RISK ASSESSMENT

David Veale
University Safety Officer
024-7652-3455
d.r.veale@warwick.ac.uk
Out of this nettle danger we pluck this flower safety
 ORIGINS OF RISK
ASSESSMENT
• We Athenians take our decisions on policy
and submit them to proper discussions
• The worst thing is to rush into action before
the consequences have been properly
debated
• We are capable at the same time of taking
risks and estimating them beforehand
Pericles: Funeral Oration Ca 430 BC
 RISK ASSESSMENT
• Risk assessment should not just a
bureaucratic task that has to be done to
avoid falling foul of the law
• It is a vital practical tool for:
- identifying hazards
- controlling risk
- making decisions on priorities
 CAUTIONARY TALES
• The tragedy of BSE is that many
officials must have known, deep
down that their risk estimates had
no factual basis
• NASAs official risk factor for the the
Shuttle was one in a million, after
Challenger exploded, the true figure
of 1 in 100 emerged
Professor Ian Stewart
 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS:
DUTY OF CARE
In discharging this duty It is necessary to :
• identify foreseeable hazards
• take suitable precautions to avoid injury
or loss
This implies a process where the risks
from foreseeable hazards are assessed
 RISK ASSESSMENT
PRE-LEGISLATION
“High tech”
• Highly skilled professionals
• Formal & systematic
• Often quantitative
“Low tech”
• Intuitive
• Informal and unsystematic
• Usually qualitative
 LEGAL DUTIES :
HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK
ACT
Although HASAWA does not use the term “risk
assessment”, the concept of “reasonable
practicability” implies an assessment where
the severity of a risk is weighed against the
time, effort and expense of rectifying it
 MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH
AND SAFETY AT WORK REGS
• General duty to assess risks
• Assessors must be competent
• Assessments must be suitable and
sufficient
• Must review if validity is suspected
or significant changes made
• Must record significant findings
Regulation 3
SOME OTHER REGULATIONS
REQUIRING ASSESSMENTS
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
• Dangerous Substances & Exp. Atmospheres
• Control of Lead at Work
• Control of Asbestos at Work
• Control of Noise at Work
• Ionising Radiations
• Manual Handling
• Display Screen Equipment
COMPETENT PERSON
• Appropriate theoretical and practical
knowledge
• Experience of relevant systems
• Ability to assess
• Can write reports
• Knows limitations
 STEPS TO ASSESSMENT
• Look for the hazards
• Decide who might be harmed & how
• Evaluate the risks & decide on
control measures
• record your findings
• review and revise if necessary
See “5 Steps to Risk Assessment”
(INDG163rev1)
HAZARD AND RISK
• A hazard is the innate
property of a substance,
process etc to to cause harm
• A risk is the probability
that the hazard will
cause harm in given
circumstances
 SAFETY & RISK
• Some risks we accept as part of normal
living. Most would consider such conditions
to be “safe”.
• Other risks we tolerate because we consider
the benefits outweigh the risks (e.g. driving a
car). Conditions should also be relatively
safe, provided risks are reduced as low as is
reasonably practicable (ALARP).
• Some risks are considered intolerable and
most would consider conditions “unsafe”
See Reducing Risks, Protecting People (HSE)
HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
Look for hazards that could reasonably be
expected to cause significant harm
• Check list
• walk through survey
• brainstorming session
• systematic studies (eg HAZOP)

What could go wrong if…………………….?

