EHS 4201: Workplace Risk Assessment

• EHS 4201 covers conducting a suitable and sufficient Workplace Risk Assessment.
• The course outcomes include identifying regulatory guidelines, hazards, who can be harmed and how, assessing risk levels, recommending control measures, and reviewing/updating assessments.
• Performance Criteria (PC) are associated with each outcome, indicating specific requirements.

Key Topics Covered in Class

• Understanding hazards and risks including the difference between them
• Risk Assessments, when and why they are carried out
• Hazard types
• Hazard identification

What is a Hazard

• It is anything that can cause injury, ill health, or fatality.
• It can cause damage to property like buildings and machinery
• Can include harm to the natural environment, like pollution

What is Risk

• Is the likelihood of the hazard causing harm or damage.
• Severity of the harm or damage is a factor.
• Minor Injury, e.g., cut finger with a knife
• Major Injury, e.g., fractured leg

Hazards vs Risk

• A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm.
• A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause an accident resulting in damage or injury.
• A hazard is that which threatens health or the environment.
• Risk is the probability that an event or effect will occur

Difference Between Hazard and Risk

• Anything that has the potential to cause harm becomes a risk when a person is exposed to it.

Risk Assessments

• By law, risk assessments must be carried out for all work activities.
• The manager is responsible for ensuring risk assessment is done. Actual task can be delegated to suitable staff.

Risk Assessment Defined

• An examination of what in the workplace could cause harm to people, property, and the environment.
• The point is to determine if enough precautions have been taken.
• Risk assessments should identify hazards, assess resulting risks, and develop control measures to minimize risks.

Why are Risk Assessments Carried Out?

• Employers are legally obliged to carry out a risk assessment and have a moral responsibility.
• It also saves the entity money.

Aims of risk assessment

• Make working reasonably safe.
• Risks to staff and anyone else likely to be affected by be assessed.
• Identify reasonable action to take to make job safer.
• Ensure the risk assessments are shared with staff

Benefits of Risk Assessments

• Helps to look after staff and others
• They help improve the quality of service
• They help to stop people from being injured
• Are legal requirement

Risk assessment - When to Conduct

• Before work activities begin.
• When high risk is associated with a specific activity (e.g., confined space).
• When work procedures change.
• When new equipment or substances are introduced.
• After an OSH incident, including near misses.
• When new workers are introduced.
• At regular intervals appropriate to the workplace's nature.
• When legislative obligations change.

Legal Requirements for Workplace Risk Assessment in UAE

• Risk management must apply to all activities.
• It must be based on consultation with stakeholders
• Needs to incorporate all 5 steps of RA
• It must address certain concerns like: supply chain activities, human behaviour, weather hazards, equipment hazards, and to ensure documentation of risk management activities.
• The CA or SRA based on RA can request entity to perform a more detailed risk management technique called safety case for Major Hazard Facilities (MHF)

Industrial Standards

• Industrial Standards provide practical pointers and signposts for meeting appropriate standards in key areas of employee occupational health and safety.
• The Workplace Health and Safety Standards help organizations meet their legal obligations and protect staff and patients.
• Some International Standards:NFPA, International Labour Standards on Occupational Safety and Health, IAEA Safety Standards, ISO Standards (OHSAS 18001)
• Some UAE standards: OSHAD Guidelines, Trakhees EHS regulations, ADNOC HSE Standard, , Abu Dhabi Building Codes, UAE Fire Code

HSE Legislation at Federal Level

• Federal Law No.8 of 1980 – UAE Labor Law outlines responsibilities for employers and employees regarding health and safety.
• Penal Code - Federal Law No.3 of 1987 contains financial and jail penalties for people that fail to manage workplace health and safety
• Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) National Standard (NCEMA) provides an OHS risk management methodology with control measures for workplace incidents
• AD Executive Council Decree 42 of 2009 established the Abu Dhabi Occupational Health and Safety center (OSHAD)

Suitable and Sufficient Risk Assessment

• A proper check has been made.
• People who might be affected are accounted for.
• Obvious significant risks have been addressed.
• Reasonable precautions are in place, and the remaining risk is low
• Workers or their representatives are involved in the process

Defines a Suitable and Sufficient Risk Assessment

• Identifying significant risks at work.
• Considering all people at risk.
• Performed by competent risk assessor
• The need to seek specialist advice when needed (example: hazardous chemicals or or gas)

“Competent” Defined

• K = Knowledge
• A = Ability
• T = Training
• E = Education