Risk Assessment Simplified PDF

2006 All Copyrights Reserved
Risk
Assessment:
Simplified
A resource for Safety
Personnel, Supervisors and
Managers
By Raj Singh
Singh, Raj.
Risk Assessment: Simplified / Raj Singh
p. cm.
Includes all pages and contents.
ISBN 981-05-5123-1
1. Occupational Safety- Handbooks, manuals, training, etc
Copyright 2006 by Raj Singh
Printed by Simply Safety
All rights reserved. No part of this book and its pictures may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, scanning, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission from the author Raj Singh.
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A lot has already been said and done with regards to Risks
Assessments and Risks Matrixes. Safety Consultants and
Trainers have been trying to educate their clients on how to
develop Risks Assessments.
Yet, Risks Assessments are hardly used. Even if they are
used or developed, they are just there for paper play.
There seems not to have much improvement on this. Can
something be done? After all experienced Safety
Consultants and Trainers are doing the best they can to
help clients get an understanding of Risks Assessments
and how to develop them. Or are they? Can more be done?
If the result is the same year after year, is it not time to
change some of the ingredients?
Although this guide is trying to do is to help people
understand how a Risk Assessment works and how people
can start carrying out Risk Assessments, its main aim is to
help people understand how Risk Levels or Risks are
quantified and how a the Risk Matrix should be changed to
help people understand it better.
Raj Singh
Safety Health and Environment Advisor
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Step 7- Control Measures
Assessment;
Assessment is the act of judging or assessing a
person or situation or event;
After Risks Assessments are carried out, the high risk

operations are determined and
countermeasures
developed. Risks Assessments allow you to prioritize which
risks are to be lowered to acceptable levels.
Frequency;
Frequency is the number of occurrences (near
misses, incidents, accidents etc) within a given time
period
Hazard;
Hazard is a source of danger, a possibility of
incurring loss or misfortune.
Ministry of Manpower Singapore defines Hazard as;
Hazard means anything or any source or
situation with the potential to cause harm or
injury; hazard includes physical, chemical,
biological,
mechanical,
electrical
and
ergonomic hazard.
High Risk Levels must be immediately brought down to

medium or low risk. Medium Risk Levels must also be
reviewed to determine if there is any possible manner to
bring the levels down further.
All risks must be reduced to levels which are safe for
personnel and any other stakeholders.
Risks control measures should be applied to the Risk
beginning with Elimination, Substitution, Engineering
Controls, Administrative Controls or (lastly) with personal
protective equipment.
Likelihood;
Likelihood is the probability of a specified outcome.
Severity;
Severity is the degree of something undesirable (no
loss time injury, loss time injury, fatality etc)
Risk;
Ministry of Manpower Singapore defines risk as:

Risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause a
specific harm or injury to someone or
something. More specifically, it is the likelihood
of accidents or ill health occurring at work and
the consequences of such occurrences.
25
Step 6- Assessing the Risks
Risk can also be defined as:
After you have evaluated your likelihood and severity, you

can determine your Risk. Remember that Risk is a product
of likelihood and severity. Once you have done that, refer
back to the new Risk Matrix and determine the Risk Level.
Likelihood Severity
Risk
Low (1)
High (3)
Low (1)
Low (1)
Medium (2)
High (3)
High (3)
High (3)
3(now look at your matrix and

determine the Risk Level) (Medium)
3 Medium
3 Medium
6 High
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
4 Medium
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
4 Medium
High (3)
High (3)
High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
6 High
6 High
6 High
High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Low (1)
Low (1)
High (1)
6 High
2 Low
2 Low
2 Low
High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Low (1)
Low (1)
High (3)
6 High
2 Low
2 Low
6 High
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
6 High
4 Medium
4 Medium
Risk = Likelihood X Severity