How could such a failure happen………...?
 HAZARDS IN THE
WORKPLACE
• Think about the hazards in your
workplace
• Write down up to six of the most
significant
• Have you assessed them?
• Are they under control?
• Where should your priorities lie?
EQUIPMENT HAZARD
Eg Printer
– Electrical hazards
– physical hazards
– Fire risks
– Noise
– Paper dust etc
– Ozone production
– Manual handling
 HAZOP
A systematic team approach to
hazard identification & evaluation
• Intention - intended function or action
• Deviation from intention using guide words:
“no/none”, “more of”, “less of”, “part of”,
“reverse”, “as well as”, “other than”
• Causes: reasons why deviations might
occur
• Consequences: results and significance of
deviations
HAZOP ANALYSIS OF TEAMAKING
Step (1) Intention: fill kettle
• Deviation (1) guide word: NONE
Causes: no water supply or tap fails closed
Consequence: no tea
Action: keep bottled water for emergency use
• Deviation (2) guide word MORE OF
Causes: tap fails open or is left on to long
Consequence: water spillage
Action: fill over sink
 PEOPLE AT RISK
• Operators
• supervisors
• contractors
• people sharing your workplace
• visitors & members of the public
• special risks (pregnant women, young
or inexperienced persons, lone workers,
people with disabilities etc)
RISK PRIORITISATION
Low Moderate High
frequency frequency frequency
Minor Very low Low Moderate
injury
Serious Low moderate High
injury
Major moderate high Very high
injury
Probability Severity Risk

V high

Low High
High
Medium Medium Medium
Low
High Low

Very low
 QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT
Fault trees
Visitors
15/year Meeting
OR with lunch
Training 20/ year
Course AND Free meal
5/year Invitation 2xyear
10%
Frequency
Probability

Add frequencies or probabilities at OR gates

Multiply frequency X probability
probability X probability at AND gates
RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT
• V low: acceptable risk. No action required
• Low: tolerable risk. Action may not be
required
• Moderate: reduce risk if practicable
• High: priority for risk reduction requiring
urgent action
• V high risk: intolerable risk. Cease activity
until risk has been reduced
ELIMINATION OR CONTROL
• Eliminate if practicable
• otherwise control exposure
• safe systems of work
• personal protective equipment
• instruction and training
• emergency procedures
• health surveillance
CONTROL OF EQUIPMENT RISKS

Printer:
• Ozone - ventilation,
maintenance, monitoring
• Fire - smoke alarm, door closer, reduce
combustibles
• Electrical hazards - inspection & testing,
maintenance
• Manual handling - training, limit load,
use of trolleys etc
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS
May be needed for non-routine
operations
• Trials of equipment
• Training
• Maintenance and testing
• Emergencies
• Decommissioning & disposal
 “7 DEADLY SINS”
• “We’re fine the way we are”
• Assuming it is someone else’s job
• Doing the assessment too late
• Not doing your homework
• Getting bogged down with trivia
• being dazzled by numbers
• Not translating the assessment into a safe
system of work
FURTHER ACTION
• Record assessment
• time-scale for necessary action
• decide who is responsible
• monitor implementation
• review periodically or
if there are significant changes
 FURTHER INFORMATION
• Management of Health & Safety at Work - ACOP &
Guidance (L21)
• A Guide to Risk Assessment Requirements
(INDG218L)
• Five Steps to Risk Assessments (INDG163Rev1)
 SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS
TO HEALTH & SAFETY
Control of substances Hazardous to Health Regs
• toxic, harmful, irritant & corrosive chemicals
• mutagens, teratogens & carcinogens
• dusts & fumes
• allergens & biological hazards
Not lead, asbestos & radioactive substances
Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regs
• Flammable & explosive substances
• Reactive hazards
 COSHH/CLAW/CAW/
DSEAR ETC
• Require risk assessment
• Duty of employer
• By a competent person
• Do before work starts
• Must be suitable & sufficient
• Consider the activity & the substance
• Record & review as necessary
 EXPOSURE TO HAZARDS
Must be:
• Prevented or if this is not reasonably
practicable
• Adequately controlled
• Preferably without recourse to personal
protective equipment
WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS?
• Obtain a Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) from the Supplier
• This is not a risk assessment but should
contain necessary information
• Risk & safety phrases etc
• Data may be incomplete
if it is a novel substance
BASIC DETAILS OF ACTIVITY
Record:
• location(s)
• nature of activity
• persons potentially at risk
• substances used
• frequency and duration of use
• Concentration/amount
SCALE OF ACTIVITIES
• Small (g or ml quantities)

