Unit IG2: Risk assessment

Declaration: by submitting this assessment (Parts 1 – 4) for marking I declare that it is entirely my own work. I understand that falsely claiming that the
work is my own is malpractice and can lead to NEBOSH imposing severe penalties (see the NEBOSH Malpractice Policy for further information).

Part 1: Background

Include in here the organisation’s name* and location* and number of workers. You must then go on to give a description of the main
activities/products/services carried out. You must also describe the area to be risk assessed eg, whole site, and anything else that you
consider relevant (approximately 150 to 200 words):

I work in United Fabrication Limited (UFL) in Tema, Ghana with 180 workers distributed across various departments of the organization.

UFL is a large steel fabrication and construction firm with offices for administrative purposes and that of designers for the various pieces to be
constructed, a transport department, maintenance department to fix broken down machines and vehicles, a workshop that converts the designs
into finished artefact or pieces, a spray department to spray the finished pieces, a construction department to put structures such as warehouses
and buildings on clients’ sites, and finally a caravan department that constructs mobile offices/apartments. The more frequent routine involves
trucks bringing in steel plate, the workshop turning the steel plates into the designed pieces (machines, trailers, mobile offices, columns and rafters,
etc.), spraying these parts or whole pieces and transporting the work pieces to clients’ sites. The workshop has welders, fabricators, machine
operators, drafts men, factory hands, sprayers, etc. The workshop operates within the hours of 7am to 4pm on weekdays, 8am to 1pm on
Saturdays and occasionally on Sundays to meet clients’ deadlines.

The entire organization is my scope of the risk assessment. Health and safety is the responsibility of the factory manager who is the person in
charge of the organization.

You must now give a brief outline on how you completed the risk assessment (approximately 200 words):

Learner number: 00528831 Learner name: Anthony Opoku Page 1 of 14

The first point of information reference was the Ghana factories act (1970) codes of practice in relation to workshop/factories. Other
documents consulted include ILO-OSH codes of practice (Ambient factors in the workplace) for the various hazard categories and
general principles of prevention and control of hazards and/or risks. The ILO-OSH Health and Safety Managements Systems (2001)
for guidelines on occupational health and safety management systems.

Aside external documentation consulted, the organization’s accident/incident record was also reviewed for various incidents and their
frequencies as well as repots to determine incident causes and actions plans to prevent reoccurrence. Personal observations of the
various sections of the workplace by taking a tour and had a chat with the various section heads and workers. It was then revealed
that not all incidents (especially near misses and minor injuries) are reported to management/HSE official as workers feel such
incidents become a bad impression on their competency levels in the minds of management and a destruction to total man-hours
without Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) which could affect end of year safety incentive packages. Health records was also reviewed as the
organization’s sickbay for work-related ill-health and their frequencies. Health and Safety Managements Systems reviews as well as
maintenance records of the major equipment, vehicles and monitoring devices (Sound Level Meters, SLM) calibration records were
also visited for knowledge on the health and safety culture of the organization.

* If you’re worried about confidentiality, you can invent a false name and location for your organisation but, all other information provided must be
factual.

Learner number: 00528831 Learner name: Anthony Opoku Page 2 of 14

Part 2: Risk Assessment

Organisation name: United Fabrication Limited

Date of assessment: March 10, 2020
Scope of risk assessment: The entire organization

Hazard Who might be harmed What are you already doing? What further controls/actions are Timescales for
category and and how? required? further actions Responsible
hazard to be person’s job
completed title
(within …)

Work-related Display screen Adjustable seats have been 1. Reduction of workload per each 1 week Factory
upper limb equipment (DSE) users, provided for good working person manager
disorders such as designers, postures.
(actions 1, 2,
draftsmen, and office
and 3)
workers. 2. Job rotation around the sections to
1 month
Continuous limit the usage of DSE
usage of DSE
Long term usage of DSE
could lead to 3. Good design of work stations to
Epicondylitis, Carpal prevent repetitive actions by the
tunnel syndrome, trigger operators
finger, and Peritendinitis. 2 months

Welfare/Hygien All staff, Visitors, and The soaps have been given to 1. Put soaps in the washrooms Immediately Stores
e contractors. various supervisors to share to Manager
their workers for use.
(actions 1
2. Provide soap dispensers in the 1 week
and 2)
No soaps Acquisition of infectious washrooms to prevent soap theft.
available on diseases resulting in ill-
sinks for use in health or worse case,

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washrooms for death (e.g. Cholera, 3. Provide hand wash signage and 1 week
hand wash due typhoid, diarrhoea procedures.
HSE officer
to soap theft. COVID19).
(actions 3, 4,
4. Train workers, contractors, and and 5)
1 week after
visitors on hand wash procedures
developing
and Good Manufacturing Practices
hand wash
(GMPs).
procedures.

