Identifying hazards in the workplace
A guide for hazards in the workplace
Contents
Introduction
Executive summary
The four step risk management process
1. Identify the hazards
2. Assess the risks
3. Control the risks
4. Monitor and review
Glossary
Contacts
Meeting the standard (chart) insert
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer
Publication Details
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Introduction
Comcare has produced this booklet to help program managers and supervisors with responsibility for occupational health and safety (OHS). The book covers the use of risk management in occupational health and safety through a structured process.
Section 16. (2) (c) of the OHS (CE) Act says the employer must "ensure the safety at work of, and the absence of risks at work to the health of, the employees...".
Workplace injury and disease impacts heavily on the human and financial resources of Commonwealth agencies. Apart from our legal obligation to provide a healthy and safe workplace, it is good business sense for us to effectively manage health and safety hazards.
Recent studies show the indirect cost of workplace injury is between 7 and 20 times higher. Indirect costs include such things as absenteeism, loss of productivity, retraining, position backfilling, labour turnover, loss of skill and experience, and decreased morale.The information in this booklet may help you to understand the principles of risk management, and practise effective risk management in your workplace. Adopting a risk management program can lead to better practice and continuous improvement in OHS performance.
Introducing a risk management program can
• reduce costs
• increase productivity
• raise morale
• improve workplace relations.
The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission has produced this booklet through its prevention program. The prevention program aims to ensure safe and healthy Commonwealth workplaces where
• managers and employees recognise and acknowledge their respective responsibilities and accountability for occupational health and safety
• occupational health and safety is an integral component of management systems and daily work practices
• the performance and outcomes of occupational health and safety achieve a standard of best practice.
Executive Summary
Workplace injury is a major cause of concern for all involved in occupational health and safety.
The factors which cause workplace accidents and occupational illnesses are called hazards. The need for systematic management of OHS hazards and their attendant risks applies to all organisations and all activities and functions within an organisation.
It is important to distinguish between hazard, risk and exposure when undertaking risk management.
Hazard is the potential for harm, or adverse effect on an employee's health. Anything which may cause injury or ill health to anyone at or near a workplace is a hazard.
Risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause injury or ill health to anyone at or near a workplace. The level of risk increases with the severity of the hazard and the duration and frequency of exposure.
Exposure occurs when a person comes into contact with a hazard.
Risk management is a four step process
1. identify the hazard
2. assess the risk associated with the hazard
3. control the risk
4. review the process.
The first and most important step in reducing the likelihood of an accident is hazard identification. This means identifying all workplace situations or events that could cause injury or illness.
The second step is an assessment of the level of risk of the hazards you have identified. This step involves collecting information and making decisions. It is important you consider the extent of the harm or consequence from a hazard and the likelihood of harm occurring. If your assessment is that an unacceptable risk to health and safety exists, you must introduce controls to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
There are three categories of control measures you might take. You can
• eliminate the hazard
• minimise the risk
• introduce `back-up' controls (when all other options in the previous categories have been exhausted).
The third step in effective risk management is to establish and maintain systems which give opportunity for regular evaluation and review procedures.
Evaluation means examining control measures to ensure risks are eliminated or reduced and have not caused new hazards presenting unacceptable risk. The review system applies to the overall risk management process and checks the process is working effectively to identify hazards and manage risks.
Risk management is an organisational issue and a successful program requires the commitment and cooperation of all. All program managers and their staff need to recognise the fundamental importance of occupational health and safety risk management for it to work. Best practice is embedding occupational health and safety risk management into daily usage at all levels of an organisation. Achieving best practice is how you can integrate risk management principles and practices into everyday business practice.
The four step risk management process
1. Identify the hazards
Hazard identification
The first step in reducing the likelihood of an accident is hazard identification. Hazard identification is identifying all situations or events that could cause injury or illness. Eliminating or minimising workplace hazards needs a systematic approach. It is essential to try and anticipate all possible hazards at the workplace - known as the `what if?' approach.
Hazards defined
A hazard is a source or potential source of human injury, ill health or disease. Anything which might cause injury or ill health to anyone at or near a workplace is a hazard. While some hazards are fairly obvious and easy to identify, others are not - for example exposure to noise, chemicals or radiation.
