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Lesson:- Risk Assessment Principles & PracticeUnit 5: Risk assessment

5.1 Overall aims

On completion of this Element, candidates will understand:

the process of risk assessment risk assessment recording and reviewing procedures.

5.2 Specific intended learning outcomes

The intended learning outcomes of this Element are that candidates will beable to:

5.1 explain the aims and objectives of risk assessment

5.2 distinguish between high frequency/low severity events and lowfrequency/high severity events

5.3 identify hazards by means of workplace inspections and analysis of tasks

5.4 use accident and near-miss data in risk assessments

5.5 use a simple risk assessment technique to determine risk levels and toassess the adequacy of controls.

5.2.1 Sources of reference

Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (ILO-OSH2001)

Five Steps to Risk Assessment (INDG163), HSE Books

Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18000): OccupationalHealth and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS 18001/18002), BSI

5.2.2 Recommended tuition time

Recommended tuition time for this unit is not less than 7 hours.


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5.3 Risk Assessment Introduction

In this study section you will learn about the types of accidents in the work

place and their potential consequences, the losses that may occur, accidentmodels and the steps and process of risk assessment. You will note that wehave included Safe Systems of Work and Permits to Work (or Work Permits) inthis study unit.

Other sections of your study materials should be read in conjunction with thissection, for instance, Accident Investigation and Accident Prevention. You alsohave some essential reading, additional to these study units.

We have provided a number of real workplace examples from the relatively lowrisk retail and service sector to the complex high risk heavy industry of the

quarry. You will of course have examples of your own to draw on; this will beof great advantage to you as you work through the study sections.

Most people would have come across the term Risk Assessment or Assessmentof Risk. It is used in all areas of industry and commerce, in news papers,television and even in every day life. In my opinion risk assessment is central tothe study of and practice of occupational safety and health.

In life we use risk assessment every day, making decisions about when it is safeto cross a road or overtake a vehicle on a bend. However we do not go throughthe formal risk assessment process and write our findings down.

If we consider the hazards of crossing a busy road and the risks of injury or typeof injury we may suffer, from a lorry, bus, car or motor bike.

We also need to consider the speed of traffic, the volume of traffic, the gap inthe traffic, the road conditions (wet or icy) and our own personal performancewith regards to just how quickly and safely we can cross, and the possibleconsequences of something going wrong.

We can and should use the correct and safe place to cross, zebra or pelicancrossing point, but we sometimes take risks, the human factor. Even if we get

our part right as a pedestrian crossing, there is always the risk that a driver willignore or through a lack of attention, not see us stepping out into the road,either at a safe place to cross or not.

In the workplace, it is a statutory requirement that employers undertake riskassessments for all their activities. Those that employe five or more employeesare required by law to make a record of their findings and to makearrangements to review the assessments and maintain the records. In the


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lowest risk workplace environments this is relativity simple to achieve. Themost complex of high risk workplaces, off shore gas and oil field installations,risk assessment is highly complex and often highly technical, requiringspecialist technicians, strict management procedures, comprehensive safetysystems and highly key competent person(s).

The following sections of your NEBOSH certificate course will also cover RiskAssessment:

Occupational Health & Safety Law Noise at Work Fire Prevention & Assessment Chemical & Biological Hazards Accident Prevention Incident Investigation Workplace Inspections & Audits

Enjoy this study unit; make sure that you understand the subject. It is centralto many of your other study sections as you will discover. Just a final point, weare studying the workplace, not a domestic dwelling.

5.3.2 Accidents & Consequences

You will need an understanding of accident causes and statistics. It is vital toyour success in the examination that you are able to recall types of accidents,accident causes and accident causation models.

5.3.3 Definition of an Accident

Unplanned, uncontrolled event leading to actual or potential injury,damage, harm or loss

Accidents at work can and do happen, and they happen all too frequently. Atthis point you should start to make a list of work activities, workingenvironments and other factors that may contribute to accidents at work. Wewill also discuss loss. This is because all accidents have a loss to some degreeor other.

The following will provide you with a start:

Factors effecting safety at work:

Handling, lifting and carrying Slips, trips and falls Moving vehicles, objects, machinery Harmful substances


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Electricity, animals, fire, explosion, drowning, asphyxiation

Can you think why each of the above would cause accidents and what typesof accidents they may cause?

Types of Illness

Vibration injuries Hearing damage Asthma Dermatitis Musculoskeletal disorders Stress, depression, anxiety

In what occupation do you think someone may potentially suffer from VibrationWhite Finger?

Factors effecting health and safety at work

Occupational factorso Chemicals, equipment, working methods

Environmental factorso High noise levelso poor lightingo dusty atmospheres

o hot or cold temperatures Human factors

o Behaviour of people affecting their safety and that of fellowworkers, customers, visitors

o Carelessnesso Lack of attentiono Inexperienceo lack of training

This is not an exhausted list. You need to add to the list and consider whattype of accidents are the most common.

Bearing this in mind - What other human factors are there, that may affecthealth & safety at work?

5.4 Annual statistics

Annual statistics


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Fatalities 344

Major injuries 30,968

Over 3 day injuries 132,976

The estimated annual cost to the UK society through accidents and ill health is11 to 16 billion.

How do you think this arises? What are the costs? Make a list of where youthink the costs are, e.g. persons with disabilities may require structuralchanges to their homes.

Accidents and consequences

major injuries, fatalities, damage or loss

minor injuries, damage or loss near-misses (no injury, damage or loss)

Make a note of examples of each of the above before you continue.

Reported injuries and dangerous occurrences

Injuries

Employees and self-employed

Fatal 218

Major 28,939

Over-3-day 133,027

How much under reporting do you think occurs each year and why?

Members of the public

Fatal 437

Major 24,634

Reported dangerous occurrences 10,002

How do you think members of the public where injured and in what typesof circumstances?


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Prescribed industrial diseases

Lung diseases including:

Pneumoconiosis, mesothelioma, occupational asthma, cancer, bronchitis 3,437

Vibration white finger 3,155

Carpal tunnel syndrome 478

Musculoskeletal disorders 465

Occupational deafness 316

Dermatitis 220

Allergic rhinitis 135

Work Related Injuries

Musculoskeletal disorders 1.2 million

Stress, depression or anxiety 79,000

Other stress-prescribed disease 254,000

Lower respiratory disease 202,000

Deafness, tinnitus, ear conditions 170,000

Skin disease 66,000

Headache or eyestrain 50,000

Trauma 34,000

Vibration white finger 36,000

Pneumoconiosis 19,000

(Source: The costs to Britain of workplace accidents and work-related illhealth in 1995/96 HSE.)