5. General hygiene education on need

xxx
for proper hand washing in disease
prevention
Noise Grinders and other A noise assessment of the 1. Put up attenuation enclosures for 6 months Factory
workers exposed to such workshop has been done but noise generating activities manager
noisy activity not reviewed in a long time.
(actions 1, 2,
Workers
4, and 5)
performing 2. Develop a review program for
3 months
grinding High dose of such noise Appropriate hearing protection developed risk assessment.
operations and being frequently has been provided to all
Maintenance
exposed to it can cause workers
manager
noise induced hearing 3. Enforce the use of hearing
loss over long time or protections 1 week (action 1)
temporal hearing loss Noise effects have been
immediately discussed at weekly health
and safety meetings and often 4. Develop a health surveillance HSE Officer
during toolbox meetings. program to monitor the hearing
6 moths (actions 2, 3,
trends of exposed workers.
4, and 5)

5. Perform frequent noise surveys

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 3 months
Hazardous All workers in the Nose masks but do not have 1. Enclosure built for spraying 3 months Factory
substances spraying department, and adequate protection activities manager
other workers who visit (actions 1,
the spraying section 4a, 5, 7, and
Mixing of paints during spraying Local exhaust ventilation fans 2. Purchase Dilution ventilation fans 7a)
operations. 1 month
for steel surface installed.
spraying.
3. Purchase Local exhaust ventilation Procurement
Paints entering the eye of 1 month officer
fans to be installed on enclosure
sprayer, or passer-by in
(actions 2, 3,
the form of mists which
and 4)
can lead to short term 4. Purchase air purifying nose mask
eye irritation or long term with face shield (4a. enforce usage) 1 month
serious eye damage.
Maintenance
manager
5. Plan job rotation (action 6)
Exposure to aromatic
vapours from the paint 1 week
leading to respiratory
6. Maintenance schedule for all HSE officer
tract infections like
ventilation fans.
bronchitis, lung 6 months (action 8)
infections, etc.

7. Introduction of safe system of work

(SSoW). (6a. to be updated to include
built enclosure upon completion) 1 month
6a. on
completion of
enclosure
8. Train workers on safe system of
work

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 1 week after
introduction of
SSoW.
Electricity Fabricators and welders Spare extension sockets and 1. Inspect all extension sockets and 1 week Gas cutting
plugs for electrical equipment electrical tools and equipment for machine
and tools have been provided defects and correct them operator
Service Poor contact of bare in the stores to be used in
(actions 1
extension socket wires can cause arcing replacing faulty ones
and 2)
defective so which can cause electric 2. Inspect all extension sockets and
fabricators result shock to the worker electrical tools and devices before As often as
to connecting and/or result in significant Workers have been trained on use equipment is
HSE officer
with bare wire. burns to the hands and electrical hazards and risks. used
arms of the worker (actions 3
and 5)
1 month
3. Develop safe systems of work
Factory
1 week after manager
4. Train workers on safe systems of
introduction of
work (actions 3
SSoW.
and 4)

Fire Welder and anyone Work segregation has been 1. Retrain workers on work 1 week Factory
working in the workshop. done by putting all activities segregation and fire manager
likely to involve a hot work far
(actions 3, 5,
Welding activity away from the stores or
7, and 8)
around storage Bodily burns and/or spraying section 2. Ensure all hot work activities are
Always
area of smoke inhalation from performed in designated workshops
combustible fire generated when arc

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material (Paint from welding activity Training on the importance of Heads of
and mixing comes in contact with work segregation and fire has departments
3. Develop safe systems of work
chemical). paint and/ or mixing been provided to all workers
(action 2)
chemical. 6 months
4. Train workers on safe systems of
work HSE officer
1 week after
introduction of (actions 1, 2,
SSoW 4, 6, 7, and 8)

6 months
5. Establish a permit to work (PTW)
system
1 week after
introduction of
6. Train workers on PTW system.
PTW system

2 months
7. Provide fire extinguishers at
vantage points to help fight fire

2 months
8. Establish an inspection scheme for
all fire extinguishers to maintain
their integrity
Work Worker Training have been provided 1. Provide close-fitting hand glove to 3 days HSE officer
equipment and to all workers on appropriate all workers prevent entanglement
machinery use personal protective
Getting entangled by equipment
rotating drill bit with loose 2. Fix adjustable guard round the