Classes of hazard
Hazards are classified into five different types. They are
• physical - includes floors, stairs, work platforms, steps, ladders, fire, falling objects, slippery surfaces, manual handling (lifting, pushing, pulling), excessively loud and prolonged noise, vibration, heat and cold, radiation, poor lighting, ventilation, air quality
• mechanical and/or electrical - includes electricity, machinery, equipment, pressure vessels, dangerous goods, fork lifts, cranes, hoists
• chemical - includes chemical substances such as acids or poisons and those that could lead to fire or explosion, cleaning agents, dusts and fumes from various processes such as welding
• biological - includes bacteria, viruses, mould, mildew, insects, vermin, animals
• psychosocial environment - includes workplace stressors arising from a variety of sources.
Note that some physical and chemical hazards can lead to fire, explosion and other safety hazards.
Methods for identifying hazards
The first step in control of a hazard is to identify and list them. There are many methods which are useful for identifying hazards, including
• injury and illness records - review your workers' compensation data and check the incidence, mechanism and agency of injury, and the cost to the organisation. These statistics can be analysed to alert the organisation to the presence of hazards
• staying informed on trends and developments in workplace health and safety, for example via the internet or OHS publications
• reviewing the potential impact of new work practices or equipment introduced into the workplace in line with legislative requirements
• doing walk-through surveys, inspections or safety audits in the workplace to evaluate the organisation's health and safety system
• considering OHS implications when analysing work processes
• investigating workplace incidents and `near hits' reports - in some cases there may be more than one hazard contributing to an incident
• getting feedback from employees can often provide valuable information about hazards, because they have hands-on experience in their work area
• consulting with employees, health and safety representatives and OHS Committee members
• benchmarking against or liaising with similar workplaces.
Summary of key points
• Conduct regular, systematic inspections of the workplace.
• Observe what hazards exist in the workplace and ask, `what if?'
• Listen to feedback from the people performing work tasks.
• Maintain records of the processes used to identify hazards.
• Talk to your health and safety representatives.
2. Assess the risks
Assessment of risks
When you identify a hazard, do a risk assessment. A risk assessment process means you
• gather information about each identified hazard
• consider the number of people exposed to each hazard and the duration of the exposure
• use the information to assess the likelihood and consequence of each hazard
• use a risk assessment table to work out the risk associated with each hazard.
Factors for consideration
You should consider the following factors during the risk assessment process
• the nature of the hazard posing the risk
• combinations of hazards
• types of injuries or illnesses foreseeable from exposure
• the consequences of duration and exposure to the hazard
• workplace and workstation layout
• working posture and position
• work organisation
• the introduction of new work processes
• skill and experience level of employees
• personal characteristics of employees exposed to the risk (colour blindness or hearing impairment)
• existing control measures in place such as the use of clothing and personal protective equipment.
Risk assessment table
One method of assessing risks is to use a risk assessment table. Record the risk rating for each hazard you have identified. To construct an assessment matrix, you can
• establish a specialist risk assessment team
• get expert or specialist advice
• brainstorm within the workplace, particularly with employees, health and safety representatives and OHS committee members - they are often a valuable source of information and experience.
Before introducing new or changed work practices, substances or plant - review your original assessment. It is good management to do regular reviews.
Risk assessment table
Using a risk assessment table
Assessments of likelihood and consequence can be translated into levels of risk using a risk assessment table. Areas of high risk can be given first priority for elimination or control in the workplace.
Consequence, or extent of the injury or ill health were it to occur, can be rated in the following way
• Fatality.
• Major or serious injury (serious damage to health which may be irreversible, requiring medical attention and ongoing treatment). Such an injury is likely to involve significant time off work.
• Minor injury (reversible health damage which may require medical attention but limited ongoing treatment). This is less likely to involve significant time off work.
• Negligible injuries (first aid only with little or no lost time). Unlikely to involve more than 1 day off work.
Likelihood, or the chance of each of the situations or events actually occurring, can be rated in the following way.
• Very likely (exposed to hazard continuously).
• Likely (exposed to hazard occasionally).
• Unlikely (could happen but only rarely).
• Highly unlikely (could happen, but probably never will).
This classification would be used very rarely.
Acting on the findings
The possible conclusions you might draw from your risk assessment process and the actions you might take are listed below.
