group which they represent, including creating a flow chart to assess and address risks proactively. See more about Bess and Owen here: https://youtu.be/wySo4Q0Vuxw?si=r7HuyV11XQOuHa5u Manny Mason – City of Ballarat - The 2025 HSR of the year award winner! Manny works in the Arboriculture Unit at the City of Ballarat and has been an HSR for over 15 years. He has dealt with many issues over the years. He has provided support and advocacy in bullying and sexual harassment cases, through to addressing physical hazards in fountain maintenance. He highlighted the importance of communication, advocacy and supporting co-workers while holding the employer to account in ensuring the safety of the workplace.  See more about Manny here: https://youtu.be/EQwPxiu43FA?si=qtKYItVTAxt7rgnf Congratulations to these Safety Reps and a big shout out to all the HSR’s out there who are doing great work every single day as the safety superheroes in their workplace!

Coronial Findings on workplace deaths – an opportunity to learn

By admin • February 16, 2026
Coroners Court findings are an opportunity to learn – especially when it comes to a workplace death. The role of the Coroners Court is to: “investigate reportable deaths, reduce preventable deaths promote public health and safety and the administration of justice” About us | Coroners Court of Victoria The Coroners’ Court deals with certain reportable deaths and this includes “When someone dies from an accident or injury, even if there is a prolonged interval between the incident and death.” – including workplace deaths. These deaths must be reported to the coroner for investigation. All of these reportable deaths are allocated to a Coroner who then investigates the death and then will consider whether anything could be done differently to help prevent similar deaths in the future. Inquests are not held for every death, in fact less than 5% of deaths will be the subject of an inquest. The rest of the cases will have findings made ‘in chambers’. The Coroner may or may not make ‘recommendations’ to prevent future similar deaths. The Coroner may or may not then order for the findings to be published. Those cases which are published can be found at: Findings | Coroners Court of Victoria The findings into any death are always sobering reading. But in the case of work-related deaths there is almost always a preventative opportunity – even when no specific recommendations are made. For this reason, it is important that these findings are made publicly available for those who wish to review them and learn (– assuming that the worker’s family has approved the publication of the report). The Coroners Court says that they aim to ‘identify how similar deaths may be prevented’. If that is to truly be the case, then they need to be published and we must seek to read them and learn from these tragic deaths. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all would be if we do not learn from these horrific deaths in the workplace? We pay our respects to those who have lost their lives at work and acknowledge the pain and suffering of those left behind. Everyone has the right to come home from work alive and well at the end of the day.