Costs


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Estimated annual costs of work-related injuries and ill health to individualsand their families 5.6 billion through:

Human suffering:o injuryo

paino stresso griefo death

Loss of income Unemployment Need for additional expenses

Estimated annual costs of work-related injuries and ill health to UKemployers 3.5 to 7.3 billion through:

Compensation claims and insurance Prosecution, fines, prohibition Legal fees Lowered staff morale/reduced productivity Absenteeism, sick pay, increased staff turnover and replacement costs Repair costs to damaged buildings and equipment Loss of reputation and customer confidence Increased cost of management and administration

Estimated total annual costs of work-related injuries and ill health

To society 9.9 to 14.1 billion through:

Damage Lost industrial output Medical treatment Administration costs Investigation costs Victim and family costs


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5.5 Accident Triangle

There are so many minor accidents that we can learn from. It stands to reasonthat if we are aware of all accident causes, we should in theory at least beable to control future loss events.

In Birds Accident Triangle, you can see that the ratio of none injury accidentsin relation to Major injuries sustained as a result of an accident.

Accident records are a useful method of estimating loss when considering riskassessment, however we are all aware that some under reporting may take

place throughout a year and this may be required to be taken in account.

5.5.2 Main causes of injury


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Why do you think drowning is less common than violence or accidents fromanimals at work as a cause of accidents and injury at work?

Part of the risk assessment process is the requirement to consider the losswhen the hazard has been identified and the risk calculated, loss can come in

many forms. The most obvious losses are those that cause injury, eithertemporary or permanent causing disability, or even death.

5.5.3 Injury and loss example

A small cut or graze to a finger may just require first aid treatment. The loss inthis case, relatively speaking is small, however a loss of time would occur.

Lets consider, for example that cut to the finger: Bob, a machine operator in alarge engineering shop, picks up a tool used in cleaning and due to hisinattention, cuts his finger on the blade end of the tool. Other than a fewswear words and a small shallow cut to his index finger, he suffers no furtherharm.

The Losses


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Bob has to stop his machine Find the first aider The first aider, has to stop his work activities Both Bob and the first aider walk to the first aid room The wound is cleaned

The wound dressing is applied The accident book is completed At some point in the future, the entries in the accident book , including

Bobs entry, are counted and a statistical end of year analysis is made Both parties now return to work. The production manager talks to Bob to ascertain how he came to cut his

finger. The production Manager tells Bob to be more careful in the future and

Bob shows him his cut finger again as the Manager leaves.

Some years ago I was invited to a very large company that made sandwiches,

135,000 sandwiches a day, the ones that you see in most food shops, garagesand cafes, pre packed.

On their production line a cut finger was a real concern. The line is stopped, 50or more sandwiches prior to the incident and 100 after the incident are thrownin the bin. Of course the reason is clear why they took such precautions, thecontamination of human blood in your cheese and tomato whole grain sandwichis not a desired ingredient and of course the blood may carryinfections/diseases.

If you are thinking how a cut would have occurred, well the plant was mostly

automated, except the cutting in half of the sandwich that was done by handusing a large knife, each time the knife was used it had to be wiped clean. Atthe time of my visit a cleaning cloth was used by the production staff, theywould wipe the knife through the cloth to clean away any residue left by theprevious cutting of the sandwich. A safer method is now used, however cutsstill occur.

We started with a cut finger, leading to lost time, but lets us now considertypes of incidents and the potential of loss.

Types of loss

Accidents, illness, stress Deaths Lost time Bad publicity Poor reputation Lowered performance of staff Increased sick leave & staff turnover


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Reduced company performance Prosecution, fines and imprisonment Prohibition and closure Compensation claims, insurance costs Legal costs

Unemployment Material loss

We all know of fires and other major incidents that devastate the workplace.Some are so catastrophic that lifes are lost, environmental damage is causedand the company suffer such losses that they go out of business. This is ofcause the worse case outcome.

You will note from the list above that we mention: prosecution, fines,imprisonment, prohibition and closure. You can find the details of this aspectinUnit 1.

5.5.4 Accident Causation

Domino Effect

In practice accidents happen for many reasons, it is rare that an accident has asingle cause. Accidents happen because of a series of events. A number ofthings happen simultaneously and it is the combination of these casual eventswhich results in the accident.


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It follows that if we remove one of these casual events that we should be ableto prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. You may want toread the section Accident Investigation at this point.

These casual events are referred to as immediate causes; they are to do with

what happened, they are to do with the events leading up to the accident.

Root causes differ from casual causes, in that root causes are to do with theunderlying factors, why casual events happened. Root causes are more difficultto identify because they deal with why the accident happened rather than howit happened. As you will read in the Incident investigation section, establishingthe root cause is an essential part of future accident prevention.

Let us now consider the Hale and Hale Domino theory, see fig 6 above. In thismodel Hale & Hale say that accident lies with the person, with the situation ormore likely with both.

In simple terms what the domino theory says is that if one of the events (one ofthe dominos to the left) fails, then it will knock over the other dominos to theright of it and a loss will occur.

The sequence of events will be as follows:

Example 1

1. Lack of supervision, management control, results in that one or morebrackets that are essential to the support of a shelving unit, will not be fixed in

place.

2. An unsafe act occurs; the brackets are not put in place.

3. An unsafe condition results, the brackets are not in place.

4. A loss occurs; the shelving unit fails when items are placed on it someone isinjured by the falling materials for instance.

Example 2

1. Poor Management, poor system of work in place, no managementmonitoring, poor written work procedure, brake fluid will not included inbraking system.

2. Unsafe act: brake fluid not put in place.

3. Unsafe Condition: brake fluid not in place as required.


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4. Loss: damage to car and injury to driver.

It stands to reason that if any one of the events to the left of the loss iscorrected, then the loss will not occur. However it is important to rememberthat it is rare that only one domino (event) is involved in the loss. Another

consideration is the types of loss that may be involved in one accident.

You may want to consider the examples above and make a note ofthe losses.

5.5.5 Why do accidents happen?

There are many reasons why accidents happen, however we can categorisethem in to system errors, human errors and hard errors.

Human

These include perception, physical and mental capabilities of people and theinteraction with their job and working environment, the influence of workequipment and systems design on human performance and organisationalcharacteristics which influence safety-related human behaviour.

Lack of attention, inappropriate actions, wilfulness, poor attitude, lack ofmotivation and wrong perception are all examples of human errors that havethe potential to cause incidents and accidents.

