This article defines safe working, the meaning of
hazard and risk, hazard identification techniques, basic
qualitative risk assessment, selecting or seeking advice on
workplace precautions and assisting managers to prepare risk
assessments. It concludes with a reminder of statutory
responsibilities for health and safety at work.
The term
"WORKING SAFELY" may be defined
as:
"The collective actions of employees
and managers to identify potential hazards in their workplace and
either eliminate or control them to an acceptable level, with the
common goal of preventing accidents and minimising loss to the
compa
In order to work safely employees and
managers alike must adopt a proactive approach to health and
safety in their workplace that will require a genuine, visible
commitment together with personal ownership structured around a
control strategy.
A "HAZARD" is
defined as "Anything with the potential to cause harm" Harm may
include-injuries, ill-health or both. A "RISK"
is defined as:
- "The likelihood that a particular hazard will give rise to harm (the extent of the risk covers the population affected and the consequences for them).
Workplace hazards may be presented in
many different forms according to their origin and their physical
state. They may comprise of one or all of the following
categories:
-
Physical hazards - these may include excessive noise, extremes of temperature or exposure to other energy forms such as radiation and electricity. Alternatively, they may be mechanical in nature such as traps, impact, contact and entanglement with machinery.
-
Chemical hazards - these may comprise acids, alkalis, solvents, detergents or other substances known to be hazardous to health. They may produce toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant effects when in contact with the human body.
-
Biological hazards - diseases such as Hepatitis, Legionnaires, Leptospirosis and Anthrax may be contracted from humans or animals or transmitted by other media such as blood, water or the air.
The essential first step in risk
control is to seek out and identify hazards. Relevant sources of
information include:
- Legislation and supporting Approved Codes of Practice which give practical guidance and include basic minimum requirements.
- HSE guidance.
- Process information.
- Product information.
- Relevant British and international standards.
- Industry or trade association guidance.
- The personal knowledge and experience of managers and employees.
-
Accident, ill health and incident data from within the organisation, from other organisations or from central sources.
-
Expert advice and opinion and relevant research.
There should be a critical
appraisal of all routine and non-routine business
activities.
People exposed may include not just
employees but also others such as members of the public,
contractors and users of the products and services. Employees and
safety representatives can make a useful contribution in
identifying hazards.
In the simplest cases, hazards can be
identified by observation and by comparing the circumstances with
the relevant information (for example single-storey premises will
not present any hazards associated with stairs).
In more complex cases, measurements
such as air sampling or examining the methods of machine
operation may be necessary to identify the presence of hazards
from chemicals or machinery.
In the most complex or high-risk
cases (for example, in the chemical or nuclear industry) special
techniques and systems may be needed such as hazard and
operability studies (HAZOPS) and hazard analysis techniques such
as event or fault-tree analysis. Specialist advice may be needed
to choose and apply the most appropriate method.
Risk
Assessment
A risk assessment is nothing more
than a careful examination of what, at work, could cause harm to
people, so that it can be established whether enough precautions
have been taken or more should be done to prevent harm. The aim
is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill.
Accidents and ill health can ruin
lives and affect business too if output is lost, machinery is
damaged, insurance costs increase, or if subject to
prosecution.
The important things to be decided
are whether a hazard is significant and whether it is covered by
satisfactory precautions so that the risk is small. This must be
done when assessing risks. For instance, electricity can kill but
the risk of it doing so in an office environment is remote
provided that 'live' components are insulated and metal casings
properly earthed.
HSE Guidance - Five Steps to
Risk Assessment STEP 1 - Look for the hazards
Start by walking around the workplace
and looking afresh at what could reasonably be expected to cause
harm. Ignore the trivial and concentrate on significant hazards
that could result in serious harm or affect several
people.
Ask other employees or safety
representatives what they think. They may have noticed things
that are not immediately obvious. Manufacturers' instructions or
data sheets can also help spot hazards and put risks in their
true perspective. So can accident and ill-health records.
