Unit 7 Video Clips References

Unit 7 Video Clips References

Part A – RECOGNITION, EVALUATION AND CONTROL OF HAZARDS

PART ONE - THE RECOGNITION OF HAZARDS

The first step in eliminating or controlling hazards in the workplace is recognition, or

identification. A thorough examination of your workplace for hazards is necessary to
the implementation of an effective control program.

Some hazards will be fairly obvious. An untidy work area, for instance, will be easy to
recognise, as will the use of an inappropriate or damaged tool, or incorrect handling
techniques.

An example of a hazard that is not so simple to recognise might be a dangerous fume, or

the possible consequences of a chemical accident. In such less obvious situations, certain
information needs to be known in order that the presence of hazards can be identified. This
information may include:

. Information about the chemistry and toxicity of certain substances and materials
. Technological information about processes, procedures and equipment
. An awareness of the effects of contact with particular substances, and
. An understanding of the possible routes of entry into the body of particular hazardous
substances, and the health effects these substances can cause.

Obviously, a hazard that has not been identified cannot be evaluated or controlled.
Therefore, the ability to recognise hazards is absolutely fundamental to the Recognition,
Evaluation and Control of Hazards process.

PART TWO - EVALUATION OF HAZARDS

Having identified a hazard, we can make an analysis of it to determine the kind and level of
risk that is presented. This process is the evaluation of the hazard.

A hazard is the potential for an accident to occur, and risk is the likelihood that it actually
will. Evaluation involves examining the potential for, as well as the likelihood of, accidents,
illnesses and injuries. Through evaluating hazards, we can make decisions on whether a risk
is acceptable, or whether the hazard must be controlled to reduce the risk.

Evaluations can be made using a variety of different criteria. A valuable tool in evaluating
hazards can be actual experience of the workplace and safety requirements. Knowing the
workplace, procedures and equipment within it, and the requirements of job tasks, can
help enormously in determining risk levels.

Other factors that can be useful in evaluation include industry standards, relevant
regulations, established safe work procedures and source materials such as
Safety Data Sheets.

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In some cases, scientific analysis might be required to evaluate a hazard, such as testing for
noise levels, or atmospheric testing. In certain situations, external experts may need to be
called in to make the necessary judgments on whether a hazard needs to be controlled or
not.

PART THREE - CONTROL MEASURES

The evaluation process will, clearly, often indicate the need to control a hazard. In this
situation, it must then be decided what control measure to adopt.

Elimination
The ideal way to control a hazard is to eliminate it entirely. This is, therefore, the first
option that should be looked at in the control of hazards.

Good housekeeping can eliminate many workplace hazards, such as protrusion hazards, or
those caused by untidy work areas. Removing sharp edges from plant or equipment is also
an example of elimination of hazards.

Changing materials, processes or equipment can also eliminate hazards. Fire hazards can be
eliminated by using non-combustible materials instead of combustibles. Using a supplier to
handle a hazardous task that they are better equipped for, or using a mechanical lifting
device for a manual handling task, are other examples of elimination of hazards.

Substitution
In cases where elimination is not a viable option, the next best alternative is substitution.
To implement substitution as a control measure, ask the question, ‘can we substitute a
process, chemical or activity for a less hazardous one?’

Chemicals can sometimes be supplied in a different, less hazardous form, say a powder
rather than a liquid, or at a lower, safer concentration. Replacing handling procedures,
production processes and storage locations with less hazardous ones can reduce the risk
that hazards pose.

Elimination and substitution measures can be extremely effective, often at little or no

expense. However, they are not effective in dealing with all hazards. Often
administrative and engineering control measures are necessary instead.

Engineering Controls
Engineering controls are many and varied. They can relate to, for example, the use of
mechanical devices, installation of lighting, or workplace design.

Three groups of engineering controls that are frequently used are isolation, containment,
and limitation.

An example of isolation control is safe welding practice, where hazardous light emissions
and sparks are isolated from others through screens. Another example is in storage
practices, where hazardous substances are stored in separate locations.
An isolation control often used to control noise hazards is enclosure, where either the

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operator or the hazard is enclosed. Machine guards are another kind of isolation control.

The best example of the containment principle is a local exhaust system, effectively
removing contaminants before they enter the atmosphere, containing the hazard at
the source.

The purpose of limitation controls is to limit the effect of a hazard, that is, to reduce the
likelihood of injuries or damage.

Safety pressure valves and overflow systems limit the build-up of pressure and the
potential for spills respectively, whilst the use of batteries rather than mains power
can limit the potential of an electrical hazard.

Administrative Controls
Administrative controls involve laying down policy and managing procedures in the
workplace. Examples of administrative controls that can contribute significantly to hazard
control include:

. Establishing procedures for the ongoing maintenance of plant and equipment

. Monitoring of contaminant levels
. Organizing hazardous operations to occur when relatively small numbers of people are
present, commonly between shifts or after normal working hours, and
. Rotation of people to reduce exposure to a particular hazard.