Hard

Hard errors are distinguished from human and system errors that are concernedwith the hardware used in or as part of undertaking a task. Failings ofmaterials, equipment, agents or substances are all examples of hard failings.

System

System in terms of safety is the organisational integration of personnel, articlesand substances within a safe environment to produce and maintain an

acceptable level of standards.

System failure can be contributed to by poor means of communication,inappropriate management objectives established to operate a system,inappropriate polices and working procedures, poor design of safe methods ofworking and most importantly organisational structure.


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Many human errors contribute to poor systems. It is somewhat difficult todistinguished between human and system errors, however if we consider that asystem is flawless and only fails because of human error we are able toestablish a system error.

Example

A system for inspecting components may be deficient in its design. A vitalcheck may not be included in the system to inspect.

For instance, while checking the braking system on a car the system in placemay state that all components must be inspected and the list components maybe included to allow a check list to be completed. If the level of brake fluid ismissed because it is not indicated on the form, this would be a system error. Ifthe brake fluid was on the form and requiring inspection but was not inspected,this would be a human error.

5.6 Hazard identification

Hazard identification

There are several methods of identifying workplace hazards within anycompany.

These are undertaken with the aim of identifying hazards and assessing theirrisk potential. They may be undertaken by individuals, line managers, safetyadvisers, supervisors or groups of people who may be members of the safety

committee.

Workplace inspections can take several forms. You may have a pre-designedinspection checklist of areas of work, work activities or machinery etc and thehazards that may be present. Alternatively you may take a blank sheet of paperand clip board. Most hazard identification is undertaken in the context oflooking for things that are wrong.

The Hazard Spotting Approach

Simple, yet effective, but this is a reactive approach in most cases, as you walk

through the workplace you will spot hazards of all types, make a note andconsider the risks from that hazard. Your practical exercise at yourexamination will take this form of hazard spotting.

In the most basic terms you are looking for anything with the potential to causeharm/loss. This could be something obvious i.e. an exposed electric cable or atrip hazard in walk ways, through to the not so obvious like a hidden poor


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design feature of a piece of work equipment or poor design of managementcontrols/systems.

Hazard identification provides information that can be used to manage risks,which, if not controlled, can lead to workplace accidents. It can also have

other benefits, with reduced:

1. Workplace claims

2. Insurance payments

3. Lost time incidents

The process of hazard identification can also assist in:

Revealing hazards which were overlooked in the original design and installation

of plant, equipment, operating procedures and settingup of associated worksystems:

Detecting hazards which have developed after the plant, equipment,other resources (chemicals etc) or work system has been established

Highlighting any ergonomic problems associated with the plant,equipment, operating procedures

Indicating any environmental factors e.g. poor lighting, that maycontribute to accidents and,

Determining methods for ongoing monitoring to achieve optimum healthand safety workplace standards

Highlighting any training requirements.

Sources of Hazards

Hazards may arise from:

The workplace environment e.g. insufficient lighting Equipment/Plant e.g. a noisy engine which has not been insulated Substances e.g. explosive fumes building up in a storage area, and

Work systems e.g. storage of files at high level causing retrieval hazards.

Forms of HazardsWorkplace hazards can be divided into a number of groups:

Physical hazards e.g. noise, electricity, heat and cold Chemical hazards e.g. toxic gases, noxious fumes and corrosive liquids


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Ergonomic hazards e.g. height of workbench, design of a chair, set-upof a workstation

Radiation hazards e.g. from x-ray machine, infrared beams or badlyfitting microwave doors

Psychological hazards e.g. stress from using equipment without proper

training or instruction, or being coerced into using faulty equipmentwhich carries a risk of injury Biological hazards e.g. syringes carrying potentially infected blood,

specimen containers carrying potentially infected materials and virusesfrom air conditioning systems, and

Plant hazards i.e. any machinery, equipment, appliance, implement ortool.

Items of "plant" may have associated physical, chemical, ergonomic or radiationhazards and should be assessed accordingly.

Hazard identification should be carried out

Hazard identification should be carried out:

Before and during the introduction of new plant, equipment, chemical orother item to the workplace;

Where there is likely to be a risk to health or safety involved, before andduring any:

o Alteration to the plant, equipment, workplaceo Change to the way the plant, equipment or an area is usedo Change to the work system and,

o Change in location of the plant, equipment or people. If new or additional health or safety information associated with the

plant, equipment, chemical or other item or its work system becomesavailable to the employer.

Components of Hazard Identification

The key elements in implementing the hazard identification process for plant,equipment, chemical or other item and associated work systems are listedbelow:

Develop a register for all hazardous items (e.g. plant, electrical items,and chemicals):o The register should list all items with some details on the location

and usage. Analyse available information about the potential hazards associated

with each item and work system, for example:o Check accident/incident reports - or ask the OH&S Unit for

records


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o Check breakdown/maintenance recordso Check recommended training information, instruction booklets

etc.o Check Codes of Practice and statutory requirments.

Inspect the workplace to identify hazards. Analyse:o

The environmento The system of worko The piece of plant, equipment, chemical or other item itself Talk

to the operators/users - they will be familiar with the hazards. Record the hazard identification on:

o Hazard Identification Checklist, and/oro Hazard Identification Worksheet, and/oro Hazard Register

Further sources of information when conducting inspections may include:-

Previous workplace inspections Accident records Near miss data Safety Audits Statutory Inspections Safety Meetings Discussions with employees Work equipment manuals Job Descriptions Undertaken task analysis

Hazard identification continuedThe Chalk Works

During 1985 I was employed working shifts in a large milling operation.

An industrial mineral works with a chalk quarry, in short we dug chalk from thequarry, crushed it through air swept mills and refined it through various airseparators (cyclones) and bagged it up for sale. This was undertaken on a largescale, approximately 50 tonnes or more every hour, seven days a week, 8400tonnes a week. The end product with the consistency of talcum powder wasused in various grades in many types of finished products; paints, drugs,carpets and tyres to name just a few.

Lets just take some time to consider what the tasks are of such an operation.We cant list them all but consider the following.

The quarry

The chalk face or cliff face requires reducing into smaller transportableboulders for want of a better word. Holes are drilled at strategic points down


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into the chalk about 10m in land away from the face. Explosives are placed inthe holes and the result is that large material moving plant, front loaders, canbe used to load the boulders into tipper trucks that can carry up to 35 tonnesat a time. This is a large scale operation.