• Medium (kg or l quantities)

• Large (Tonnes or m3 quantities)

VOLATILITY & DUSTINESS
Risk of airborne exposure and risk of
fire/explosion will be determined by:
• Volatility of liquids (low, medium high)
Temperature dependent
• Dustiness of solids (pellet-like,
crystalline/granular, finely divided etc)
• Flammability/combustibility/
reactivity of substances
 HEALTH EFFECTS OF
CHEMICALS
• Acute exposure:
- symptoms may be immediate or after
a delay
• Chronic or cumulative exposure
- slow development of symptoms

Effects may be at site of exposure (local)

or remote (systemic)
SITE AND ROUTE OF ENTRY
• Inhalation
- 80% ill health assoc with this route
- large surface area
• Skin absorption (esp lipid solvents)
- contact & allergic dermatitis
• Wounds
• Mucous membranes
• Ingestion
EXPOSURE LIMITS
• Maximum exposure limit (MEL):
max concentration of an airborne
substance a person may be exposed to
(reduce exposure as far as possible)
• Occupational exposure limit:
concentration of an airborne substance
at which there is no evidence of an
injurious effect
 EXAMPLES OF EXPOSURE
LIMITS (PPM IN AIR)
Bis(chloromethyl)ether 0.001

Ozone 0.2
Hydrogen Cyanide 10
Ethanol 1000
Limits are listed in EH40 (published annually)
 FLAMMABLE SOLVENTS
Flashpoint Autoignition
o
C temp oC

