9/21/2016 RiskAssessment:OSHAnswers

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RiskAssessment
CLOSEALL

Whatisariskassessment?
Riskassessmentistheprocesswhereyou:

Identifyhazards.
Analyzeorevaluatetheriskassociatedwiththathazard.
Determineappropriatewaystoeliminateorcontrolthehazard.

Inpracticalterms,ariskassessmentisathoroughlookatyourworkplacetoidentifythose
things,situations,processes,etcthatmaycauseharm,particularlytopeople.After
identificationismade,youevaluatehowlikelyandseveretheriskis,andthendecidewhat
measuresshouldbeinplacetoeffectivelypreventorcontroltheharmfromhappening.

Fordefinitionsandmoreinformationaboutwhathazardsandrisksare,pleaseseetheOSH
AnswersdocumentHazardandRisk
(http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk.html).

Whyisriskassessmentimportant?
Riskassessmentsareveryimportantastheyformanintegralpartofagoodoccupational
healthandsafetymanagementplan.Theyhelpto:

Createawarenessofhazardsandrisks.
Identifywhomaybeatrisk(employees,cleaners,visitors,contractors,thepublic,etc).
Determineifexistingcontrolmeasuresareadequateorifmoreshouldbedone.
Preventinjuriesorillnesseswhendoneatthedesignorplanningstage.
Prioritizehazardsandcontrolmeasures.

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Whatisthegoalofriskassessment?
Theaimoftheriskassessmentprocessistoremoveahazardorreducethelevelofitsriskby
addingprecautionsorcontrolmeasures,asnecessary.Bydoingso,youhavecreatedasafer
andhealthierworkplace.

Howdoyoudoariskassessment?
Assessmentsshouldbedonebyacompetentteamofindividualswhohaveagoodworking
knowledgeoftheworkplace.Staffshouldbeinvolvedalwaysincludesupervisorsandworkers
whoworkwiththeprocessunderreviewastheyarethemostfamiliarwiththeoperation.

Ingeneral,todoanassessment,youshould:

Identifyhazards.
Evaluatethelikelihoodofaninjuryorillnessoccurring,anditsseverity.
Considernormaloperationalsituationsaswellasnonstandardeventssuchas
shutdowns,poweroutages,emergencies,etc.
ReviewallavailablehealthandsafetyinformationaboutthehazardsuchasMSDSs,
manufacturersliterature,informationfromreputableorganizations,resultsoftesting,etc.
Identifyactionsnecessarytoeliminateorcontroltherisk.
Monitorandevaluatetoconfirmtheriskiscontrolled.
Keepanydocumentationorrecordsthatmaybenecessary.Documentationmayinclude
detailingtheprocessusedtoassesstherisk,outlininganyevaluations,ordetailinghow
conclusionsweremade.

Whendoinganassessment,youmusttakeintoaccount:

Themethodsandproceduresusedintheprocessing,use,handlingorstorageofthe
substance,etc.
Theactualandthepotentialexposureofworkers.
Themeasuresandproceduresnecessarytocontrolsuchexposurebymeansof
engineeringcontrols,workpractices,andhygienepracticesandfacilities.

Bydeterminingthelevelofriskassociatedwiththehazard,theemployerandthejointhealth
andsafetycommitteecandecidewhetheracontrolprogramisrequired.

Itisimportanttorememberthattheassessmentmusttakeintoaccountnotonlythecurrent
stateoftheworkplacebutanypotentialsituationsaswell.

Seeasampleriskassessmentform
(http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/sample_risk.html).

Howarethehazardsidentified?
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Overall,thegoalistofindandrecordpossiblehazardsthatmaybepresentinyourworkplace.
Asmentioned,itmayhelptoworkasateamandincludebothpeoplefamiliarwiththework
area,aswellaspeoplewhoarenotthiswayyouhaveboththe"experienced"and"fresh"
eyetoconducttheinspection.

Tobesurethatallhazardsarefound:

Lookatallaspectsofthework.
Includenonroutineactivitiessuchasmaintenance,repair,orcleaning.
Lookataccident/incident/nearmissrecords.
Includepeoplewhowork"offsite"eitherathome,onotherjobsites,drivers,teleworkers,
withclients,etc.
Lookatthewaytheworkisorganisedor"done"(includeexperienceandageofpeople
doingthework,systemsbeingused,etc).
Lookatforeseeableunusualconditions(forexample:possibleimpactonhazardcontrol
proceduresthatmaybeunavailableinanemergencysituation,poweroutage,etc.).
Examineriskstovisitorsorthepublic.
Includeanassessmentofgroupsthatmayhaveadifferentlevelofrisksuchasyoungor
inexperiencedworkers,personswithdisabilities,orneworexpectantmothers.

Itmayhelptocreateachartortablesuchasthefollowing:

Table1
ExampleofRiskAssessment
Task Hazard Risk Priority Control
Deliveringproduct Driversworkalone Maybeunabletocallfor

tocustomers helpifneeded
Drivershavetooccasionally Fatigue,shortresttime

worklonghours betweenshifts
Driversareofteninvery Increasedchanceofcollision
congestedtraffic Longerworkinghours
Drivershavetoliftboxes Injurytobackfromlifting,

whendeliveringproduct reaching,carrying,etc.

