School of Physics

Risk AssessmentsHow and what

Risk Assessments

• You have carefully thought out all the angles• You have done it a hundred times• It comes naturally to you• You know what you are doing, it is what you have been

trained to do all your life• So nothing could possibly go wrong

• Could it ??

Think Again!

No beavers were actually injured during the creation of this PowerPoint presentation!

Risk Assessment

“A systematic evaluation of the work place and/or other activities which identifies the hazards present and gives an estimate of the extent of the risks involved”

Risk Assessment – The History

•Always been here

•Concept introduced with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

•Concept expanded upon in the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1992 (1999)

•Integral to all other appropriate legislation i.e. CoSHH, PPE, Noise etc

So what is the concept of Risk Assessment?

Hazard

Anything that may cause

harm

RiskThe probability of harm occurring

Chance of exposure to the hazard

X

Consequences (severity)

Task or Area Based ?

Area Based

• Normally used for identifying common hazards in the workplace

• Will also be used to identify TASKS to be individually risk assessed

Area Based Example

A risk assessment of administrative areas will lead to the identification of the following hazards:

Slip, trips and fallsElectrical SafetyComputer workstation hazardsManual Handling

Area Based Example

• The common hazard of slips trips and falls can be dealt with through the School policy.

• The electrical safety will also be School policy with regard to inspection and PATesting.

• Manual handling and the computer work stations will have to be risk assessed on a task basis.

Task Based

• A specific task or job will be risk assessed

• All the hazards associated with the task will be assessed

electrical

biological

chemical

radiation

manual handling

falls from height, etc

5 Steps To Risk Assessment

Step One

Identify the hazards

Methods Of Identifying Hazards

• Health & safety audits• Academic journals• Research papers• Consultation with other co-workers• Accident reports• Trade organisations• HSE statistics

Methods Of Identifying Hazards

• Similar Institutions• Outside Advice (manufacturers of

equipment and materials)• Internal Advice (University Safety &

Health Services)

Step Two

Identify who might be harmed

Who Might Be At Risk•Employees•Contractors•Visitors•General public•Children•People who share the workplace•Must be people specificDon’t forget vulnerable groups such as people with Don’t forget vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, pregnant staff and those with little disabilities, pregnant staff and those with little experience or training.experience or training.

Step Three

Evaluate the risks

Risk Analysis• Hazards and

hazardous situations are systematically identified.

• The level of risk associated with each hazard (situation) is estimated

Risk Evaluation• A judgement is made as

to whether the level of risk is acceptable or tolerable

• Will include a judgement on corrective or preventative measures

Completing the Risk assessment

Organising actions and responsibilities to reduce the hazards and risks to acceptable levels:Elimination of hazard (do I have to do this?)Substitution (materials, equipment etc)Physical safeguards (machinery guarding, extraction

etc)Personal Protective EquipmentSafe working proceduresOr any combination of above

Completing the Risk assessment

Writing safe working procedures or instructions

General procedures may be in local rules

Specific procedures must be included in the risk assessment

Evaluating The Risks-some considerations

• Industry standards• Legal requirements• Precautions already taken• Cost (so far as is reasonably practical)

• Different working conditions i.e. weather• Numbers of people at risk• Severity of injury• Probability• Length of exposure/frequency

Step Four

Record your findings

Recording the Risk Assessment

The Elements

A description of the area or task

The hazards that personnel may be exposed to

Details of the personnel who may be exposed to the hazards

Recording the Risk Assessment

Details of which hazards are significant and those which are acceptable (and why)

The precautions in place, or to be put in place, to reduce the significant hazards to acceptable levels

How the precautions are to be maintained (management of systems, inspection of physical precautions etc)

Recording the Risk Assessment

• Details of additional risk assessments i.e. hazardous substances (COSHH)

• Emergency Procedures

• Details of person completing the risk assessment

• Details of person countersigning the risk assessment

• Date, school or group, location details etc.

Recording the Risk Assessment

Evaluate the risks

• Use the risk matrix on the form• Estimate the risk before control measures• Identify control measures to lower the risk• Estimate the risk after control measures (residual risk)• Can you lower the risk further? Ideally all LOW• Not all risks are injury – what about financial loss?