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is the final option for controlling hazards.
It should only be considered as a control measure when all other options are either
unsatisfactory or impractical.

PPE can have two roles in workplace safety: as a hazard control measure, or as a last line of
defence in the event of an accident. This second role is the more widespread and important
role of PPE, and should not be confused with its role as a control measure.

There are two situations where PPE is vital as a control measure. First, when carrying out
normally hazardous operations, such as welding, spraying or working in a confined space,
that have been identified as requiring the use of personal protective equipment. Second, in
emergencies or when conducting investigations, where the level, or even the existence of
hazards could be unknown.

PART FOUR - SUMMARY

The recognition, evaluation and control of hazards is at the heart of safety in the
workplace. Fewer illnesses and injuries, increased productivity, reduced accident
costs and an increase in safety awareness are some direct benefits of an effective
hazard control program.

The Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Hazards is such a fundamental safety

concept that it should be understood and practised by everybody in the workplace.

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Part B - RISK ASSESSMENT FUNDAMENTALS

PART ONE - RISK ASSESSMENT INTRODUCTION

A risk assessment is an integral part of the management of health and safety in the
workplace. In simple terms a risk assessment requires the identification of workplace
hazards and an evaluation of the risks they present.

It is therefore crucial to understand the difference between a hazard and a risk.

A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause an accident, injury, illness or disease.

A risk is the likelihood that a specific hazard will actually result in an accident, injury, illness
or disease occurring.

More simply, a hazard is the potential for an unplanned and unwanted event and a risk is
the likelihood the event will occur.

Many hazards which are generally seen as potentially very dangerous actually present a low
level of risk in some situations. For instance, electricity is a potentially dangerous energy
source, but, in an office environment is generally seen as safe.

Conversely, many hazards that are sometimes considered insignificant often lead to
accidents and injuries, the most common example being the hazards associated with
manual handling tasks.

The purpose of an overall workplace risk assessment is to establish whether the level of risk
arising from workplace activities is acceptable, or whether additional measures need to be
taken to control workplace hazards and further reduce or remove unacceptable risks.

PART TWO - ELEMENTS OF A RISK ASSESSMENT

To conduct a risk assessment of the workplace, certain steps should be followed :

1. Identify all the hazards that are present

2. Decide what are the possible consequences related to these hazards, and who may be
harmed.

3. Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate, or more
needs to be done.

4. Make a record of the findings, and

5. Review and, if necessary, revise the assessment from time to time.

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PART THREE - IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDS

Hazard identification is the key to a successful risk assessment. All workplace hazards must
be identified. A hazard that is not identified will not be assessed, and could result in
unacceptable risks remaining in the workplace.

In many cases hazards are easily identified:

. Untidy work areas
. Inappropriate or damaged tools
. Blind corners
. Slippery floors and so on, are all fairly obvious.

Other hazards, however, can be more difficult to identify. In these less obvious situations,
in order to be able to identify the presence of hazards we may need to know some of the
following:

. Information about raw materials, products and by-products

. Technological information about a process
. An understanding of the effects of direct contact with specific hazardous substances, and
. An understanding of the possible routes of entry into the body of specific hazardous
substances.

The identification process is often reliant to a large extent on the knowledge and
experience of people in the workplace but it can also be aided by reference to such things
as:
. Relevant legislation
. Approved codes of practice
. Established industry practices and procedures
. Manufacturers and suppliers product information
. Safety data sheets
. And statistics from previous accidents and injuries.

PART FOUR - WHO CAN BE HARMED?

Once the process of identifying all the hazards is complete, it is important to consider who
may be harmed. Or in other words, who would or could be harmed if accidents actually
occurred.

The possible consequences of all the hazards should be considered when deciding on who
may be at risk.

Clearly, individuals directly involved with any activity that has been deemed hazardous are
at some degree of risk, and others in the vicinity of the activity could also be at risk.
People walking through a work area, cleaning and maintenance personnel, sub-contractors
and even, in some cases, the general public can all be exposed to workplace hazards that
could put their health and safety at risk.

PART FIVE - EVALUATING THE RISKS

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Every hazard that was identified in the first step of the risk assessment process now needs
to be carefully considered, and all the risks associated with each of these hazards must be
properly evaluated.

Decisions must be made as to whether or not the risks arising from these hazards are
within acceptable limits.

In many cases the evaluation can be made based on the knowledge and experience of the
people on site.

Evaluations can also be made based on industry standards, relevant regulations,

established safe work procedures and source materials such as Safety Data Sheets.

In certain situations scientific measurements may be necessary to evaluate the extent of

the risk. For example, testing for noise levels, or atmospheric testing to detect the presence
of hazardous airborne contaminants.

Outside experts may also be required to make the necessary evaluation in some situations.

Risks that are considered low or insignificant do not require any further action to be taken.

Other risks, that are deemed to be adequately controlled by existing precautions, likewise
will require no further action.

However, when the evaluation process indicates a need to control the hazard to reduce the
risk, or when the existing precautions are considered insufficient to reduce the risk to an
acceptable level, a control strategy should be adopted.

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