(The higher the likelihood and the severity, the higher the
risk)
Risk Assessment;
Ministry of Manpower Singapore defines risk
assessment as;
Risk assessment is defined as a systematic way
of identifying hazards associated with work or a
certain activity, examining the severity or
consequences from these hazards occurring,
assessing the likelihood or probability of
occurrence, and determining what measures
should be taken to eliminate or control the
hazards and reduce the risk.
Overview of Risk Assessments
Risk Assessments should aid companies or individuals in

identifying hazards, estimating severity and likelihood and
determining which risks must be tackled first. It helps
personnel and companies prioritize their RISKS! Even
though all risks must be tacked, you need to tackle high
risks first! It is a tool that companies or individuals can and
should use. Tools should be easy and comfortable to use.
Forming a Team
A Team must be formed. The Team must work together for
a successful Risk Assessment.
Why Risk Assessments fail
Risks Assessments are might not be easy to understand

and to do. In the end, the Safety Personnel would be
24
ultimately asked to complete or do the Risk Assessment in

its entirety and not the team.
Why Risks Assessments should be

Shared
Step 5- Evaluate the Severity

Now you can evaluate the severity of an occurrence
Members of the Team should carry out the task. Not

because its been handed to them. Once they take on the
responsibility of carrying out the task, they will take
ownership of the Risk Assessment. Once they take on the
ownership, the Risk Assessment becomes more than just a
document that is mandatory, more than a legally required
document. It becomes a tool that is used time and again.
Assessing Risks
Before carrying out risk assessments or risk management,

the manner in which risks are assessed needs to be
understood. The need to understand which event will lead
to a high or low risk must be understood.
Quantifying
How to assess the severity or the likelihood of an

occurrence? This is done by giving it a figure or amount.
Assigning a value to it, this is known as quantifying.
Quantifying Severity
Why quantify? Its easier for people to understand things

once values are assigned to items. Everyone is clear on
what to expect. Everyone has different expectations.
Typical quantifications could be as follows:Low or Minor
Medium or Moderate
Hazards
Failure to apply permit

In compatible works at the same
area at the same time
Gas Checks not carried out
Presence
of
flammable
materials, gases or vapors
Materials to heavy to be handled
manually (sprains and strains)
Materials cause obstructions or
tripping hazards
Cables not in good condition
Cables cause tripping hazards
Cables in contact with water
Eye injuries to welder
Burns and scalds to welder
Burns and scalds to others
Sparks and slag cause fires
Grinding disc breaks
Sparks from grinder
worker
Sparks from grinder
others
injures
injures
Severity
High (3) (Could cause lives &

property)
High (3) (explosions/fires.)
High (3) (explosions/fires.)
High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Low (1)
Low (1)
High (1)
Medium (2)
Low (1)
Low (1)
High (3)
High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
High or Major
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Step Four- Evaluating the Likelihood
Setting Limits for Severity
Once you have listed your Hazards, it is time to evaluate

the likelihood or possibility of the hazard occurring.
Hazards

Presence of flammable materials,
gases or vapors
Limits must be set before moving on. One basic way to set
limits is to base it on near no loss time injuries, lost time
non-reportable injuries and lost time reportable injuries
Likelihood
Low:
Near miss, non injury accidents and

damage to plant/equipment/materials
that is of no consequence
Low (1)
Medium (2)
Medium:
Lost
Time
Injuries,
Medical
Treatments, First Aid, damage to
plant/equipment/materials that cost
money and time to repair.
High:
Reportable accidents. Damage to

plant/equipment/materials that is not
repairable
Low (1)
Low (1)

tripping hazards
Medium (2)

High (3)
High (3)
High (3)

High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)

High (3)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)

Sparks from grinder injures
worker
Sparks from grinder injures others
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Medium (2)
Quantifying Likelihood
Why quantify? Again its easier for people to understand
things once values are assigned to items. Everyone is clear
on what to expect.
Typical quantifications could be as follows:Low or Remote
Medium or Occasional
High or Frequent
22
Setting Limits for Likelihood

Consider if the occurrence can happen. One way of setting
limits for likelihood is to base it on whether the occurrence
could happen.
Low:
Unlikely to happen (could not
happen/occur easily)
(Happens only once every ten years)
Medium:
High:
Likely
to
happen
happen/occur)
(Happens yearly)
Step Three- Identify the Hazards for

Each Job Step
Job Step
Hazards
Worker brings materials to be

used to site

tripping hazards
Welding cables are set in place

Welder proceeds to carry out tack

welding

Once tack welding is complete,

full weld is carried out

Grinder is used to smoothed

welds

Sparks from grinder injures
worker
Sparks from grinder injures others
Permit is applied and approved
(could
Very likely to happen (very possible

to happen/occur)
(Happens monthly)
Quantifying Risks
Once you have quantified the severity and likelihood, Risks
can be assessed. Risks are assessed with the help of a
Risk Matrix. A Matrix can come in a 3X3 or 5X5 Matrix
A typical 3 X 3 Risk Matrix