The trucks then transport the material through the quarry to the first crushingplant. The plant at this stage is huge. Consider 35 tonnes of large boulders,some weighing up to 5 tonnes being tipped in to an open shoot and crushedthrough enormous rollers, 2mtrs in diameter. The rollers turn in oppositedirections to each other, crushing the material and pulling the material intothe space between them. The material is reduced to lumps about the size of anadults hand and weighing approximately 1 kg. It is now transported on a largebelt to a storage silo.

You should be thinking about the potential of harm, and the hazards of such anoperation. Large vehicles turning, reversing, explosives, digging operations,

crushing equipment, noise and dust etc.

Start making a list of the hazards that come to mind as you read through.

The silo held about 12,000 tonnes of chalk and was an up side down cornshape.

A plough situated at the bottom of the silo would scoop the chalk on to anotherbelt where a worker would stand and pick out the flint from the moving belt.The chalk would continue on the belt where it would be sent for furthercrushing to a size of about 800 grams or less. Then yet again by belt to an air

swept mill that would dry and grind the chalk to a powder, ready for particlesize separation by means of cyclones.

The fine chalk powder would now be graded by sending it through yet morecyclone machines and separated into smaller holding hoppers, up to 5 tonnes,ready for pumping across to the final 100 tonne finished product silos. Bagging,storage and loading the material ready for transport operation was the finalphase.

Lets just have a look at the tasks and some of the hazards

Lets just have a look at the tasks and some of the hazards

Tasks Types of Hazards1.

Drilling in quarry Machinery hazards


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2.Placing & use of explosives

Explosives & manualhandling

3. Mechanical loading and transportingmaterials

Struck by moving vehicle

4.Crushing materials Dust, noise, vibration

5.Picking flint

Repetitive straininjury/upper limb disorder.

6.Moving materials by belt Nips, traps

7.Drying materials Fire, heat escape of gas

8.Moving materials by screw conveyer Nips, traps, crush noise

9.Storage of fine powder Asphyxia, dust

10.Bagging & handling material

Nips, upper and lower limbdisorders

11.Palletising & forklift trucks Struck by moving vehicles

12.Storage & Warehousing Collapse of heavy loads

13.Road transport

Road accidents, upper limbdisorders

We have not listed them all, thats for you to do. Continue with the list asabove and study the section, Classification of Hazards. This will help you later

in this section.

5.7 HAZARD CHECKLIST

This is an aide-memoir of hazards presented by work activities and equipmentwhich require risk assessment. This is an illustrative list and is not exhaustive.

MECHANICALTrapping

Crushing

Impact

Friction/AbrasionEntanglement

Shearing

PuncturePinch or Nip Point

Stored Energy

Vibration

ELECTRICALShock

Short Circuit

Sparking

ArcingFire

Explosion

OverheatingPortable Appliances

RADIATION FLAMMABLE


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Alpha Beta GammaXrayInfra red

Ultra violet

Microwave

Radio

SolidsLiquidsGases

Sources of Ignition

Emergencies

PLACE OF WORKAccess

Housekeeping

Slip, Trip, FallConfined Spaces

Work at Heights

Excavation

DemolitionWork Near or Over Water

Stacking

StoringObstructionErgonomics

Transport

HEALTHDust

Vapours

GasesFumes

Asphyxiants

Corrosives

Heavy MetalsPesticides

Herbicides

InsecticidesCarcinogensSensitisers

ENVIRONMENTALWeather

Noise

Temperature

LightingVentilation

PressureVacuumHumidity

ORGANISATIONSafe System of Work

Provision of Equipment

Provision of Information

SupervisionTraining

FieldworkLone WorkingContact with Public

Violence

The noise and vibration at the plant was a significant hazard. Measurementsindicated that noise levels at best were 110 dB and at worst 180 dB. This isdealt with in the Noise section of your study materials.

You need to imagine a shed of concrete walls, floors and metal roof of about100 m x 100 m. Four large air swept mills ran 24 hours a day, 150 screw feeders

moved the powdered chalk from mills to cyclone separators and compressorssent the material to silos. The environment was not well lit, it was dusty, hotand noisy.

The plant had grown from a manual operation to a less than state of the artprocessing plant. The walk ways were crossed with screw conveyers that had tobe stepped over or ducked under. Hard hats were a real necessity and eardefenders were worn without the need for management to ensure they were


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worn. To give you some idea, you could stand within a half a meter of acolleague and scream your heart out, they would not hear you.

One other point for you to consider, most of the working shift, 12 hour daysand nights were spent in the instrument room, sitting watching dials and light

indicators. However when things went wrong, say a screw conveyer stoppedbecause a belt snapped or jammed because of lack of maintenance then 50tonnes of chalk in the consistency of talcum powder would end up on the floor.The only way to clean it up was with shovels and a wheel barrow. (ManualHandling assessment)

Well we have set the scene for you. Your list of hazards should be growing andinclude all those above and many others, stress, ergonomic etc.

5.8 Why we undertake risk assessments

Why we undertake risk assessments

Firstly, there is the statutory requirement placed on all employers under theManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSAW) andwithin the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASWA74). You will learnmore within the law section of your studies with regards to the statutoryrequirements, however, below we have included the MHSAW requirements.

Risk assessments, as you will read, are a safety management technique that ifundertaken correctly using a systematic approach are designed to reduce andcontrol losses, losses in terms of human, system, material and financial losses.

When I teach risk assessment I often use the phrase, what if. To put this intocontext you need to imagine that you are walking through your place of workand looking for hazards at the same time asking yourself, what if this or thathappened, who would it present a risk to, how many, to what degree and howoften.

As an example, I was once employed in a large training centre. As the SafetyManager I was responsible for undertaking risk assessments. Firstly, we sharedthe building with 20 other small companies, we leased our rooms and we werenot in control of the premises, which was the landlords duty.

Walking around the premises of this large building in the city centre I cameacross the waste bins area. The waste bin area was a common area; thelandlord was responsible for its control and the safety management.

It struck me that if a fire started in the large bins it would quickly spread upthe side of the building. I started to consider the risks and came to theconclusion that a significant risk was present and that controls needed to be


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considered. Having discussed the matter with the landlord he assured me thatrisk assessments had been undertaken and that the controls he had put in placewhere suitable and sufficient.

Sods law says that if it can happen it will, and yes, months later two youths set

fire to the bins for a bit of a laugh, they told the police. They were caughton CCTV. The fire was a raging blaze; however it was quickly brought undercontrol and the only damage was to the bins and the building wall. The cost interms of replacing the bins, rendering of the wall and a lick of paint here andthere was approximately 3,500. The lost time was not calculated.

Further controls were put in place; the bins were locked in a compound awayfrom the building. OK you might be thinking that this was reactive, but at leastthe landlord did react to this risk and did something.

