Issue No / First Issue
Continuation
- Policy Statement
It is the policy of XXXX to provide and maintain, as far as practicable, a safe and healthy workplace and to provide mechanisms and procedures to address workplace hazards, assess risk and implement corrective action as appropriate.
- Persons Affected
This procedure applies to all XXXXemployees, contractors, voluntary workers, and other persons affected by XXXX’s work activities.
- Definition of terms
Hazard-something that is capable of causing injury and/or ill health to people, or damage to property and equipment.
Risk-the chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives. It is measured in terms of consequences and likelihood.
Manual Handling - any activity which requires the use of force; exerting to lift, push, pull, carry, or otherwise move or restrain any animate or inanimate object
- Responsibility
Employeesmust –
- Staff members are encouraged to identify any hazards. The hazard should be reported to the manager and/or the H&S department and appropriate control measures taken.
- If confident and appropriately trained, conduct necessary risk assessments, if not, participate and cooperate during risk assessments.
- Report any work related accident, incident or near misses, to your manager, Human Resources, Health & Safety, orXXXX first aider.
Manager / Line Managermust –
- Take action if there is an immediate risk of injury or illness to ensure the area is safe.
- Ensure Accident, Incident or Near Miss Form and Accident Investigation Reportsare completed (see Accident Reporting and Investigation Policy).
- Manage the safety inspection and risk assessment processto ensure:
Employees are kept informed of the progress and outcomes of hazards identified.
Completed within the allocated time (monthly, quarterly, half yearly, yearly).
Conducted by a competent person.
The control measures are adequate for the situation (new mother, younger workers, WHMIS) and the relevant parties consulted.
The corrective action is allocated to the appropriate person.
The risk is controlled within the target date
The risk assessment is reviewed.
If necessary, contact the HS Department for assistance on control options or risk assessments.
Induct all staff to ensure an explanation of this procedure is included in the department induction process.
Health SafetyCo-ordinatormust –
- Assist with the Hazard / Risk Management process if requested or when necessary.
- Assist managersto conduct full investigations of work related incidents
- Monitor and report to the Health & Safety Committee and Executive Management Teamonrisk assessments and action progress.
- Equipment / Forms
- Incident or Near Miss report
- Investigation Policy
- Standard Risk Assessment
- Young Worker Risk Assessment
- Fire Risk Assessment
- Pregnant or Expected Mother Risk Assessment
- Stress Risk Assessment
- Manual Handling Risk Assessment
- WHMIS Risk Assessment
- Department / Location Checklist
- Procedure
- Risk Assessment
The Risk Assessment can be used for any activity orhazard. Examples of instances where it should be used include:
-Day to day activities (random identified hazardous activities, e.g. cord across walkway, lifting or reaching for a box of paper).
-Stress at work (take into account the individuals circumstances, e.g. mental state, potential aggravation of condition).
-Disabled persons (take into account the individuals needs and environment, e.g. hearing, sight, accessibility).
-Lone working (look at specific activities, e.g. working at night, aggressive people, delivering bad news, evicting people, debt recovery).
-Fire Safety (look at specific circumstances, e.g.locked fire door, emergency lighting, signage, evacuation).
-New & expectant mothers (take into account the individuals circumstances and activity, e.g. weeks pregnant, radiation, manual handling, fatigue, chemicals, lone working, stress).
-Young persons at work (take into account the individuals circumstances and activity, e.g. knowledge, experience, manual handling).
- Safety inspection checklist
Each checklist has prompts to help the assessor check their specific area for hazards. The checklist questions are only a guide and any day to day hazards must be created as a task. The checklist must be conducted in the timeframe set out for each department.
Also any major environmental changes outside the set timeframe will require a risk assessment to be carried out on the area.
- Manual Handling Risk Assessment
A risk assessment should be conducted for any hazardous manual handling activity.This should be completed using the manual handling risk assessment and creating tasks for any risks that are identified and need to be controlled (see Manual Handling Policy).
- WHMIS Risk Assessment
This assessment is used specifically for activities relating to dangerous goods or hazardous substances. This should be completed using the WHMIS risk assessment, based on the chemicals Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and creating tasks for any risks that are identified and need to be controlled (see WHMIS Policy).
- Accident Reporting and Investigation
If any accident, incident or near miss occurs, report must be filled.Once an accident has been reported, it must be investigated and the appropriate action taken (see Accident Reporting and Investigation Policy).
Risk Assessment Process
Three main steps must be undertaken when managing hazards and conducting risk assessments:
1.Identification of hazard
This is the process of identifying all the hazards that exist in the workplace, especially trying to identify the more significant hazards. Hazards will commonly be divided into the following categories: Physical, chemical, biological and Ergonomic.
2.Who Might Be Harmed and How
Determining who may be at risk from the hazards (elderly tenants, inexperienced staff, disabled, pregnant, etc) and how that hazard may impact of their health (manual handling, fall from height, stress, slip/trip, etc).
3. Evaluate the Risks
Process of assessing the significance of the risks and what needs to be done to protect people and includes:
Risk Classification and Priority
The hazard needs to be assessed and assigned the relevant priority and timeframe. While creating a task, the severity of someone being injured and the likelihood of it occurring calculated to give a risk rating and priority date.
Hazard control
Risk control is the process used to remove or mitigate the hazard. When controlling hazards and establishing corrective action, the preferred order of control must be used:-
- Elimination
Eliminating a toxic substance, hazardous plant or process which is not necessary to a system of work.
- Substitution
Substituting a toxic substance, hazardous plant or process with one which is known to be less harmful to health. Substitution is not only the preferred control option, but it may also be the least expensive.
- Engineering controls
Using engineering controls to eliminate or reduce the risk of injury or illness to employees. This may involve enclosing or isolating a hazard or changing an environment. For example, using a fume cupboard to isolate toxic fumes, reducing noise exposure by isolating the source in a sound enclosure booth. Other engineering controls may include changing processes, equipment or tools, and machine guarding.
- Administrative controls
Changing work procedures to reduce exposure to existing hazards. For example, reducing exposure to hazards by job rotation, or limiting the number of employees exposed to a hazard by limiting access.
- Provision of personal protective equipment
Devices or clothing which provide individual employees with some protection from hazards are the least preferred method of controlling risk. If personal protective equipment or clothing is used to control a hazard, the Manager should ensure that:
proper instruction on the need for, and use of the personal protective clothing and equipment is provided;
standards are enforced; and
an effective system is in place for cleaning and maintenance.
Control Implementation
Recommended corrective action should be created as a task and allocated to the relevant person who will be responsible for ensuring that this corrective action in completed.
4. Record the Finding
The significant findings of the risk assessment must be recorded, including a record of all hazards, the risks that they present, risk classification and what precautions are in place to protect people from harm.
5. Review the Assessment and Revise if Necessary
Employees need to be vigilant about hazards and risks and to review workplace conditions regularly. How regular will depend on the extent of risk and degree of change.
- Reference Documents
The following documents including their relevant codes of practice and guidelines can be used as a reference:
- The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulation 1992
- The control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation 2002
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases &Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
- The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
- 5 Steps to Risk Assessment – HSE
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