Presence of flammable materials,
gases or vapors
And so on..
21
Welder proceeds to carry out tack welding

Once tack welding is complete, full weld is carried
out
Grinder is used to smoothed welds
Welding cables and rubbish is cleared
Permit is closed and returned
Or you could also break down the job steps to
The Next Step

The Team identifies which tasks or areas of work must be
looked into first based on statistics or legal requirements.
The team identifies how a typical task (the task that was
chosen) is carried out.
The team identifies all possible hazards associated with the
task. The team brainstorms on the likelihood of the hazards
occurring.
Permit Application
Preparation Works
Materials transfer
Performing hotworks
Housekeeping
Closing Permits
Then the Team gives up because they feel that it becomes

too tedious or difficult to understand the table or matrix.
However in this manner you might miss out on some

of the actions or tasks to be undertaken by the
workers and as such, miss out on the possible risks.
What Is Wrong?
People or Teams give up doing Risks Assessments
because they feel that it is not helpful, it is cumbersome, it
is difficult or it does not relate to the real world
People take the path of least resistance. They choose
pleasure over pain. Ease over discomfort.
If a tool is not readily learnt, understood or unwieldy, it then
becomes useless as people will choose to ignore it. Why
force people to take up a difficult tool?
Risk Assessment is just one step or one of the tools used in
Risk Management Risk assessments helps users to decide
how to set its priorities to tackle the most harmful and the
most likely risks first. It must be easy to understand, learn
and use. Tools that are difficult to use are more likely the
tools that are left unused.
20
Just as Risk Assessment is a Tool in Risk Management, the

Risk Matrix is a Tool in Risk Assessments. If that Risk
Matrix becomes difficult to learn and use, then it becomes
useless.
carry out Job Safety Analysis for. Work from those down.
Review all routine as well as non-routine jobs
Step Two- Break down the Job into

Steps
How do we improve the situation?

Let us get back to basics that we can understand.
Risk is a product of Severity and Likelihood. As severity
increases and the likelihood increases, so does RISK!
By assigning values to Severity and Likelihood, it allows
people to grasp things a little better. Can this be improved
further? Yes. Assign a numeric number to Severity and
Likelihood. 1 being the least in value and 3 being the
greatest.
Low severity
Medium Severity
High Severity
Low Likelihood
Medium Likelihood
High Likelihood
Something We Can Relate To

Once numerical values are assigned to severity and
likelihood, what next? Risk is a product of Severity and
10
Once a task has been chosen, break down the task into
smaller steps. Do not generalize and also do not over do it.
Example- Welding a metal plate to a vessel wall
Task (over simplified)
Worker welds metal plate to the wall
Task (too detailed)
Worker takes the metal plate
Worker pulls welding cable from welding set to 1st
floor
Worker pulls welding cable from 1st floor to 2nd floor
Worker switches on welding set
Worker takes a welding rod in on hand
Worker takes the welding rod holder in the other
hand
Worker places the welding rod into the holder
.
.
.
..
.
Task (Correct)
Permit is applied and approved
Worker brings materials to be used to site
Welding cables are set in place
19
is not to find faults with the people or work procedure but to

find risks and later to counter those risks. Those in the team
should have some training on risk assessments or risk
assessment methodology.
According to the Ministry of Manpower, employers shall
have a competent person leading the team to carry out risk
assessments. Employers shall also ensure that the risk
control. The employer shall keep a Risk Assessment
Register and a Risk Control Register.
Likelihood. Its easier to work with exact numbers then just

words.
Risks assessments and Risk Control Plans are useless if

they are only table-top exercises that are not implemented
or are not highlighted to the people on the ground. All Risk
Assessments and Risk Control Plans should be
disseminated to all personnel working on those tasks.
Something We Can See

How can risk assessment be looked at in a way that is easy
for people to relate to and at the same time, easy for people
to see that relation? Risk is a product of severity and
likelihood. It is directly proportionate to severity and
likelihood. As the severity and the likelihood increase, RISK
increases. How can this be seen?
With Risk Assessments and Risk Control Plans, Standard

Safe Work Procedures can be developed. This will form a
Standard Operating Procedure for all personnel.
Risk Assessments and Risk Control Plans should be
reviewed if there are changes to the process or inputs of
the task.
Step One- Choose the Task

Once a team has been formed, look through your accident
records or statistics. Where, when, why, who and how do
the incidents/accidents occur?
Now that there is a picture to illustrate how Likelihood can

increase (y-axis) and Severity (x-axis), go a little further.
Are the accidents/incidents from a particular type of work?