In a discussion with him he told me about another incident with the bins that

could have lead to a death. In short, two youths had decided that the bins werea good place to sleep after a night on the town. The bins had lids, so were dry,had lots of paper waste, relatively warm and were in a safe area away fromany passing traffic. Early the next morning the refuge truck arrived as the binmen wheeled the bins to the truck, one lad leapt out and as he ran awayshouted, my mates in that other bin. Sure enough, his mate was in the otherbin, fast asleep and only seconds away from the hydraulic lift that would havetipped the contents of the bin and him into the waiting crushing andcompacting area at the back of the truck.

You cant think of everything, not all accidents are foreseeable but I often

think about what the verdict would have been in this case if a death had takenplace.

So why do we undertake risk assessments, well they are a method of identifyinghazards and calculating the risks of workplace activities. They are part ofaccident prevention at work and are required by law.

Some basic definitions

We will start with some basic definitions, this is important for you to rememberand you must include these in your NEBOSH examination, so take note please.

Hazard anything with the potential to cause harm

Risk the likelihood of harm been realised/happening

Control Measure anything (action or measure) put in place either to

eliminate the hazard or reduce the risk.


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5.9 Statutory Requirements

Statutory Requirements

Below we have included the most relevant regulations from the MHSAW. Youare required to study the regulations in depth; you find the detail of this in thelaw section of your study sections.

You will also note that we have included a very basic account of eachregulation as a Student Note. You will be required to recall the most pertinentregulations for your examination, however you will not be expected to recall itverbatim, word for word.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Risk assessment,

Regulation 3.- (1) Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficientassessment of -

(a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they areexposed whilst they are at work; and(b) the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arisingout of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking, for the

purpose of identifying the measures he needs to take to comply with therequirements and prohibitions imposedupon him by or under the relevantstatutory provisions and by Part II of the Fire Precautions (Workplace)Regulations 1997.

(See Fire Section of your studies)

Student Note: Regulation 3 clearly states that all employers must undertake Risk

Assessments and that they must be suitable and sufficient.

(2) Every self-employed person shall make a suitable and sufficient assessmentof -

(a) the risks to his own health and safety to which he is exposed whilst he is atwork; and(b) the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arisingout of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking, for the

purpose of identifying the measures he needs to take to comply with the


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requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevantstatutory provisions.

Student Note: Regulation 3 clearly states that the self employed must undertake

Risk Assessments and that they must be suitable and sufficient, however theyemploy themselves, if less than 5 people are employed, they are not required to keep

records..

(3) Any assessment such as is referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) shall bereviewed by the employer or self-employed person who made it if -

(a) there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or(b) there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates; andwhere as a result of any such review changes to an assessment are required,

the employer or self-employed person concerned shall make them.

(4) An employer shall not employ a young person unless he has, in relation torisks to the health and safety of young persons, made or reviewed anassessment in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (5).

Student Note: Special arrangements are required for young persons at work. Risk

assessments are required to be reviewed.

(5) In making or reviewing the assessment, an employer who employs or is to

employ a young person shall take particular account of -

(a) the inexperience, lack of awareness of risks and immaturity of youngpersons;(b) the fitting-out and layout of the workplace and the workstation;(c) the nature, degree and duration of exposure to physical, biological andchemical agents;(d) the form, range, and use of work equipment and the way in which it ishandled;(e) the organisation of processes and activities;(f) the extent of the health and safety training provided or to be provided to

young persons; and(g) risks from agents, processes and work listed in the Annex to CouncilDirective 94/33/EC[ 8] on the protection of young people at work.

(6) Where the employer employs five or more employees, he shall record -

(a) the significant findings of the assessment; and(b) any group of his employees identified by it as being especially at risk.


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Student Note: The employer who employs 5 or more persons has to make arecord of his assessments.

Principles of prevention to be applied

Principles of prevention to be appliedRegulation4.Where an employer implements any preventive and protectivemeasures he shall do so on the basis of the principles specified in Schedule 1to these Regulations.Health and safety arrangementsRegulation5.- (1) Every employer shall make and give effect to sucharrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the nature of his activitiesand the size of his undertaking, for the effective planning, organisation,control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures.(2) Where the employer employs five or more employees, he shall record thearrangements referred to in paragraph (1).

Student Note: The employer is required to ensure that suitable safety management

arrangements are in place.

Health surveillanceRegulation 6.Every employer shall ensure that his employees are providedwith such health surveillance as is appropriate having regard to the risks totheir health and safety which are identified by the assessment.

Student Note: Health surveillance may be required in some circumstances

and for particular working environments, or where the employee isexposed (or may be exposed) to a harmful substance/agent(s), such asasbestos, lead or ionising radiation.

Health and safety assistanceRegulation 7.- (1) Every employer shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7),appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking themeasures he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitionsimposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions and by Part IIof the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997.

(2) Where an employer appoints persons in accordance with paragraph (1), heshall make arrangements for ensuring adequate co-operation between them.(3) The employer shall ensure that the number of persons appointed under

paragraph (1), the time available for them to fulfil their functions and themeans at their disposal are adequate having regard to the size of hisundertaking, the risks to which his employees are exposed and the distributionof those risks throughout the undertaking.


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Student Note: Competency in terms of risk assessment and safetymanagement. In order to undertake risk assessments, the employer mustbe or employ a competent person, who has the relevant knowledge,experience, qualification etc in respect of the work activities. Theemployer also has to ensure that sufficient time and resources are

available to undertake these duties.

Risk assessment in respect of new or expectant mothersRegulation16.- (1) Where -

(a) the persons working in an undertaking include women of child-bearing age;and(b) the work is of a kind which could involve risk, by reason of her condition,to the health and safety of a new or expectant mother, or to that of her baby,

from any processes or working conditions, or physical, biological or chemicalagents, including those specified in Annexes I and II of Council Directive

92/85/EEC[ 11] on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements inthe safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who haverecently given birth or are breastfeeding, the assessment required byregulation 3(1) shall also include an assessment of such risk.(2) Where, in the case of an individual employee, the taking of any otheraction the employer is required to take under the relevant statutory

provisions would not avoid the risk referred to in paragraph (1) the employershall, if it is reasonable to do so, and would avoid such risks, alter her workingconditions or hours of work.(3) If it is not reasonable to alter the working conditions or hours of work, orif it would not avoid such risk, the employer shall, subject to section 67 of the