1. Risks are not significant now and not likely to increase in future.
Actions
• end current assessment and record assessment details
• review assessment if situation changes or in 2 years
• provide induction and ongoing training
• follow safe working procedures.
2. Risks are significant but already effectively controlled. Could increase in the future.
Actions
• determine precautions to maintain controls and minimise chances of higher exposure occurring
• determine additional measures for regaining control if a high risk event occurs, despite precautions
• determine if monitoring or health surveillance is required to check effectiveness of controls
• review assessment if situation changes or in 2 years
• provide induction and ongoing training
• ensure that safe working procedures are followed.
3. Risks are significant now, and not adequately controlled.
Actions
• identify and implement immediate measures for preventing or controlling exposure
• consider stopping the process
• commence review of longer term control requirements
• re-evaluate exposures when the upgraded control measures are in place
• determine if monitoring or health surveillance is required
• provide induction and ongoing training
• ensure that safe working procedures are followed.
If you are still uncertain about risks and do not have enough information, or are uncertain about the degree of exposure, consider the actions listed below.
• Get more information. Apply good practice to minimise exposure until more information is available.
• Get specialist advice if necessary.
• Arrive at conclusion 1,2 or 3 and take the appropriate actions.
Summary of key points
Assess all reasonably foreseeable workplace hazards which may affect the health or safety of employees or other persons at work. Ask yourself
• how serious could it be?
• what is the likelihood of its occurrence?
• what is the significance of the risks?
• are risks assessed following the hazard identification exercise?
• are risks to others considered?
• are records of assessment maintained?
• which identified hazards create a significant risk?
3. Control the risks
Control measures
The correct course of action once a hazard is identified is to use control measures. These generally fall into three categories. You can
• eliminate the hazard
• minimise the risk
• use `back-up' controls when all other options in the previous categories have been exhausted.
The best way to control a hazard is to eliminate it. The elimination of a hazard is the first choice in a system called the `hierarchy of controls'.
Hierarchy of controls
There is an order of priority in hazard control.
• Eliminate the hazard from the workplace entirely. This is the best way to control a hazard. An example of elimination is to remove a noisy machine from a quiet area.
• Substitute or modify the hazard by replacing it with something less dangerous, for example, by using a paint which does not contain asthma-encouraging agents.
• Isolate the hazard by physically removing it from the workplace or by cordoning off the area in which a machine is used.
• Use engineering methods to control the hazard at its source. Tools and equipment can be redesigned, or enclosures, guards or local exhaust ventilation systems can be used to close off the source of a hazard.
• Use administrative controls. These are management strategies which can be introduced to ensure the health and safety of employees. Administrative procedures can reduce exposure to hazardous equipment and processes by limiting the time of exposure for example by job rotation or varying the time when a particular process is carried out.
• Introduce personal protective equipment (PPE) as an interim measure, to reduce exposure to a hazard.
Elimination
Where no hazard exists, no risk of injury or illness exists. For example
• remove trip hazards in a cluttered corridor
• dispose of unwanted chemicals
• eliminate hazardous plant or processes
• repair damaged equipment promptly
• increase use of email to reduce excessive photocopying and collation
• ensure new equipment meets the ergonomic needs of users.
Minimising the risk
This may entail
Substitution
If it is not possible to eliminate the hazard, substitute it with something - preferably of a lesser risk - which will still perform the same task in a satisfactory manner. For example
• substitute a hazardous chemical with a less dangerous one
• replace telephone handsets with headsets where there is frequent use of telephone
• substitute a less hazardous material to control a vapour hazard
• substitute a smaller package or container to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries such as back strain.
Modification
Change the plant or system of work to reduce hazards. For example
• redesign plant to reduce noise levels
• use a scissors-lift trolley to reducing bending while lifting
• install forced ventilation in photography darkrooms to remove vapours.
Isolation
Isolate the problem from staff. This is often done by using separate, purpose-built rooms, barricades, or sound barriers. This moves the hazardous process away from the main work area to a site where emissions can be controlled. For example
• isolate and store chemicals properly by using a fume cupboard
• isolate copying equipment and other machinery in soundproof rooms to reduce fumes and noise
• use security measures to protect staff.