Look for hazards that could
reasonably expect to result in significant harm under the
conditions in your workplace. Use the following examples as a
guide:
- Slipping/tripping hazards (poorly maintained floors or stairs)
- Fire (flammable materials and sources of heat)
- Chemicals (battery acid)
- Moving parts of machinery (blades)
- Work at height (mezzanine floors)
- Ejection of material (plastic moulding)
- Pressure systems (steam boilers)
- Vehicles (fork-lifftrucks etc.)
- Electricity (poor wiring)
- Dust (grinding)
- Fumes (welding)
- Manual handling
- Noise
- Poor lighting
-
Low temperature
STEP 2 - Decide who might be
harmed, and how
Young workers, trainees, new and
expectant mothers etc., who may be at particular
riskMembers of the public, or people sharing the workplace, if there is a chance they could be hurt by work activities.
STEP 3 - Evaluate the risks
and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or more
should be done
Risk assessment requires assessment
of two factors:
- Likelihood
- Severity
Likelihood
A subjective assessment of the
probability can be reduced to numbered categories as follows.
(There are many versions of this technique).
- 5 = Certain or near certain
- 4 = Very likely
- 3 = Likely
- 2 = Unlikely
- 1 = Very unlikely
This requires an assessment of the
possible outcome of the hazard. Various factors will affect the
severity. We can apply a similar procedure to the above and
produce a numbered scale as follow:
- 5 = Death
- 4 = Major injury, disabling disease
- 3 = Lost time injury (over 3 days)
- 2 = First aid injury
- 1 = Minor injury
Risk Rating
Multiply the Severity number by the
Likelihood number to arrive at the risk factor for each hazard.
This produces a number on a scale of 1 to 25. These numbers
provide an indication of priority and the extent of the risk, the
higher the number the greater the priority and risk and therefore
the more resources which may be needed to control the
risk
This can easily be shown with the use of the risk matrix
This can easily be shown with the use of the risk matrix
Severity
|
Likelihood
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
25
|
20
|
15
|
10
|
5
|
|
4
|
20
|
16
|
12
|
8
|
4
|
|
3
|
15
|
12
|
9
|
6
|
3
|
|
2
|
10
|
8
|
6
|
4
|
2
|
|
1
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
As a rough guide:
16 to 25 is high risk and may require the provision of considerable resources involving special equipment, training, high levels of supervision and consideration of the most effective methods of eliminating or controlling hazards.
6 to 15 is significant risk and will require an appropriate level of resources.
1 to 5 is low risk but actions should still be taken to try to reduce these risks further if possible within reasonable limits
The aim is to make all risks small by
adding to the precautions as necessary.
If it is found that something needs
to be done, an "action list" can be drawn up to give priority to
any remaining risks which are high and/or those which could
affect most people. In taking action ask:
- Can we get rid of the hazard altogether?
- If not, how can the risks be controlled so that harm is unlikely?
In controlling risks, apply the
principles below, if possible in the following order:
- Try a less risky option
- Prevent access to the hazard (by guarding)
- Organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard
- Issue personal protective equipment
-
Provide welfare facilities (washing facilities for removal of contamination and first aid)
These are inexpensive precautions
considering the risks. Failure to take simple precautions can
cost a lot more if an accident does happen.
STEP 4 - Record your findings
STEP 4 - Record your findings
If there are fewer than five
employees an employer does not need to write anything down,
though it is useful to keep a written record of what has been
done. But if there are five or more people employed the employer
must record the significant findings of the assessment.
This means writing down the
significant hazards and conclusions. Examples might be
-
Electrical installations - insulation and earthing checked and found sound
-
Fume from welding - local exhaust ventilation provided and regularly checked
-
Risk assessments -must be suitable and sufficient — this means showing that:
-
A proper check was made by competent people to identify significant hazards
-
Those who might be affected are identified
-
All the obvious significant hazards were addressed, taking into account the number of people who could be involve
STEP 5 - Review your
assessment and revise it if necessary
Sooner or later new machines,
substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards will be
brought in. If there is any significant change, this should be
added to the assessment to take account of the new hazard
Do not amend the assessment for every
trivial change or for each new job, but if a new job introduces
significant new hazards of its own, this must be considered in
its own right and action taken to keep the risks down.