1996 Act suspend the employee from work for so long as is necessary to avoidsuch risk.(4) In paragraphs (1) to (3) references to risk, in relation to risk from anyinfectious or contagious disease, are references to a level of risk at workwhich is in addition to the level to which a new or expectant mother may beexpected to be exposed to outside the workplace.Certificate from registered medical practitioner in respect of new orexpectant mothers

Regulation17. Where -

(a) a new or expectant mother works at night; and(b) a certificate from a registered medical practitioner or a registeredmidwife shows that it is necessary for her health or safety that she should notbe at work for any period of such work identified in the certificate, theemployer shall, subject to section 67 of the 1996 Act, suspend her from work

for so long as is necessary for her health or safety.Notification by new or expectant mothers


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Regulation 18. - (1) Nothing in paragraph (2) or (3) of regulation 16 shallrequire the employer to take any action in relation to an employee until shehas notified the employer in writing that she is pregnant, has given birthwithin the previous six months, or is breastfeeding.(2) Nothing in paragraph (2) or (3) of regulation 16 or in regulation 17 shall

require the employer to maintain action taken in relation to an employee -

(a) in a case -

(i) to which regulation 16(2) or (3) relates; and(ii) where the employee has notified her employer that she is pregnant, whereshe has failed, within a reasonable time of being requested to do so in writingby her employer, to produce for the employer's inspection a certificate from aregistered medical practitioner or a registered midwife showing that she is

pregnant;

(b) once the employer knows that she is no longer a new or expectant mother;or(c) if the employer cannot establish whether she remains a new or expectantmother.

Student Note: Special arrangements are required for new and or expectantmums.

Protection of young personsRegulation19. - (1) Every employer shall ensure that young persons employedby him are protected at work from any risks to their health or safety which

are a consequence of their lack of experience, or absence of awareness ofexisting or potential risks or the fact that young persons have not yet fullymatured.(2) Subject to paragraph (3), no employer shall employ a young person forwork -

(a) which is beyond his physical or psychological capacity;(b) involving harmful exposure to agents which are toxic or carcinogenic, causeheritable genetic damage or harm to the unborn child or which in any otherway chronically affect human health;(c) involving harmful exposure to radiation;

(d) involving the risk of accidents which it may reasonably be assumed cannotbe recognised or avoided by young persons owing to their insufficientattention to safety or lack of experience or training; or(e) in which there is a risk to health from -

(i) extreme cold or heat;(ii) noise; or(iii) vibration,


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and in determining whether work will involve harm or risks for the purposes ofthis paragraph, regard shall be had to the results of the assessment.

(3) Nothing in paragraph (2) shall prevent the employment of a young personwho is no longer a child for work -

(a) where it is necessary for his training;(b) where the young person will be supervised by a competent person; and(c) where any risk will be reduced to the lowest level that is reasonably

practicable.

(4) The provisions contained in this regulation are without prejudice to -

(a) the provisions contained elsewhere in these Regulations; and(b) any prohibition or restriction, arising otherwise than by this regulation, onthe employment of any person.

Student Note: Special arrangements have to be in place for young personsand there are some restrictions that have to be adhered to.

Having read through the regulations with the MHSAW we will now provide someinterpretation of them, using examples were pertinent.

Can you recall from memory the basics of:

Regulations 3, 4, 6, 7 16 and 17.

In terms of Occupational Health & Safety, can you provide a suitableinterpretation of `Competent Person`?

5.10 Risk Assessment in Practice

Regulation 3, MHSWR 1999

Whatever the work environment, the risk assessment must be suitable andsufficient - this means that in a complex environment such as a chemicalplant, a full safety audit might be required; in a paint spray shop, the legal riskassessment requirements would be met by a series of inspections of equipment,

checks on fire precautions, a COSHH assessment of the solvents and otherchemicals, and so on.

It is important that the results of the risk assessment are prioritised:

High priority, immediate action required Medium priority, action required within say weeks Low priority, action required within say months


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The importance of recording the results of any monitoring activity and indeed,except for the smallest companies (those with fewer than five employees),recording the results of a risk assessment is a legal requirement of the MHSWR.

5.10.2 Objectives of risk assessment:outcomes of incidents in terms of human

harm, legal and economic effects on the organisation.

Health Hazards & Risk Assessment

Health Hazards & Risk Assessment

In order to control occupational health risks, we have to understand the factorswhich determine the risks to health from hazardous substances and agents inthe workplace. At this point you may need to visit the section on Chemical &Biological Health Hazards; however we have included this section, HealthHazards, to support your learning of Risk Assessment.

Again we have provided you with definitions, it is important that can recallthese definitions for examination purposes.

Ahealth hazardis something with the potential to cause occupational ill-health or disease;

Risk is a measure of the likelihood that the harm from a hazardoussubstance or agent will occur.

As you will read later, the risk assessment process begins with theidentification of hazards, we will now describe this process of risk assessment

for health hazards and their ill-health effects. We will be considering the rangeof chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic agents already referred to inmore detail in other study units. However, since risk is a measure of thelikelihood of harm, in the case of health risks the outcome will depend a greatdeal on the actual characteristics of the persons exposed.

Consider human factors such as strength, general health, and susceptibility,these vary from one person to another and these sometimes wide variationsaffect the likelihood (risk) and severity of harm which can arise from a healthhazard.

Personal Factors

There are a number of individual characteristics which can influence the riskassessment. They include:

Pre-existing health conditions, where people susceptible to allergicreactions or who suffer from respiratory diseases may be more


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susceptible to the effects of certain agents, such as sensitisers or dustexposure.

Pregnancy, (expectant mums) which causes changes to the body whichcan increase the risk of ill-health to both the foetus and the mother ifexposed to certain hazards, e.g. lead, ionising radiation.

Age, where illness arising from an occupational health risk may have agreater effect on young workers, who may suffer a proportionatelygreater loss of quality of life for a longer period.

Severity of Harm

This is a function of the level or concentration of the agent to which the personis exposed, and the duration of exposure. For each hazardous substance oragent there will be an occupational exposure standardset at a value designedto minimise the probability of harm. The pattern and total time of exposurehas to be determined by considering routine or frequent exposures and also

non-routine exposures arising from maintenance or spillage operations.

The significance of the level and duration of exposure will depend on theactual hazard. For example, exposure standards for airborne chemicalcontaminants are based on average airborne concentrations over 15 minutes or8 hours. Radiation dose limits are based on levels and durations which dependboth on the part of the body exposed (i.e. skin, eye, etc.) and the individual(young person or pregnant worker). See also Chemical & Biological

Health Hazards.

