Unit 2h: Intro to Risk Assessment PDF

Unit 2h: Intro to Risk Assessment ______________________________________________  Lecture Objectives i. Identify the aims and objectives of risk assessment and distinguish between qualitative and quantitative assessment ii. Review the Hierarchy for hazard control and discuss role i...

Unit 2h: Intro to Risk Assessment ______________________________________________  Lecture Objectives i. Identify the aims and objectives of risk assessment and distinguish between qualitative and quantitative assessment ii. Review the Hierarchy for hazard control and discuss role in risk assessment iii. List some risk assessment tools and outline the procedure for a JSA iv. Define incidents and explain the purpose of, procedures for, and legal requirements for investigating incidents v. Classify the different types of emergencies; outline factors for implementation of successful evacuation/emergency response plan _________________________________________________________________ What is risk assessment? A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures. Accidents and ill health can ruin lives and affect your business if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase or you have to go to court. You are legally required to assess the risks in your workplace so you must put plans in place to control risks. How to assess the risks in your workplace Follow the five steps in this leaflet 1. Identify the hazards 2. Decide who might be harmed and how 3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution 4. Record your findings and implement them 5. Review your assessment and update if necessary Don’t overcomplicate the process. In many organisations, the risks are well known and the necessary control measures are easy to apply. You probably already know whether, for example, ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 1 you have employees who move heavy loads and so could harm their backs, or where people are most likely to slip or trip. If so, check that you have taken reasonable precautions to avoid injury. Hazards can be analysed depending on their severity and probability eg: Severity rating of hazard Value Death or major injury Major - 3 3 day injury or illness Serious - 2 All other injuries or illnesses Slight - 1 Probability rating of hazard Value Harm is certain or near certain to occur High - 3 Harm will often occur Medium - 2 Harm will seldom occur Low - 1 Risk assessment can then be done by: Risk = Severity x Probability Probability Severity Slight 1 Serious 2 Major 3 Low 1 1 2 3 Medium 2 2 4 6 High 3 3 6 9 Thus: High risk is 6 – 9 Medium risk is 3 – 4 Low risk is 1-2 Job Safety Analysis (JSA) or job hazard analysis (JHA) involves tabulating hazards identified, causes, and control measures. It is necessary for many tasks in companies such as maintenance (cleaning or servicing ) of large equipment; crane operations; bunkering of fuel etc. Process hazard analysis is a regulation, declared by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), intended to prevent an incident like the 1984 Bhopal Disaster. It is frequently cited as the world's worst industrial disaster where a Union Carbide pesticide plant in the Indian city of Bhopal, released 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. The government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Others estimate 8,000-10,000 died within 72 hours and 25,000 have since died from gas-related diseases. Some 25 years after the gas leak, 390 tonnes ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 2 of toxic chemicals abandoned at the Union Carbide plant continue to pollute the ground water in the region and affects thousands of residents. A process is any activity or combination of activities including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling or the on-site movement of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (HHCs). As a result companies should perform Process hazard analysis (hazard evaluation) on processes in their establishment to identify, evaluate, and control the hazards involved in the process. Common ones used are:What if, Checklists, Hazard and operability study(HAZOP), JSA, Failure mode and effects Analysis (FMEA), and Fault tree analysis. What if – asks what can go wrong in a process and make judgments Checklists – asks questions about the process ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 3 ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 4  HAZOP Uses parameters (flow, pressure, temp, viscosity, level, etc) and various deviations (none, less, more, reverse) ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 5  Job Safety Analysis or job hazard analysis involves tabulating hazards identified, causes, and control measures. ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 6 ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 7 Fault tree analysis uses logic symbols. Two main ones are: The system fails if both A and B fail The system fails if either A, B or C fails. ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 8  Accident investigation What is an accident and why should it be investigated? The term "accident" can be defined as an unplanned event that interrupts the completion of an activity, and that may (or may not) include injury or property damage. An incident usually refers to an unexpected event that did not cause injury or damage this time but had the potential. "Near miss" or "dangerous occurrence" are also terms for an event that could have caused harm but did not. Reasons to investigate a workplace accident include:  most importantly, to find out the cause of accidents and to prevent similar accidents in the future  to fulfill any legal requirements  to determine the cost of an accident  to determine compliance with applicable safety regulations  to process workers' compensation claims Incidents that involve no injury or property damage should still be investigated to determine the hazards that should be corrected. The same principles apply to a quick inquiry of a minor incident and to the more formal investigation of a serious event. What are the steps involved in investigating an accident? The accident investigation process involves the following steps:  Report the accident occurrence to a designated person within the organization  Provide first aid and medical care to injured person(s) and prevent further injuries or damage  Investigate the accident  Identify the causes  Report the findings  Develop a plan for corrective action  Implement the plan  Evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action  Make changes for continuous improvement As little time as possible should be lost between the moment of an accident or near miss and the beginning of the investigation. In this way, one is most likely to be able to observe the conditions as they were at the time, prevent disturbance of evidence, and identify witnesses. The tools that ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 9 members of the investigating team may need (pencil, paper, camera, film, camera flash, tape measure, etc.) should be immediately available so that no time is wasted. CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS Primarily, accidents are caused by people. Equipment may be involved, but people handle the equipment. Most accidents are the result of Carelessness, Inexperience, and/or Wrong attitude. Carelessness Some locations are potential danger spots. The lack of alertness may cause accidents resulting in injury or death. People working on piers, weather decks, and in the ship’s hold must be constantly on the alert for moving or falling objects. As personnel become familiar with a job, they may try to take “shortcuts; which place themselves and others in danger. Fatigue is another cause of carelessness. As people tire, they are less alert and more likely to cause an accident. Inexperience Unless personnel are indoctrinated and experienced in handling a particular piece of equipment, they should not be allowed to use it except under close supervision. Persons who operate cranes, capstans, winches, windlasses and other deck equipment must first get authority from the first lieutenant. A person may know how to drive a forklift, but may not be fully aware of the safety precautions that should be observed while operating it. Operating materials-handling equipment is not the only way that inexperienced personnel may cause accidents. A person working as a cargo handler for the first time may not be aware of the dangers involved. A minor mistake such as an improperly loaded cargo net may result in injury to the operator or someone else. Attitude Some people work around dangerous machinery or equipment, explosives, acids, electrical equipment without mishap. They take necessary safety precautions. Others, however, working around dangerous objects or in dangerous work become overfamiliar with the dangers. They have a tendency to slack off in the practice of safety. The adage there are old electricians and bold electricians, but there are no old, bold electricians applies equally well to cargo handling. When individuals develop poor attitudes toward their work, a change must be made. Either in attitudes or in work assignments. If previous experience indicates that a person has a tendency toward unreliability, that person should not be permitted to operate materials-handling equipment nor work in a position where the individual’s unreliability could result in injury. Of course, the cause of unreliability should be determined and eliminated, if possible ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 10  Unit 2h – Intro to RA Questions 1. What information does a risk assessment give? 2. Explain using an example the meaning of the term ‘risk 3. What does JSA stand for? 4. Describe how a JSA is done 5. Outline the factors that must be considered in carrying out a risk assessment in the work place 6. Describe the five basic steps in conducting a risk assessment 7. List the types of economic losses that can result from accidents or their possibilities 8. Identify the risk factors that can increase the probability of workers becoming injured or ill as a result of an exposure 9. Define each of the following giving an example in each case a. Accident b. Near miss c. Near hit ________________________________________________________________________ HSEV 1005 – Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Unit 2h – Intro to Risk Assessment 11