React to reports of hazards by other workers, and coordinate and participate in risk assessments.
Assess risks
Risk assessments should be performed when:
➢ There is uncertainty about how a hazard may result in injury or illness
➢ There are a range of different hazards involved in the work activity and it is not fully understood how the hazards may interact with each other to produce new or greater risks
➢ There have been changes at the workplace occur that may impact on the effectiveness of control measures.
➢ When any new information relating to health and safety risks becomes available
➢ A risk assessment is mandatory under the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (the WHS Regulations) for high risk activities, such as entry into confined spaces, diving work and live electrical work.
Performing risk assessments involves considering:
➢ How severe the potential harm caused by the hazard could be, including:
o what type of harm could occur? e.g. Muscular strain, fatigue, burns, chemical exposure
o what category of harm could occur? E.g. Death, serious injury or illness, or only minor injury
o how many people are at risk of exposure to the hazard?
➢ How hazards may cause harm, including:
o the effectiveness of currently existing control measures – Do they account for all types of harm
o how work is actually done – Are written manuals and procedures followed? Are they fit for purpose?
o the likelihood of infrequent or abnormal situations – Are people prepared in comparison to how things are normally meant to occur?
o maintenance and cleaning processes, as well as breakdowns of equipment and failures of health and safety controls.
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➢ The likelihood of harm occurring, including:
o how frequently the task is performed
o how frequently people are near the hazard
o if harm has happened before – Either in your workplace or somewhere else, and how frequently.
The level of risk will increase as the likelihood of harm and its severity increases.
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Activity 4C
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4.4 – Implement any risk control methods or refer to appropriate person if control is outside scope of responsibility.
Control risks
The hierarchy of risk control is a way of showing how to control risks. Methods are ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest.
You must work through the hierarchy of control in order and implement risk controls higher in the order when possible.
The hierarchy of control is:
➢ Eliminate – Complete removal of the hazard from the workplace e.g. Removing trip hazards on the floor or disposing of unwanted chemicals. This is the most effective control measure and must always be considered before anything else.
➢ Substitute – Substitute or replace the hazard with a less hazardous work practice e.g. replace solvent-based paints with water-based paints.
➢ Isolate – Separate the hazard or hazardous work practice from people by distance or using barriers as much as possible e.g. Placing guards around moving parts of machinery.
➢ Engineering controls – Physical control measures e.g. using a trolley to lift heavy loads.
➢ Administrative controls – Work methods or procedures that are designed to minimise the exposure to a hazard e.g. Developing a procedure on how to operate machinery safely or use signs to warn people of a hazard.
➢ Personal protective equipment (PPE) – PPE, such as ear muffs, hard hats, gloves and protective eyewear, relies on the proper fit and use of the PPE to control risk, but does nothing to change the hazard itself.
It is likely a combination of control measures may need to be implemented to provide the highest level of protection that is satisfactory at controlling risks. When selecting and implementing a combination of control measures it is important to consider whether any new risks might be introduced as a consequence.
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Reporting hazards
Many potential hazards are dealt with simply by keeping your work area clean and tidy. This can be as simple as putting things away, cleaning up spills as they happen, making sure leads and cables are not across walkways.
When you see anything that might cause harm, injury or illness or potentially cause disruptions, report it to your supervisor immediately. Keen observation and reporting are a good way to deal with such hazards.
For example, if you notice any damaged or faulty equipment, report it to your supervisor so a tag can be placed on the item. Never put yourself or others at risk by trying to fix faults. If you see a piece of equipment with a tag, do not attempt to use it.
Hazards that are harder to eliminate or minimise may require the help and cooperation of other workers and management.
Your workplace may have a system for reporting hazards such as:
➢ Reporting hazards to your supervisor or a designated WHS person
➢ Completing a Hazard Report form
➢ Consulting your Workplace Health and Safety Officer or Representative on the issue
➢ Bringing the issue up at a safety meeting or a staff meeting.
The manner of reporting a hazard will often depend on the level of risk involved:
➢ High risk – Immediate danger that must be urgently dealt with.
➢ Medium risk – Potential danger that must be dealt with as soon as possible. Needs follow up.
➢ Low risk – Does not threaten immediate danger but should be noted, monitored and dealt with in the future.
High risk or acute hazards should always be reported immediately to a supervisor, delegated Workplace Health and Safety officer or representative.
Hazards that are less acute may require completion of a Hazard Report form and forwarding it to the appropriate person.
There may also be specific procedures for emergency situations. These are usually specified in an emergency procedures manual, as well as being covered in your workplace induction.
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Hazard report forms
Hazard report forms are a common way of reporting hazards. The completed forms help ensure that reports are kept of hazards and track any actions done.
Information kept on a hazard report form includes:
➢ The type and location of the hazard
➢ Who it was reported to
➢ What action was taken
➢ Whether the hazard has been removed or reduced.
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