Occupational Health Risks

The overall occupational health risk depends on the factors outlined above aswell as the properties of the agent. By considering the identified healthhazard, possible ill-health effects, susceptibility of the individual(s) exposedlevel, duration of possible exposure, and the probability of exposure, anassessment of the likelihood of resulting harm can be estimated.

This of course follows the steps of risk assessment as described later, howeveroccupational health risk assessments may be more compound as the task ismade more difficult because of the complexities of hazards and the differing

ways that individuals react to different exposures.

5.10.3 When should assessments be undertaken?

Risk assessments should be undertaken in any of the following circumstances:

They have not or never taken place before


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There are changes to the workplace, such as new equipment is about tobe introduced or significant structural alterations have been made

There are significant personnel/staff changes Changes have been made to Regulations or codes of practice External changes have occurred that might affect the site, for example:

access to the premises On a regular basis to review the efficiency of present systems

5.10.4 The importance of risk assessments

To remind you of what we said earlier, namely that you have now reached theheart of your Certificate studies - nothing is more important than conductingsatisfactory risk assessment(s) in your place of work.

Consider what you have learned so far and how you have reached this stage ofyour studies.

This unit will be continued next week...

5.11 The 5 steps to Risk Assessment

Lets us now consider the HSE guidance leaflet, Five Steps to Risk Assessment.You will note that later we have expanded on this HSE document, however, for

the purposes of your NEBOSH examination it is essential that you can recall thefollowing:

Five Steps to Risk Assessment

STEP 1

Look for the hazards

STEP 2

Decide who might be harmed

STEP 3

Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate

or whether more should be done

STEP 4


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Record your findings

STEP 5

Review your assessment and revise it if necessary

We will now consider each of the five steps in turn and in some detail:

Step 1 - Identify the significant hazards

Think about the statement, IDENTIFY & SIGNIFICANT.

There are many ways to identify hazards. (see above for types of hazardidentification) You can undertake a safety inspection using a pre designed listof activities or a layout of the premises, you can undertake a safety sampleconsidering a single aspect of activity or area of the work place, you can

undertake a safety tour and so on.

Talking to staff who undertake the work activities is essential. It is they who,for the most part, have the best knowledge of the hazards and the potential ofharm. However, fresh eyes may reveal hazards that have been missed for longperiods of time, so you must ensure that you look for hazards in all aspects ofthe activities undertaken. Remember humans can easily become complacentwhen then are unaware of the hazards around them.

Examining job descriptions may be an aid, as will inspecting accident records,but actually being at the site of the work activity and looking and listening is

essential. You cant undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment fromyour office chair, so get out there and get stuck in, so to speak.

We can use a simple analogy of Significant in this case, the difference between

trivial and non trivial, i.e., significant = important.

Most types of paper used in offices has the potential to cause cuts, however ifyou concentrate on paper cuts you may miss the significant hazards of theoffice guillotine that has the potential to slice off the end of a finger.

Can you recall the definition of Hazard? Your examination will require you to

include this definition when answering questions of hazards.

Step 2 - Consider, groups of people or individuals who may be harmed from the

hazard(s).

We are all different; different in size, age, experience and attitude. Olderpeople tend to move slower, younger people may be less experienced workersthey may lack an understanding of the workplace hazards.


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Persons with disabilities must have particular consideration. How will you warna person with a hearing defect of the fire alarm? What about the road workerwho only has vision in one eye (see the law section and table of cases).

Regulation 18 of the MHSAW Regulations deals with expectant and new

mothers. Take a look at this regulation and make a note of the requirements.

Step 3 - Consider the existing control measures

Before you start assessing how likely a hazard is to causing actual harm or loss,you must consider what controls are in place to reduce the likelihood. In theexample, you will note how this is achieved.

Implementing control measures should be considered from a hierarchy:

Order of Control Measurers Priority

1 ) Total elimination or avoidance of the hazard at source

This means dont do what you are intending to do, this in reality is difficult toachieve in the real place of work, however it must be considered in certain

circumstances.

2 ) Substitution of the hazard at source

This means to substitute for a less hazardous process or substance for instance.

3 ) Placing a guard of some kind

Moving parts of machinery, attack proof glass in a bank etc.

4 ) Remove the employee from the hazard

In a noisy environment, place employee in sound proof work area.

5 ) Reduce the expose of the employee from the risk

In noisy environments, reduce the time that the employee is exposed to thehigh noise levels.


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6 ) Produce a safe method of working, safe system, safe procedure, that is known to

the employee and followed.

When erecting a tower system for instance or administering medication.

7 ) Ensure adequate and suitable levels of supervision

Close supervision is sometimes required for complex high risk activities orwhere the employee(s) are inexperienced, young, require training etc.

8 ) Training

Employees require safety training commensurate with their work activities.

9 ) Make safety rules, or issue instructions

Yes, but ensure that employees are aware of these rules and follow them.

10 ) Issue Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Hard and bump hats, boots, gloves, knee pads, safety goggles and eardefenders etc. This really should be the last resort and where we can notcontrol the risks adequately by other means

11 ) Tell the employee to be careful

This may help, but dont rely on people having common sense, HSE figures

show that 90% of all accidents are caused through human error.

You will note that some of the control measures will require additionalmeasurers, for instance, training on the job may require close supervision,issuing PPE will require training in its use etc.

It is essential that you can recall this list in the correct order for you NEBOSHexamination.

Step 3 (Cont.) - Assess the Risk (Probability)

There are so many methods and models of assessing risk we cannot list or detailthem all here; in any case you may find that you develop your own.Nevertheless, we have provided one method below for you to consider.

I was employed with the Voluntary and Community sector for about seven yearsas a health and safety manager, working with up to 40 or more smallorganisations at a time. Many of the assessments I undertook where simple andgeneric.


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For instance, many charities as you will be aware have retail outlets, shops. Inmost cases the hazards are easily identified and relatively simple to assess andcontrol. In these cases most managers of the shops would use a risk rating ofLow, Medium or High risk, which is to say that they would simply say that ahazard is more dangerous than another. They did not see the need to

complicate the issue. In the case of medium risks they would implementmeasurers to attempt to reduce the risk to low. High risks meant that theactivity would not be undertaken or in the case that the activity was already inplace, would be stopped.

Example of Risk evaluation tool

Prioritising Risks

Probability

Very

Likely

Likely Unlikely Highly

Unlikely

Consequence

Fatality High High High Medium

Major High High Medium Medium

Minor High Medium Medium Low

NegligibleMedium Medium Low Low


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Step 3 (Cont.) - Quantitative Risk Assessment

Staying with the retail outlet, we will call the shop SHEilds Charity Shop; letsconsider a theft from the point of sale using a simple quantitative method:

Thief attempts to take the days takings from the point of sale machine whilethe staff member is at the machine.