Engineering controls
If you cannot eliminate a hazard of make a substitution to eliminate it, then reduce the chance of hazardous contact. Redesign equipment, work processes or tools to reduce or eliminate the risk. For example
• ensure proper machine guarding is in place
• use anti-glare screens on computer VDUs
• use mechanical aids to minimise manual handling injuries
• use ventilation to remove chemical fumes and dusts and using wetting down techniques to minimise dust levels
• change bench heights to reduce bending
• ensure ergonomic factors are taken into account.
`Back-up' controls
These controls are a `back-up' to the other categories. They should not be relied upon as the primary method to control risk - until all options to eliminate the hazard or minimise the risk have been exhausted. Sometimes `back-up' controls should be used as the initial control phase while elimination or minimisation is being evaluated and applied. Some examples of `back-up' controls are listed below.
Administrative controls
Training, job rotation, maintenance of plant and equipment, limitation of exposure time, provision of written work procedures. For example
• regularly maintain plant and equipment
• re-design jobs
• use team lifting
• limit exposure time to a hazard through staff rotation
• train and educate staff to
- identify and assess risks
- use methods of control
- apply legislative requirements
- implement safe manual handling techniques
- safely use mechanical aids and equipment.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment (PPE) should only be used as a last resort. PPE is for short term solutions only. PPE protects an employee's body from hazards. PPE must be provided free of charge and maintained by the employer. Employers are also required to ensure that workers are trained in the proper use of PPE.
Employees have a responsibility to use PPE in accordance with their training and safe usage requirements. For example
• wear earplugs in noisy areas
• wear eye protection when working with hazardous chemicals
• wear gloves to protect against infection.
Specific controls to reduce risks
Select controls from as high up the hierarchy table as you can. The `elimination' method is the safest solution. In many cases you may need a combination of controls to reduce the level of risk. For example
• workplace design changes or task modification
• substituting an extremely hazardous chemical with a less hazardous one
• using a fume cupboard when handling the chemical
• ensuring exposure time is limited
• providing PPE to employees.
Reducing risk to an acceptable minimum will ensure optimum risk reduction for all.
Summary of key points
When you have completed the assessment process, take action to control the risks. Remember
• to eliminate the hazard as a first priority
• if the hazard cannot be eliminated - minimise the risks by
- substituting with something safer
- modifying the plant or system of work
- isolating the hazardous aspects of plant or systems
- introducing engineering controls
- to introduce `back-up' controls by
- implementing administrative controls and safe work practices
- supplying personal protective equipment (PPE).
Effective hazard control involves human, financial and physical resources.\
4. Monitor and review
A cyclical process
Risk management programs are cyclical, once current workplace hazards are successfully controlled the process does not stop. Systematic monitoring and reviews must be implemented because of the potential for new hazards to be introduced into a workplace. These hazards can be due to
• the use of new technology, equipment or substances
• the introduction of new work practices or procedures
• a change in work environment (moving to a different office, staff reduction)
• the introduction of new staff with different skill/knowledge levels.
Planning
Effective forward planning is an integral part of monitoring and reviewing risk management. You must address all issues before introducing new equipment and work procedures. For example, planning allows you to include OHS compliance into tender specifications for new equipment or services.
Record keeping
Record keeping is an important part of monitoring and review. Systematic records will help to identify hazards and review the effectiveness of risk controls. Keep records which show
• details of workplace inspections
• worksheets/checklists used to identify hazards
• methods used to assess risks
• control measures implemented
• reviews of workplace systems of work, or health and safety audits
• any action that has been taken to fix particular hazards
• instruction or training done to ensure staff competency
• health surveillance of staff
• maintenance of plant and equipment.
Achieving the desired results
It is important to keep checking that solutions to your workplace hazards are achieving the desired result. You can only ensure your control methods are working by regular monitoring and review.
Meeting best practice
Good hazard management will result in compliance with set performance indicators. This is a positive sign that your agency is on the way to OHS "best practice". Achieving best practice in OHS risk management results in
• increases in staff morale
• decreases in workers' compensation costs
• promotion of a `safety-conscious' culture in the workplace.
Summary of key points
• Has the program achieved its purpose?
• Does it work?
• Is it being adhered to?
• What has been done to control the hazard and what remains to be done?
• Are new hazard control measures required?