Recording the Risk AssessmentConsequence

Minor injury or no apparent injury

Injury requiring first aid

Injury requiring medical treatment, or

with possible long term negative health

effects

Likelihood

Will probably not occur in most circumstances

Low Low Medium

May occur in some circumstances

Low Medium High

Likely to occur in most

circumstancesMedium High High

Recording the Risk Assessment

Signatures

• all Low Risk - Principal Investigator (YOU). If not competent to do so, then also a Competent Person

• any Medium Risk - Principal Investigator andCompetent Person (not the same)

• any High Risk – PI and CP, then referredto Head of School and Safety Managerfor formal authorisation

School of Physics Policy

• Use standard School risk assessment form or

Specific RA form for hazards like lasers

• Must be readily available in the laboratory on paper

• Must be appropriately signed

• Review at least annually or on changes• Copy provided to Head of Group and School

Safety Manager• Work not covered by a suitable and

sufficient risk assessment can be stoppedby SSA, HoS, SSM, University Safety & Health Services or HSE.

School of Physics

COSHH / Risk Assessment

Title:

Ref:

Name of Principal Investigator

Description of Task / Activity (including frequency / duration)

Location

Names/Type of Persons Involved / At Risk Should the personal circumstances (such as pregnancy or any other medical condition) of any person involved change, this risk assessment MUST be reviewed.

Hazards

Activities, substances, machines, tools, etc.

Hazards identified Estimated risk (low/medium/high)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Precautions required to mitigate risk (relate to numbers above):

Estimated risk after

precautions (low/medium/high)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Emergency Procedures and Contacts

Lone / Out-of-Hours Working

Training Requirements

Access Restrictions / Signage

Storage

Waste Disposal

Principal Investigator (in all cases) Signature Date

Competent Person (medium / high risk) Signature Date

Date for Next Assessment (must be reviewed within 12 months)

Step Five

Review the assessment

Legal Summary

The Management of Health and Safety at Work

Regulations 1999 (amended 2006)

Risk assessment3.—(1) Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of—

• (a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst

they are at work; and• (b) the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out 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 requirements

and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions and by Part

II of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997.

Risk Assessment Strategy

1. Identify the hazards

2. Evaluate the risks

3. Detail the control measures required to eliminate or reduce to risks to acceptable levels

SummaryRecording the significant findings of the risk

assessment.What the task isWho is responsible/supervisorWhere the risk assessment applies, who is affectedList of hazardsList of precautionsDetails of safe working proceduresEmergency proceduresReference to other associated risk assessments i.e.

COSHH, manual handling, PPE etc.

Summary

Organising actions and responsibilities to reduce the hazards and risks to acceptable levels:Elimination of hazardReduce by substitution (materials, equipment etc)Physical safeguards (machinery guarding,

extraction etc)Personal Protective EquipmentSafe working proceduresCombination of above

How it can go wrong – a Case Study

The Health and Safety Executive have inspected part of the University following a case of occupational asthma and issued the University with an “Improvement Notice” to improve RISK ASSESSMENTS!!!

Circumstances of the Improvement Notice

• Project studying poultry in various locations (approx 12 years)

• Member of staff involved in project never used respiratory protection or considered exposure to animal allergens

• Member of staff developed asthma which was later diagnosed as “occupational asthma” i.e. directly connected to the work environment

Circumstances of the Improvement Notice

• Details reported to the HSE (legal requirement)

• HSE investigated and concluded that the risk assessment for the work undertaken was not “suitable and sufficient” (Reg 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999) and served improvement notices under the HASAW 1974 and COSHH Regs 1999

Circumstances of the Improvement Notice

• The risk assessment for the activity did not consider the possibility of occupational asthma due to exposure to animal allergens, a condition that was foreseeable

• No respiratory protection was considered or provided and no lung function tests were ever carried out (although available)

Circumstances of the Improvement Notice

• The HSE concluded that although the person involved was working on an individual project, the management of the University should have ensured that appropriate precautions were taken.

They also concluded that there was no effective risk management system and that similar hazards may not have been addressed.

Other Possible Outcomes

The HSE considered a prosecution, which would have probably been successful. In the circumstances they felt that the willingness of the University to improve its systems meant that an “Improvement Notice” would serve the interest of health and safety better.

Examples

• Insured losses Compensation claims (UV burns £116k)

(Back Injury £33k) Loss of business etc??

• Uninsured losses Fines of up to £20k, but last time……….

» Fines (£3k)» Costs (£7k prosecution, £10k defence)

(£20k) from School resources !

The “cost” of Discharging the Notice

The following is a breakdown of the hours spent discharging the Notice:School Safety Advisor – 460 HoursDivisional / Area Safety Advisors (6) – 1700 HoursSchool Staff - 2800 Hours

Total: 4960 Hours or 124 working weeks

Case Study

• Ordered Conc. Sulphuric acid from a dubious but cheap supplier

• Arrives on a wooden & damaged pallet, glass winchesters loosely secured by shrink film.

• Left on loading bay and needs moving to the stores for safety.

• Pallet appears to be damp in places.