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Worker using end of hand glove that chuck and drill bit to keep worker’s Maintenance
pedestal drill can lead to bone fracture, hand/clothing away from rotating
A computer numeric control 3 months Manager
machine while loss of fingers, and even parts of the drill
drill machine is available that (actions 2
wearing loose loss of arm
requires no human assistance and 3)
hand glove
during drilling but can drill
3. Provide jigs or clamping device to
single piece of thin steel place
prevent puncture to hand of worker
Department
head
4. Provide supervision for such 3 months (action 4)
operations and give reasonable
deadlines for completion of work

1 week

Work at height Maintenance personnel Personnel provided with safety 1. Relocate the work by detaching Immediately Maintenance
harness while working at faulty crane drive and bringing it to supervisor
height. floor level for servicing.
Maintenance
personnel
servicing drive of 2. If (1) is not possible, use mobile
Transport
an overhead elevated work platform (MEWP) for
manager
crane while maintenance personnel to reach
sitting on the crane drive for servicing
cranes cross
beam.

Hazardous All workers in the Enclosure for sandblasting 1. Fix leakages on enclosure Immediately Maintenance
Substance workshop and visitors. activity to segregate the personnel
activity and generated dust
(actions 1,
form workers

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High dust Breathing in dust
concentration particles can cause short
resulting from term discomfort or
sandblasting of irritation and even ill-
steel columns health conditions like
and rafters. bronchitis or lung
These dust come infections in the long
out in the open term
due to leakages
in enclosure for
the sandblasting Dust particles on skin or
activity in the eye can cause
dermatitis and eye
irritation.
Slips and Trips All workers, drivers, and
visitors
Leakage of lathe
machine coolant Affected person my end
and lubrication up with bruises, cuts,
oil onto floor and sprains, broken bones
in drive way.
The vehicle may slip off
Trailing cables in drive way and collide with
the design office fixed or stationery
structure or even
worker(s) causing
serious injuries or even
death
Learner number: 00528831 Learner name: Anthony Opoku
2. Purchase and 2a. install dilution 1 month 2a, and 4)
fans
Local exhaust ventilation Factory
(LEV) fans extracting dust manager
To be
from enclosure to atmosphere
3. Acquire respiratory protective considered after
equipment to control the residual action 1, 2, and
Maintenance
hazard 4
Nose mask provided for manager
workers around enclosure
(action 5)
4. Inspect the LEV fans for damages 1 week
and repair
5. Develop an inspection and
3 months
maintenance program for the
enclosure and all ventilation fans.
Maintenance program has 1. Incorporate frequent inspections for 2 months Factory
been developed for all lathe all equipment to identify potential manager
machines to ensure effective hazards and curb them
(actions 2, 3,
preventive actions are in
and 4)
place.
2. Provide drainages along drive
ways to prevent leakages coming 6 months
Good housekeeping is always unto drive ways
encouraged during weekly Maintenance
3. Install barriers between walkways
health and safety meetings manager
and drive ways
6 months (actions 1, 3,
and 4)
Wood dust has been provided
4. Provide additional electrical
to cover leaked liquids
sockets to curb cables trailing
across office floors.
Page 9 of 14
 1 month
Electricity Any worker who steps in Catch trays have been 1. Clean the leakages from machines Immediately Workers
the leaked coolant provided on all lathe machines on floors
(actions 1, 2,
to prevent leakages onto floors
3, and 4)
Electrical cable
of portable Electric shock resulting 2. Inspect insulations of all electrical
Always before
welding in use from leaked coolant Safety boot with voltage cables to confirm their integrity
use of Department
running through conducting electricity resistance ratings have been
equipment heads
leaked lathe from the cable due to provided to workers
coolant on floor failed insulation 3. Ensure good housekeeping (action 3)
Always
Broken bone, cut or 4. Always maintain dry surfaces for HSE officer
bruise may be a electrical works
secondary effect (actions 3
resulting from the electric and 4)
Always
shock

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 Part 3: Prioritise three actions and justification for the selection

You must pick the three highest priority/most urgent actions and justify your choice. Your justification must include moral, legal and
financial arguments (500 to 700 words); consideration of likelihood and probable severity of injury, ill-health and/or harm (150 to 250 words);
description of how effective each action is likely to be in controlling the risk (250 to 350 words).

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Part 4: Review, communicate and check

You must now give a review date for your risk assessment and say why you have chosen this date (10 to 50 words).

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You must now indicate how the risk assessment findings will be communicated (including who needs to know the information) (100 to 150
words).

You must now indicate how you will follow-up on the risk assessment to check that the actions have been carried out (100 to 150 words).

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Learner number: 00528831 Learner name: Anthony Opoku Page 14 of 14