Howdoyouknowifthehazardisserious(posesa
risk)?
Eachhazardshouldbestudiedtodetermineits'levelofrisk.Toresearchthehazard,youcan
lookat:

Productinformation/manufacturerdocumentation.
Pastexperience(workers,etc).
Legislatedrequirementsand/orapplicablestandards.
Industrycodesofpractice/bestpractices.
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Healthandsafetymaterialaboutthehazardsuchasmaterialsafetydatasheets
(MSDSs),orothermanufacturerinformation.
Informationfromreputableorganizations.
Resultsoftesting(atmospheric,airsamplingofworkplace,biological,etc).
Theexpertiseofaoccupationalhealthandsafetyprofessional.
Informationaboutpreviousinjuries,illnesses,"nearmisses",accidentreports,etc.

Remembertoincludefactorsthatcontributetothelevelofrisksuchas:

Theworkenvironment(layout,condition,etc.).
Thecapability,skill,experienceofworkerswhodothework.
Thesystemsofworkbeingused.
Therangeofforeseeableconditions.

Howdoyourankorprioritizetherisks?
Rankingorprioritizinghazardsisonewaytohelpdeterminewhichhazardisthemostserious
andthuswhichhazardtocontrolfirst.Priorityisusuallyestablishedbytakingintoaccountthe
employeeexposureandthepotentialforaccident,injuryorillness.Byassigningapriorityto
thehazards,youarecreatingarankingoranactionlist.Thefollowingfactorsplayan
importantrole:

Percentageofworkforceexposed.
Frequencyofexposure.
Degreeofharmlikelytoresultfromtheexposure.
Probabilityofoccurrence.

Thereisnoonesimpleorsinglewaytodeterminethelevelofrisk.Rankinghazardsrequires
theknowledgeoftheworkplaceactivities,urgencyofsituations,andmostimportantly,
objectivejudgement.

Whatoptionsexisttorankorprioritizerisks?
OneoptionistouseatablesimilartothefollowingasestablishedbytheBritishStandards
Organization:

Table2
RiskAssessmentbytheBritishStandardsOrganization
SeverityofHarm
LikelihoodofHarm
SlightHarmModerateHarmExtremeHarm
Veryunlikely VerylowriskVerylowrisk Highrisk
Unlikely VerylowriskMediumrisk Veryhighrisk
Likely Lowrisk Highrisk Veryhighrisk
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Verylikely Lowrisk Veryhighrisk Veryhighrisk

Note:Thesecategorizationsandtheresultingasymmetryofthematrixarisefromthe
examplesofharmandlikelihoodillustratedwithintheBritishStandard.Organizationsshould
adjustthedesignandsizeofthematrixtosuittheirneeds.

DefinitionsforLikelihoodofHarm
VeryLikelyTypicallyexperiencedatleastonceeverysixmonthsbyanindividual.

LikelyTypicallyexperiencedonceeveryfiveyearsbyanindividual.

UnlikelyTypicallyexperiencedonceduringtheworkinglifetimeofanindividual.

VeryunlikelyLessthan1%chanceofbeingexperiencedbyanindividualduringtheir
workinglifetime.

DefinitionsforSeverityofHarm
PotentialseverityofharmWhenestablishingpotentialseverityofharm,informationabout
therelevantworkactivityshouldbeconsidered,togetherwith:

a)Part(s)ofthebodylikelytobeaffected.

b)Natureoftheharm,rangingfromslighttoextremelyharmful:

1.slightlyharmful(e.g.,superficialinjuriesminorcutsandbruiseseyeirritationfrom
dustnuisanceandirritationillhealthleadingtotemporarydiscomfort)

2.harmful(e.g.,lacerationsburnsconcussionserioussprainsminorfractures
deafnessdermatitisasthmaworkrelatedupperlimbdisordersillhealth)

3.extremelyharmful(e.g.,amputationsmajorfracturespoisoningsmultipleinjuries
fatalinjuriesoccupationalcancerotherseverelylifeshorteningdiseasesacutefatal
diseases)

DefinitionforRiskLevel
TolerabilityGuidanceonnecessaryactionandtimescale:

VerylowTheserisksareconsideredacceptable.Nofurtheractionisnecessaryotherthan
toensurethatthecontrolsaremaintained.

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LowNoadditionalcontrolsarerequiredunlesstheycanbeimplementedatverylowcost(in
termsoftime,money,andeffort).Actionstofurtherreducetheserisksareassignedlow
priority.Arrangementsshouldbemadetoensurethatthecontrolsaremaintained.

MediumConsiderationshouldbeastowhethertheriskscanbelowered,whereapplicable,
toatolerablelevelandpreferablytoanacceptablelevel,butthecostsofadditionalrisk
reductionmeasuresshouldbetakenintoaccount.Theriskreductionmeasuresshouldbe
implementedwithinadefinedtimeperiod.Arrangementsshouldbemadetoensurethat
controlsaremaintained,particularlyiftherisklevelsareaassociatedwithharmful
consequences.

