Risk Assessment & Risk Control December 2016 Dr Emer Bell Integrated Risk Solutions

1. Risk Assessment & Risk Control December 2016 Dr Emer Bell Integrated Risk Solutions

3. Session content • 1. Basic principles of risk assessment • definitions of likelihood of harm and severity of harm • deciding on a risk rating • deciding on what action is required and how soon you have to act • the principles of prevention

4. Session content 2. Risk assessment requirements common to all Units and how to carry them out. • Offices and other rooms • Display screen equipment • Manual handling • Pregnant employees

5. Session content 3. Specialist risks • Labs, workshops • Biological agents • Chemical agents (including gases, carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive hazards) • Electrical equipment • Fieldwork

6. Session contents 3. Specialist risks • Lone working & out of hours • Noise • Pressure equipment • Projects • Vehicles • Vibration • Work equipment • Work at height

7. Risk assessment is about…… • identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace. • Your risk assessment will help you decide whether you have covered all you need to. • That you have done enough to ensure everyone’s safety.

8. Definitions • Hazard • is any situation, substance, activity or event,  that could potentially cause injury or ill health.

9. Hazardous situations Examples; • slippery or uneven walking surfaces, • cramped workingconditions, • badly ventilated areas, • high locations, • noisy locations, • poorly lit areas, • confined spaces.

10. Hazardous substances • Examples; • corrosive and toxic chemicals, • flammable and explosive materials,  • dangerous gases and liquids,  • radioactive substances, • particulates, • bacteria • viruses.

11. Hazardous activities  • Dangerous tasks • Unnatural postures and movements • Heavy lifting • Repetitive work • Interpersonal conflicts • Bullying

12. Hazardous events • Examples • Explosions • Implosions • Fires • Leaks • Falling objects • Equipment malfunction

13. The concept of risk asks two futureoriented questions: • What is the probabilitythat a particular hazardous  event or exposure will actually occur in the future? • How severe would the impact on health and safety be  if the hazardous event or exposure actually occurred?

14. Risk assessment • A risk assessment considers the effectiveness of existing controls and then evaluates the probability and the potential severity of specific hazardous events and exposures.

15. Definitions • Taken from British Standard (BS) 18004:2008 Guide to Achieving Effective Occupational Health and Safety Performance • Part 3 of NUI Galway Safety Statement

16. Estimating the severity of harm

17. Slight harm • Nuisance and irritation (e.g. headaches) • Temporary ill-health leading to discomfort (e.g. diarrhoea). • Minor cuts and bruises • Eye irritation from dust.

18. Moderate harm • Partial hearing loss • Dermatitis • Asthma • Work-related upper limb disorders • Ill health leading to permanent minor disability • Lacerations • Burns • Concussion • Serious sprains • Minor fractures.

19. Severe harm • permanent disability • fractures • respiratory illness • hearing loss • partial sight loss

20. Extreme harm • acute fatal diseases • severe life shortening diseases • permanent substantial disability • fatal injuries • amputations • multiple injuries • major fractures.

21. Estimating likelihood of an accident or ill health

22. When thinking about the likelihood or probability of an accident or ill health happening you must consider….

23. Likelihood of harm • Frequency and duration of an individual’s exposure to the hazard.

24. Likelihood of harm • Vulnerability of the individual or group (e.g. young or inexperienced transition year student, pregnant mothers and those working alone);

25. Likelihood of harm • Potential failure of services, e.g. electricity and water. • Potential failure of plant and machinery components and safety devices.

26. Likelihood of harm • Protection given by personal protective equipment (PPE) and whether this is correctly worn when required. • Face mask is no good unless it is fit tested.

27. Likelihood of harm • Unsafe acts (unintended errors or intentional violations of procedures) • A person; • might not know what the hazards are, • might not have the knowledge, physical capacity, resources, skills or motivation to work safely, • underestimate risks to which they are exposed.

28. Likelihood of harm • Unsafe acts • A person may; • underestimate the practicality and utility of safe working methods, • be influenced in their behaviour by organisational culture (e.g. a perception that the Research Group tolerates risk-taking in the interests of productivity).

29. Very likely • Typically experienced at least once every six months by an individual

30. Likely • Typically experienced at least once every five years by an individual

31. Unlikely • Typically experienced once during the working lifetime of an individual

32. Very unlikely • Less than 1% chance of being experienced by an individual during their working lifetime

33. Risk assessment matrix

34. Risk assessment

35. Worth noting! • The risk rating is not the most important element • Deciding on and implementing controls to minimise or eliminate risk is the most important aspect

36. Risk level Acceptability: • Guidance on necessary action and timescale.

37. Very low risk • These risks are considered acceptable. • No further action is necessary other than to ensure that the controls are maintained.

38. Low risk • No additional controls are required unless they can be implemented at very low cost (in terms of time, money and effort). • Actions to further reduce these risks are assigned low priority. • Arrangements should be made to ensure that the controls are maintained.

39. Medium risk • Can the risks can be lowered, but the costs should be taken into account. • The measures should be implemented within a defined time period. • Arrangements should be made to ensure that the controls are maintained, particularly if the risk levels are associated with harmful consequences.

40. High risk • Substantial efforts should be made to reduce the risk. • Risk reduction measures should be implemented urgently within a defined time period and it might be necessary to consider suspending or restricting the activity, or to apply interim risk controls, until this has been completed.

41. High risk • Considerable resources might have to be allocated to additional controls. • Arrangements should be made to ensure that the controls are maintained, particularly if the risk levels are associated with extremely harmful consequences and very harmful consequences.

42. Very high risk • These risks are unacceptable. • Substantial improvements in risk controls are necessary, so that the risk is reduced to an acceptable level. • The work activity should be halted until risk controls are implemented that reduce the risk so that it is no longer very high. If it is not possible to reduce risk the work should remain prohibited.

43. Deciding on controls • You must put controls in place to eliminate or reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

44. General Principles of Prevention • Best approach to deciding on what controls to put in place. • Best approach to prioritising controls. • Have legal backing – requirement of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act

45. 1.Avoid the risk • Simple - If you can get rid of the hazard then people are not exposed to the risks! • You should apply this principle first.

46. 2. Evaluate unavoidable risks • This requires you to undertake risk assessments. If you can’t get rid of a hazard, you must assess it.

47. 3. Combat the risks at source • Here you are trying to deal with the hazard at its root. • If you have a noisy machine, giving staff hearing protection is not dealing with the root of the problem. • If you enclose the machine so that it is not noisy or if you replace the machine with a quieter one, then you are combating the risk at source.

48. 4. Adapt the work to the individual • This is the principle of arranging the workplace and tasks to take into account your employees and to reduce the affect of work on health.

49. 5. Adapt your work place in line with technical progress • Safer systems of work are always being developed. You must keep up to date with new systems, so that you can put them into use in your workplace.

50. 6. Replace dangerous systems with safer alternatives • This applies to dangerous articles, substances or systems of work. • If you are using a solvent that may be toxic, then you should consider if there is a non-solvent alternative that is safer. • If you can take steps to make it safer, then do it.