Risk Assessment How do we know what we should be working on? This

Risk Assessment How do we know what we should be working on? This material was produced under grant SH222461160 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Objectives Participants will be able to – Describe the process of risk assessment and its application to Workplace Health and Safety – Select Risk Assessment criteria appropriate to the exposures in their workplace – Prioritize hazards based on Risk Assessment criteria – Advocate for their decisions based on Risk Assessment criteria

Why bother with Risk Assessment? Work on most important tasks Clarify conflicts Ensure representation of all members Develop capabilities of the Safety Committee

Risk Assessment

How Bad? / Severity

The Range for Severity

Relative Values How Bad? minor serious major fatal

How Bad? / Severity

How Bad?

How Often? / Frequency

Elements of “How Much?” How Many? How Often? How Long?

How Much? How Many? fewer than 5 workers 1 1% - 30% of workforce 2 31% - 50% of workforce 3 51% - 100% of workforce 4

How Much? How Often? A few times a year 1 Once a month 2 Weekly 3 Daily 4

How Long? Less than 2 hours 1 More than 2 hours 2

Combine the Elements How Many? How Often? How Long? How Much?

How Much? Series1

How Much? A maintenance worker has to enter and clean waste out of a pit every six months. The job takes less than 2 hours and only involves the entrant and the attendant. This job is classified as a “Permit Required Confined Space Entry” . The maintenance worker has expressed concerns about the entry procedure. He does not think it is safe.

How Much? Confined Space Example – How Many? – 1 person 1 – How Often? – less than once a month 1 – How Long? – less than 2 hours 1 – How Much? 1 1 1 3 3 2 1 0 How Much? How Long? How Often? How Many?

How Much? Sanitation example All of the sanitation workers in the plant have been provided with gloves that do not provide sufficient protection. They are exposed to harsh chemicals throughout their entire shift. Some workers have complained of rashes on their hands and wrists.

How Much? Sanitation example How Many? – more than 5, less than 30% of workforce 2 How Often? – daily 4 How Long? – more than 2 hours 2 How Much? - 2 4 2 8 10 8 6 4 2 0 Series1 How Long? How Often? How Many?

How Much? Production example A recent increase in production standards has affected almost all production workers. Many workers are complaining of sore wrists and shoulders.

How Much? Production example? How Many? – 51% - 100% of workforce 4 How Often? – daily 4 How Long? – More than 2 hours 2 4 4 2 10 12 8 4 0 Series1 How Long? How Often? How Many?

How Likely?

We cannot predict how likely it is for a complex system to fail!

All mechanical systems fail eventually.

How Likely?

How Likely?

How Likely?

How Likely?

How Likely?

How Likely? Assume something has already gone wrong and the worker IS exposed to the hazard Will the exposure to the hazard result in injury? All mechanical systems fail. Don’t try to predict when complex systems will fail (unless you are a wizard!)

Add the Results for Each Hazard Confined Space – How Bad 10 – How Much 3 – How Likely 4 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 How Likely? 2 How Much? 0 How Bad?

Compare relative values for different hazards 18 16 14 12 4 3 3 3 10 8 6 4 8 10 2 0 10 Confined Space 3 3 Sanitation Gloves Production Standards How Likely? How Much? How Bad?

Imminent Danger

Activity Break into groups. Each group has the same list of hazards Go through your list and assign values for each of the three categories – How Bad? / How Much? / How Likely? Add the values for each hazard separately Make a new list of hazards ranked in numerical order Discuss the questions on the handout and be prepared to talk about your answers

Discussion Questions for Groups Do you agree with the priority order of your issues? What other factors would you consider? What was difficult about this exercise? Do you think that Risk Assessment could be a useful skill?

Thank you! Questions? Comments? Please fill out evaluations and sign in sheets!