Ethanol 13 425
Acetone -20 538
Ether -40 170
 EXPLOSIVE LIMITS
% by volume
Lower Upper
Hydrogen 4 74
Methane 5 15
Ethanol 3 19
Petrol 1 8
Air/solvent mixtures within these limits are
potentially explosive
 CONTROL MEASURES
• Eliminate hazard if possible
• Substitute a less hazardous substance
• Control hazard at source
• Safe systems of work
• Information/inspection/training
• Maintenance and inspection
• Record keeping
• Control using PPE as a last resort
• Exposure monitoring if appropriate
• Health surveillance if necessary
• Emergency procedures if things go wrong
 CONTAINMENT OF
AIRBORNE RISKS
• General ventilation
• Local exhaust ventilation (eg fume
cupboard)
• Total containment or enclosure (eg
glove box)
• Special measures
(case by case)
HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
Should be selective & could include
• Health questionnaire
• Interview or examination
• Tests or investigations
• Periodic review
• Immunisation
 HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS
THE RISKS FOR METHANOL?
• Boiling point 65oC
• Occ exposure standard 200ppm (8h TWA)
• Odour threshold 100ppm
• Flash point 12oC (explosive limits 6-37%)
• 33cm3 produces OES in 100m3 of air
• Highly flammable, toxic if swallowed, by
inhalation or contact with skin, danger of very
serious irreversible effects
 FURTHER INFORMATION
• Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health ACOP & Guidance (L5)
• Control of Lead at Work ACOP (COP2)
• A Comprehensive Guide to Managing
Asbestos (HSG227)
• COSHHH - A brief Guide to the
Regulations (INDG136rev2)
• COSHH Essentials (HSG193)
• Several ACOPs for DSEAR are in
preparation
ASSESSMENT OF DISPLAY SCREEN
EQUIPMENT WORKSTATIONS
Assessments should include:
• Display screen equipment (alphanumeric
or graphical display regardless of
process)
• Accessories & peripherals
• Furniture etc
• The immediate work
environment
DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT
REGULATIONS 1992
• Users: employees who habitually use DSE for
a significant part of their work
- no discretion
- need training
- continuous spells of 1h plus
- use more or less daily every day
- fast input
- high level of attention/concentration
• Operator: a self-employed user
ASSESSMENTS MUST BE:
• Systematic
• Appropriate for the degree of risk
• Comprehensive (job, workplace and
individual factors
• Incorporate information from both
employer & worker
 IS THE DISPLAY SCREEN
IMAGE CLEAR?
•Are the characters readable?
•Is the image clear of flicker?
•Can brightness/contrast be adjusted?
•Does the screen swivel & tilt?
•Is it free from glare/reflections?
There may be problems
with laptops
IS THE KEYBOARD COMFORTABLE?
• Is it tiltable?
• Is the keying position comfortable?
• Is there space in front to rest the
hands?
• Is it free of glare?
• Are the characters readable?
Use of the mouse and other
pointing devices also need
assessing
 Does the furniture fit the user?
• Is the work surface large enough?
• Is the surface free of glare?
• Is the chair stable?
• Can you adjust the chair?
• Is the user comfortable?
 ARE OTHER FACTORS OK?
•Is there enough room?
•Are levels of light, heat, noise etc ok?
•Does the air feel comfortable?
•Can you use the software comfortably?
•Are there any othe potential problems?
Note that there may be a psychosocial
component in DSE related WRULD
 FURTHER INFORMATION
• Work with Display Screen Equipment: Guidance on
Regulations (L26)
• Working with VDUs (INDG36rev2)
• The Law on VDU’s: An easy Guide (HSG90)
• Seating at Work (HSG57)
• Lighting at Work (HSG38)
• WRULD: a Guide to Prevention
(HSG60)
Recently revised
 ASSESSMENT OF MANUAL
HANDLING OPERATIONS
Manual Handling Operations 1992
• If not practicable to avoid operations with
risk of injury
• Employers must make a suitable &
sufficient assessment of risk
• & reduce risks to as low a
level as practicable
 MANUAL HANDLING
OPERATIONS
Transporting or supporting a load
• Lifting or putting down
• Pushing or pulling
• Carrying or moving
By hand or bodily force
 GUIDELINE LOADS
HSE publishes guideline loads. These should
provide protection for 95% of working men &
women but are not “safe weight limits”
 THE TASK
• Holding loads away from body
• Twisting, stooping or reaching upwards
• Large vertical movements
• Long carrying distances
• Strenuous pushing or pulling
• Unpredictable load movement
• Repetitive handling
• Insufficient rest/recovery
• Imposed workrate
How could these risks be reduced?
MODIFYING THE GUIDELINE LOADS
• Stooping: 20o reduce by 25%, 90o by 50% (avoid
if possible)
• Twisting: 30o reduce by 10%, 90o by 20% (avoid
if possible)
• Repeated operations: 60-20/h reduce by 30%,
300-500/h by 50% >720/h by 80%
• 2-person lift 2/3 sum of individual capacities
• 3-person lift 1/2 sum of individual capacities
 THE LOAD
• Heavy
• Bulky/unwieldy
• Difficult to grasp
• Unstable/unpredictable
• Intrinsically harmful
How could these risks be reduced?
THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
•Constraints on posture
•Poor floors
•Variations in levels
•Hot/cold/humid conditions
•Strong air movements
•Poor lighting conditions
How could these risks be reduced?
 INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY

• Unusual capacity required

• Health problem?
• Pregnant women?
• Job needs special information/training
• Movement may be hindered by
clothing/PPE
How could these risks be reduced?
 SAFE LIFTING
• Get close to the load before you move
• Adopt a stable stance
• Ensure a good hold on the load
• Soften or relax the knees, hips
and back to reach the load
• Avoid fully bending the knees or back
• Use both leg & back muscles when
lifting
From The Principles of Good Manual Handling:
MANUAL HANDLING IN THE LIBRARY
 FURTHER INFORMATION
• Manual Handling - Guidance on Regulations (L23)
• Getting to grips with Manual Handling - A short Guide
for Employers (INDG143)
• Manual Handling - Solutions you can Handle (HSE)
• Manual Handling, An Ergonomic Approach
(Backcare)