It is good practice to review the
assessments from time to time to make sure that the precautions
are still working effectively
Sources of
Information
It is essential to keep abreast of
new health and safety legislation and other developments in the
health and safety field. Copies of the Acts and Regulations are
sold by HMSO. These, however, generally give only a broad outline
but it is useful to know the aim of the Act or Regulation.
Extensive health and safety
information can be obtained from the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) telephone 01787 881165 (HSE Books), or via their website at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/
Publications available
include:- Approved Codes of Practice
- Guidance
- Free leaflets on a wide variety of hazards
Information and advice on
occupational health problems can be obtained from the Employment
Medical Advisory Service (EMAS). The EMAS telephone numbers are
available at local HSE area offices.
Local Authority Environmental Health Departments
Local authorities have responsibility
for enforcing health and safety legislation in a wide variety of
non-industrial premises, for example at various consumer
services, launderettes, restaurants etc.
Organisations Involved in
Safety
There are a number of organisations
that are involved almost exclusively in Health and Safety and
publish monthly journals that are valuable sources of
information. These include:
- Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) (see above)
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
-
British Safety Council
There are a considerable number of
books both general and specific on health and safety published
and available from books shops.
British and European
StandardsA number of these relate to safety such as BS EN 292 Safeguarding of Machinery and BS EN 166 Eye Protection. Whilst not having legal standing they will be used as yardsticks of good safety practice
Professional Institutes/Trade Organisations
These often produce codes of
practice, for example the Institute of Electrical Engineers
Regulations on Electrical Installations and Portable Appliance
Testing.
Consultants and Specialists
Advice can be obtained from
organisations such as Universities, Colleges, and Institutions
who offer consultancy services as well as specialists in various
areas.
Training
Boards
Training Boards specify training
standards but some of their publications provide substantial
information on safety matters.
Manufacturers and Suppliers
Manufacturers, suppliers and importers have a duty under HASAWA Section 6 to provide information that will enable the users of their products to be able to use them with safety.
Manufacturers of Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) will meet the various British Standards relating
to their products and provide the information on their levels of
protection.
Trade Unions and the
TUC
Unions and the TUC produce guides for
Safety Representatives and many Unions also have full time
Officers who deal with Health and Safety matters.
Posters and Signs
Employers must display certain statutory notices that provide information to employees. Other posters can be used to remind staff of general workplace hazards or to support specific safety campaigns. Signs remind employees of safety requirements and also draw to the attention of visitors who are not familiar with the workplace potential hazards.
Company Sources
- Company Safety Policy — a legal requirement with five or more employees in the company.
- Job descriptions — responsibilities, hazards and control measures.
- Accident statistics and records.
The following information is provided
to remind people of their general health and safety legal
responsibilities at work.
This information must also be
provided at the workplace in the form of either:
- A poster prominently displayed in the workplace, entitled "Health and safety law — what you should know"; or
- An approved leaflet given to employees. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 7 - Duties of employees at work
- To take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
- To co-operate with their employer or any other person so far as is necessary to enable statutory duties or requirements to be complied with.
No person must intentionally or
recklessly interfere or misuse anything provided in the interests
of health, safety or welfare.
The Management of Health and Safety
at Work Regulations 1999 Regulation 14— Employees'
dutiesEmployees must use any machinery, equipment, substance etc in accordance with training and instructions given.
Employees must report to employers or
others with responsibility for health and safety of
employees:
- Work situations that represent serious and immediate danger to health and safety.
- Matters that represent shortcomings in the protection arrangements for health and safety.
Any failure to observe the
duties outlined above could lead to individuals being prosecuted
in the criminal courts