Now lets consider the likelihood, the RISK, the Probability of Exposure(PE) totheconsidered hazard. We can use the aid below.

Fig 1 below and Fig 2 below are simply an aid to assist you in calculating theRisk Rating, i.e. the final calculation that allows you to consider if the risk isacceptable, requires action within a time scale or requires immediate action.

The calculation used is Probability of Exposure(PE) plus the Maximum PossibleLoss(MPL) multiplied by the Frequency of Exposure. (FE).

PE + MPL X FE =

Fig 1 Risk Assessment matrix aid

Probability/Risk

Maximum Possible

Loss

Very

Unlikely

Unlikely Even

chance

Probable Very

likely

Certain


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No loss 1 2 3 4 5 6

First Aid

Required/short

rest/recovery

2 4 5 6 7 8

Fracture of a

major bone or mildtemporary illness

3 5 6 7 8 9

Loss of limb, eye or

permanent illness

4 6 7 8 9 10

Fatality 5 7 8 9 10 11

Low= 14

Medium5

High6 - 11

Fig 2 Frequency of Exposure (FE) calculation aid

Infrequent Annually Monthly Weekly Daily Constantly

1 2 3 4 5 7

Based on past experience it is unlikely that the theft/attack will take placebecause it has not happened in the past in any other SHEilds Charity Shop,

however this is a new shop and in an area of depravation, high crime and highunemployment.

We do know however that the frequency of such events are rare or infrequent .

Step 3 (Cont.) - Maximum probable loss

Staff member is injured during the theft; either pushed away, falls and suffersan injury of three days or more lost time injury. Many persons, but not all ofcourse, who work in the charity shops are older,

Why do you think it is important to consider the age of a person is this situation?

Risk Assessment calculation

Probability Exposure = 2 Unlikely

Maximum Probable Loss = 2 First Aid Required/short rest/recovery


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Frequency of exposure = 1

PE = 2 X MPL 4X FE 1 = 4

The risk rating has a value of 4 (four)

Q. Calculate the hazard rating if the staff member attempts to fight offthe attacker and is severely injured, suffers long term disability or death.

PE = ?

MPL = ?

FE = ?

Risk Rating =

Your risk rating should be no higher than a value of 10 (ten). This is becausethe probability has not changed, nor has the frequency of the event. The onlyfactor that may change is that fighting back may have more severeconsequences for an older person, and as such the maximum possible loss couldbe death.

If making an assessment of a missing guard on say a power press of 100 tonnesand we have an untrained, inexperienced operator who lacks attention the riskrating could be

PE = 6 Certain

MPL = 5 Death

FE = 7 Constantly

Risk Rating = 77

Now lets consider a table of actions required and what priority should be givento a particular hazard rating:

Fig 1.3 Table of timescales

Risk Hazard Rating Action timescale

Low 1 - 21 Within a month

Medium 22 - 35 Within a week

High 35 - 77 Immediately


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This really is a guide, in many cases the hazard will be dealt with immediately.It really may depend upon resources and the number of hazards that are beingdealt with. In many small businesses the process of risk assessment can take aslittle as one day to complete, hazards are then dealt with as they arise or in amore proactive management system are dealt with before they arise.

Large businesses with complex risks will require strategies of risk managementto ensure that hazards are dealt with effectively and timely. Prioritisinghazards in this case is essential.

Step 3 (Cont.) - Implement additional control measures were the risk is not

acceptable

Eliminate the hazard

In this case, SHEilds Charity Shop would consider the controls listed and

consider if the shop was required to be located in the area or site we intendedto operate from. Deciding, for reasons of policy, that the shop was situated inthe most appropriate place to support the local community.

Entrance to the shop to be restricted.

Not practical in this case. However you may be aware that some jewelleryshops do restrict access.

Install distance guards around point of sale area.

Not practical in this case. You will be aware that banks and other places ofcash handling adopt this type of protection.

Have a security guard in place in the shop and patrolling.

Not in this case. The cost for the organisation would be unreasonable. Butagain you do see them in larger shops and shopping centres etc.

Train staff in dealing with violence and aggressive situations.

Yes this will help, but not self-defence such as the police force has to adopt.

The training will have to be `how to diffuse a potential violent situation` andalso must ensure that the shop staff understand and follow a safe method ofdealing with such situations. Instructions would include such actions as: openthe till and stand well out of the way, try not to make direct eye contact andonly when the attacker has left the premises, phone the police. Its commonsense really but things go wrong, staff might on a single occasion have a go, wedont want that happening. You also have to ensure that you employ the rightsort of staff in the first place.


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Ensure that the minimum of cash is kept in the till at any one time.

Yes, this will reduce the amount of cash lost in a signal theft. We could alsoadvertise that fact, in a notice in the window. This is not as daft as it sounds.Many places that handle cash put up a notice stating their cash machines etc

are emptied on a regular basis. It does deter the thief on some occasions.

Step 4

Make a written record of the Risk Assessment where 5 or more employees are

employed at the business.

This is the easy part of the steps, this can be produced as a hard copy orcomputer based. Management of such documents may be required, particularlywhere many assessments and supporting safe methods of working areundertaken but we will deal with that later in managing data etc.

Step 5

Review the assessment as required.

It may be necessary to review the assessments at regular intervals. Theexample above may be required to be reviewed if an incident takes place orwhere changes occur in the work place.

In the machine shop or when evaluating the risks of fire, things may change inthe environment or to the premises; this will mean that the assessment willrequire further consideration.

Some work activities, environments and operations require specific riskassessments and have other sets of Regulations; these include:

The Noise at Work Regulations 1989 The COSHH Regulations 2002 The Manual Handling Regulations 1992 The Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992

The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 [Remember the linkbetween FP(W)R and MHSWR.] The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992

5.12 Conclusion


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The benefits of conducting risk assessments will be reflected in the reductionof the chances of an accident, and hence: injuries, illness, lost production andlegal consequences

The more assessments you undertake the better risk assessor you will become,

however you must have logic in your chosen method, and you will rely mostlyon your experience of the workplace, of the people and your knowledge of riskassessment in practice.

We have included some risk assessment forms as example for you to consider.Please visitwww.shepro.org

We have included two further links for you to understand the Risk Assessment

process without reference to UK Legislation

You will be set a Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) for Risk Assessment - Principles

and Practice, later in this course.
http://www.shepro.org/http://www.shepro.org/http://www.shepro.org/http://www.shepro.org/


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