Are the accidents/incidents from a particular area of work?
Focus on those more obvious or accident prone tasks, jobs
and areas first. Also remember that the Ministry of
Manpower has also a number of tasks or jobs that you must
18
11
The team brainstorms on the likelihood of the hazards

occurring.
Priority is assigned so that, tasks that are very likely to
severely injure someone, can be handled first.
Risk Control Plans are developed.
Risk Control Plans are implemented.
Personnel are informed of the control measures.
As mentioned earlier, Risk is the product of likelihood and

severity. If the likelihood is zero (this is only an example!),
no matter what the Severity, the RISK is zero.
Tasks are re-observed to affirm that the control measures in

place are adequate and will bring the risk down. The control
measures themselves should not cause or create additional
risks.
Who Does What?

Risks Assessment should be a shared task. The task
should be preformed by a team of people from the
company. The team should comprise of management staff,
the process or production staff, maintenance staff and
Safety Personnel.
Risks Assessment teams should be lead by a senior
member of the management. He should be versed in the
objectives of risk assessments as well as the methodology
of the risks assessments.
The Safety Personnel on board should inform, educate or
advise on the legal requirements as well as ask questions
that probe into the hazards and counter-measures.
Same holds true for the other way around.

Those in the team should have a clear understanding that

there is a no blame policy. The risk assessment carried out
12
17
Once you are more competent, you could use the

Simple5.
If course limits have already been set (1, 2 and 3) so do not

consider 0 (zero) outcomes. What if the severity is 1(it is
low severity) and the likelihood is 2 (medium likelihood).
Multiply 2 X 1=2 or plot it on the graph
If severity is 2(medium severity) and the likelihood is 1 (low

likelihood. Either multiply 2 X 1= 2 or plot it on the graph.
Putting It All Together

The team identifies which tasks or areas of work must be
looked into first based on statistics or legal requirements.
The team observes how a typical task (the task that was
chosen) is carried out.
The team identifies all possible hazards associated with the
task.
16
13
If the severity is 3(high severity) and the likelihood is 3 (high

likelihood. Either multiply 3 X 3 = 9 or plot it on the graph
Table or Matrix
A table can easily replace a typical (difficult) to understand
matrix
1 X 1 = 1 (low)
1 X 2 = 2 (low)
1 X 3 = 3 (Medium)
2 X 2 = 4 (Medium)
2 X 3 = 6 (High)
3 X 3 = 9 (Very High)
Or the typical matrix can be replaced with this new Risk
Matrix. This is called a Simple3;
The area can be split the area into different quadrants

(according to numerical values)
14
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Step 7- Control Measures

After Risks Assessments are carried out, the high risk

High Risk Levels must be immediately brought down to

Ministry of Manpower Singapore defines risk as:

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

Step 6- Assessing the Risks

Risk can also be defined as:

After you have evaluated your likelihood and severity, you

3(now look at your matrix and

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

Risk = Likelihood X Severity

Overview of Risk Assessments

Risk Assessments should aid companies or individuals in

Why Risk Assessments fail

Risks Assessments are might not be easy to understand

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

ultimately asked to complete or do the Risk Assessment in

Why Risks Assessments should be

Step 5- Evaluate the Severity

Members of the Team should carry out the task. Not

Before carrying out risk assessments or risk management,

How to assess the severity or the likelihood of an

Why quantify? Its easier for people to understand things

Failure to apply permit

High (3) (Could cause lives &

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

Step Four- Evaluating the Likelihood

Setting Limits for Severity

Once you have listed your Hazards, it is time to evaluate

Failure to apply permit

Near miss, non injury accidents and

Reportable accidents. Damage to

Materials to heavy to be handled

Cables not in good condition

Eye injuries to welder

Eye injuries to welder

Grinding disc breaks

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

2006 All Copyrights Reserved

Setting Limits for Likelihood

Step Three- Identify the Hazards for

Worker brings materials to be

Materials to heavy to be handled

Welding cables are set in place

Cables not in good condition

Welder proceeds to carry out tack

Eye injuries to welder