HAZARDS AND RISKS

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND RATE

THEM
 WHAT IS A HAZARD?
• A HAZARD is something with the
POTENTIAL to cause harm.
• Or, to put it in another way:-
– A source or situation with a potential for
harm in terms of human injury or ill-health,
damage to property, damage to the
environment, or a combination of these.
 How to identify hazards
• Simply ask the question –
– ‘Does this task/activity/situation/event have
the potential to harm a person or damage
property?’
• Or ask the question –
– ‘What if…?’
• Hazards can also be identified from
records of past accidents and ‘near
misses’.
 Categorising hazards
• The obvious hazard
– is apparent to the senses
• The concealed hazard
– is not apparent to the senses
• The developing hazard
– cannot be recognised immediately and will
develop over time
• The transient hazard
– is an intermittent or a temporary hazard
A HAZARD may become more obvious
and easily identifiable when a person
actually performs a task.
 Identifying hazards in the
workplace
• Prepare and establish the context for the
risk management process.
• This involves identifying:
– all activities involved in work processes and
tasks;
– who is involved in those activities; and
– items of plant or materials that are used.
• Then make a list of all the hazards at the
workplace.
Five step risk
management
process
 Locating and Identifying Hazards
• Visual Inspection and Observation.
• Structured approach.
• Other ways.
 Visual Inspection and Observation
• conduct regular walk- through visual inspections
of the workplace.
• Look at each task the workers do to see if any
hazards are present, such as handling loads,
using chemicals or equipment.
• Observe workers performing their tasks as more
hazards may become apparent.
• See whether the documented procedure for
performing the task is being followed by workers,
or are they taking short cuts to speed up work.
 Structured Approach
• To improve the chances of identifying all of
the hazards in the workplace.
– Divide the workplace into groupings such as;
• Location,
• Functions or production processes,
• Roles and
• Tasks.
 Other Identification Ways
• Consult workers about;
– problems they have encountered in doing their work;
• any near misses or events that have not been reported;
• unreported minor injuries;
• Miscellaneous symptoms.
• Analysing;
– Records of incidents and near misses, worker
complaints, sick leave and staff turnover;
– Maintenance records, results of surveys, audits or
inspections.
 Do not think:
“Nothing has happened in the past,
therefore it must be safe.”
 What is Risk?
Risk is the likelihood that a harmful
consequence (death, injury or illness)
might result when exposed to the hazard.
 Degree of Risk
• Will depend upon the amount of exposure to the
hazard.
• The level of risk depends on things such as:
– how much is present,
– how easy it is e.g. for toxic chemicals to interact with
our bodies,
– how fast the toxicity depletes and how rapidly their
potential for harm decreases, and
– how long some chemicals are toxic.
 An Example
A drum of toxic waste is hazardous,
whether it is in a well-regulated disposal
facility, or sitting in the living room. But the
level of risk would be very different in
these two cases.
 Risk Assessment
• The purpose of a risk assessment is to
determine:
– whether there is any likelihood of a potentially
hazardous situation causing death, injury,
illness or disease to people in the workplace;
– how severe that risk is; and
– whether the risk needs to be controlled and
how urgently.
 Assessing the Identified Risks
• Assessing or evaluating the identified risks
will help:
– determine which ones are the most serious
(i.e. those with greater likelihood and most
severe consequences); and
– plan the actions needed to control the risks in
order of priority, from most serious to least
serious risks to health and safety.
 Likelihood and Consequences
• To assess the level of risk, the likelihood
of an event occurring (will it happen or
could it happen?) and the extent of the
consequences that could result (if it does
occur, how serious will the outcome be?)
must be considered.
• Both factors are equally important in
establishing the level of risk.
 Risk

= severity of consequences

x likelihood of occurrence
 Likelihood
Almost certain expected in most
circumstances
Likely will probably occur in most
circumstances
Possible might occur at some time

Unlikely could occur at some time

Rare may occur only in

exceptional circumstances
 Consequences
Catastrophic death; toxic release of chemicals

Major extensive injuries; loss of

production
Moderate medical treatment; spillage
contained but with outside help
Minor first aid treatment only; spillage
contained at site
Insignificant no injuries
Risk Priority Chart
Risk Score and Statement
 Simplified Decision Making
• No or low risk - continue activity
– If it is not at all likely that anyone will be
exposed to a hazardous situation or event,
then there is no risk, and no risk control
measures are required.
• High risk – stop activity now
– If there is a high or immediate risk to health or
safety, the process/activity in question must
be ceased until measures are taken to
remove the high or immediate risk.
 Hierarchy of Control Measures
1. Eliminate the hazard, remove the risk.
2. Substitute a less hazardous material,
process or equipment.
3. Redesign the process or equipment.
4. Isolate the hazard.
5. Administration may reduce risk.
6. Use PPE as a last resort.
• Administration and the use of personal
protective equipment are the lowest priority on
the list of controls.
• These controls should NOT be relied on as the
primary means of risk control until the options
higher in the control priorities have been
exhausted.
• These controls require management,
enforcement, and commitment, together with
behavioural modification.
 Monitor and Review the Risk
Ask questions to determine whether:
• Are the chosen control measures in place?
• Do the chosen control measures work?
• Have the chosen control measures
eliminated or adequately reduced the risk?
• Have the implemented control
measures introduced any new
problems/hazards?
 References
• Risk Management Advisory Standard
2000: Department of Employment,
Training and Industrial Relations –
Workplace Health and Safety.
• Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360:1999 –
Risk management.
• Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995.
• Workplace Health and Safety Regulations
1997.