HighSubstantialeffortsshouldbemadetoreducetherisk.Riskreductionmeasuresshould
beimplementedurgentlywithinadefinedtimeperiodanditmightbenecessarytoconsider
suspendingorrestrictingtheactivity,ortoapplyinterimriskcontrolmeasures,untilthishas
beencompleted.Considerableresourcesmighthavetobeallocatedtoadditionalcontrol
measures.Arrangementsshouldbemadetoensurethatcontrolsaremaintained,particularlyif
therisklevelsareassociatedwithextremelyharmfulconsequencesandveryharmful
consequences.

VeryhighTheseriskareunacceptable.Substantialimprovementsinriskcontrolmeasures
arenecessarysothattheriskisreducedtoatolerableoracceptablelevel.Theworkactivity
shouldbehalteduntilriskcontrolsareimplementedthatreducestherisksothatitisnolonger
veryhigh.Ifitisnotpossibletoreducetherisk,theworkshouldremainprohibited.

Note:Wheretheriskisassociatedwithextremelyharmfulconsequences,furtherassessment
isnecessarytoincreaseconfidenceinthelikelihoodofharm.

AdaptedFrom:

OccupationalhealthandsafetymanagementsystemsGuide:BritishStandard,BS8800,BSI
2004andManagingSafetytheSystemsWay:ImplementingOHSAS18001usingBS8800,
BSI2004.

OtheroptionsincludeusingtablessuchasTable3below.

Table3
HazardControlStrategy:ASampleWorksheet
%Employees Frequencyof Hazard Priority
Hazard Priority
Affected Occurrence Potential Rank
Ergonomics 60 H H 60HH 1(?)
Backpain 80 H H 80HH 2(?)
Noise 30 L H 30LH 3
Heat 50 L L 50LL 5
Lasers 2 L H 2HL 4
H=High,L=Low

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*From:HealthandSafetyCommitteesReferenceGuide
(http://www.ccohs.ca/products/publications/hscomm.html),CCOHS

Or,Table4,where1=extremelyimportanttodosomethingassoonaspossible,6=hazard
maynotneedimmediateattention.

Table4
ExampleofHazardPrioritySetting
Verylikely Likelycould Unlikelycould Veryunlikelycould
couldhappen happen happenbutvery happenbutprobably
atanytime sometime rarely neverwill>
Killorcause
permanent
1 1 2 3
disabilityorill
health
Longtermillness
1 2 3 4
orseriousinjury
Medicalattention
andseveraldays 2 3 4 5
offwork
Firstaidneeded 3 4 5 6
From:Hazpak:Makingyourworkplacesafer.Apracticalguidetobasicriskmanagementby
WorkCoverNewSouthWales,Australia.[n.d.].

Whataremethodsofhazardcontrol?
Onceyouhaveestablishedyourtoppriorities,youcandecideonwaystocontroleachspecific
hazard.Hazardcontrolmethodsareoftengroupedintothefollowingcategories:

Elimination(includingsubstitution).
Engineeringcontrols.
Administrativecontrols.
Personalprotectiveequipment.

Formoredetails,pleaseseetheOSHAnswersHazardControl
(http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_control.html).

Whyisitimportanttoreviewandmonitoryour
assessment?

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Itisimportanttoknowifyourriskassessmentwascompleteandaccurate.Itisalsoessential
tobesurethatchangesintheworkplacehavenotintroducednewhazardsorchanged
hazardsthatwereoncerankedaslowerprioritytoahigherpriority.

Itisgoodpracticetoreviewyourassessmentonaregularbasistobesurethatnothinghas
changedandthatyourcontrolmethodsareeffective.Triggersforareviewcanalsoinclude:

Thestartofanewproject.
Achangeintheworkprocessorflow.
Achangeoradditiontotools,equipment,machinery(includinglocationsorthewaythey
areused).
Newemployees.
Movingtoanewbuildingorworkarea.
Introductionofnewchemicalsorsubstances.
Whennewinformationbecomesavailableaboutacurrentproduct.

Whatdocumentationshouldbedoneforarisk
assessment?
Keepingrecordsofyourassessmentandanycontrolactionstakenisveryimportant.Youmay
berequiredtostoreassessmentsforaspecificnumberofyears.Checkforlocalrequirements
inyourjurisdiction.

Thelevelofdocumentationorrecordkeepingwilldependon:

Levelofriskinvolved.
Legislatedrequirements.
Requirementsofanymanagementsystemsthatmaybeinplace.

Yourrecordsshouldshowthatyou:

Conductedagoodhazardreview.
Determinedtherisksofthosehazards.
Implementedcontrolmeasuressuitablefortherisk.
Reviewedandmonitoredallhazardsintheworkplace.

DocumentlastupdatedonJune19,2006
DocumentconfirmedcurrentonFebruary2,2009

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RelatedProductsandServices
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Publications
ImplementinganOccupationalHealthandSafety(OH&S)Program
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