Basrah Engineering Techinical College

Department of environment and pollution

Lecture: 4
Fourth year, 2021-2022

4.0. Risk Management Process:-

Hazard management is essentially a problem-solving process aimed at defining problems

(identifying hazards), gathering information about them (assessing the risks) and solving

them (controlling the risks).

 Hazard Types

Occupational hazards are divided into two types:

a. Health Hazards: A health hazard may produce serious and immediate (acute) health

effects or cause long-term (chronic) health problems. All or part of the body may be affected.

Someone with an occupational illness may not recognize the symptoms immediately. For

example, noise-induced hearing loss is often not noticed until it is well advanced.

b. Safety Hazards: A safety hazard is anything that could endanger the immediate safety of

an employee, for example, a pinch point, crush, or burn hazard.

 Sources of Hazards

There are many sources of hazards in a workplace, however, the three most likely sources

that should be considered are:

a. People: Lack of training, poor communication, rushing, fatigue, and other factors may

cause at-risk behaviors.

b. Equipment and Materials: Some equipment, tools and materials used in the job process

are inherently hazardous, and others become hazardous over time due to inadequate

maintenance, storage, or disposal.

c. Workplace Environment: Factors such as facility layout, ventilation and lighting,

walking surfaces, temperature and other variables can all be sources of hazards.

You can use these three “Think Safe” steps to help prevent accidents:

Step 1: Identifying hazards

The first step in the risk management process is to identify any hazards in the workplace.

Hazards must be managed whenever they are identified.

Hazard identification must be carried out:

a. Before setting up and using a workplace;

b. When planning work processes;

c. Before purchasing, and during the introduction of, new plant or equipment;

d. Before use of workplace substances;

e. Whenever changes are made to

- The workplace

- The system or method of work

- The plant used

- The chemicals or dangerous substances used.

To identify hazards, you may:

1. Walk around your workplace and look at what could cause harm.

2. Ask your workers or their health and safety representatives what they think – they may

have noticed things that are not immediately obvious to you.

3. Check manufacturers’ instructions or safety data sheets for chemicals or equipment.

4. Be aware of any workplace incidents or ‘near misses’.

Examples of hazards include unsafe manual handling tasks, unsafe use of chemicals and the

use of electrical plant in wet areas.

Step 2: Assessing the risks

The second step is to assess the level of risk associated with each hazard. This includes

considering:

1. the severity of any injury or illness that could occur – for example, establish whether it is a

small isolated hazard that could result in a very minor injury, or if it is a significant hazard

that could have wide ranging and severe effects.

2. The likelihood or chance that someone will suffer an illness or injury – for example,

consider the number of people who could be exposed to the hazard. A risk assessment will

assist in determining the control measure that should be implemented by:

a. Identifying which workers are at risk of exposure to a hazard.

b. Determining what sources and processes are causing that risk.

c. Identifying if and what kind of control measures should be implemented.

d. Checking the effectiveness of existing control measures.

Step 3: controlling the risks

The third step is to control any hazards. Some control measures are more effective than

others. Control measures can be ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to

the lowest. This ranking is known as the hierarchy of control.

You must work through the hierarchy of control in the following order. Implementing risk

controls that are as high in the order as possible is best.

1. Eliminate – remove the hazard completely from the workplace. This is the most effective

control measure and must always be considered before anything else.

2. Substitute – if the hazard cannot be eliminated, substitute or replace the hazard with a less

hazardous work practice.

3. Isolate – as much as possible, isolate the hazard or hazardous work practice from people.

4. Engineering controls – these are physical control measures i.e. adapt tools or equipment

to minimize the risk.

5. Administrative controls – these should only be considered when other higher order

control measures are not practicable. These are work methods or procedures that are designed

to minimize the exposure to a hazard e.g. implementing a training program, using permit

systems.

6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – this should be the last option. PPE relies on the

proper fit and use of the PPE and does nothing to change the hazard itself. It therefore

requires thorough training and effective supervision to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
  Eye and Face protection

1. Goggles are designed for solid or liquid hazards that are airborne and in a quantity that

there is a greater likelihood of contact with or near the eye.

2. Safety eyeglasses with protective side shields are designed for eye protection when the

hazard is more casual by nature and the hazard(s) is of low quantity and likelihood.

3. For more severe hazards, full face protection is needed. The full face shield not only

protects the eyes, but the entire facial area as well.

Head protection

Hard hats are necessary to protect workers against hazards that include falling objects and

overhead hazards in general.

 Employers must ensure that their employees wear head protection if any of the

following apply:

1. Objects might fall from above and strike them on the head.

2. They might bump their heads against fixed objects, such as exposed pipes or beams. o

There is a possibility of accidental head contact with electrical hazards.

 In general, protective helmets or hard hats should do the following:

1. Resist penetration by objects.

2. Absorb the shock of a blow.

3. Be water-resistant and slow burning.

4. Have clear instructions explaining proper adjustment and replacement of the

suspension and headband.

 Types of Hard Hats

There are many types of hard hats available in the marketplace today, and divided into

three industrial classes:

1. Class A hard hats provide impact and penetration resistance along with limited voltage

protection (up to 2,200 volts).

2. Class B hard hats provide the highest level of protection against electrical hazards,

with high-voltage shock and burn protection (up to 20,000 volts). They also provide

protection from impact and penetration hazards by flying/falling objects.

3. Class C hard hats provide lightweight comfort and impact protection but offer no

protection from electrical hazards.

4. Another class of protective headgear on the market is called a “bump hat,” designed

for use in areas with low head clearance.

 Foot and Leg Protection

1. Proper footwear can afford a level of protection for the feet and toes. Steel-toed boots

or shoes protect toes against the crushing hazard of falling objects, such involved with

pipe moving or heavy material handling. Rubber boots protect the feet against chemical

hazards.

2. Footwear should also be selected based on protection from the walking/working

surface. Construction sites with nails or rough terrain including sharp rocks will require

shoes or boots with sturdy, puncture-resistant soles.

 Where should an employee wear foot and/or leg protection?

1. When heavy objects such as barrels or tools might roll onto or fall on the employee’s

feet.
2. Working with sharp objects such as nails or spikes that could pierce the soles or uppers

of ordinary shoes.

3. Exposure to molten metal that might splash on feet or legs.

4. Working on or around hot, wet or slippery surfaces.

5. Working when electrical hazards are present.

 Hand Protection

1. Gloves should be selected according to the hazard.

2. Handling hot materials usually requires leather gloves. Heavy cotton glove usually

afford ample

3. protection against scratch and abrasive hazards.

4. Rubber gloves are usually necessary for electrical and chemical hazards.

5. There are gloves designed to protect against cut hazards, as in the meat industry.

 Body Protection

Following are examples of workplace hazards that could cause bodily injury:

1. Temperature extremes.

2. Hot splashes from molten metals and other hot liquids.

3. Potential impacts from tools, machinery and materials.

4. Hazardous chemicals.

 Hearing Protection

Employee exposure to excessive noise depends upon a number of factors, including:

 The loudness of the noise as measured in decibels (dB).

 The duration of each employee’s exposure to the noise.

Whether employees move between work areas with different noise levels.
 Whether noise is generated from one or multiple sources.

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)

Are used in many workplaces to protect workers when working with hazardous

substances, such as gases, solvents, powdered chemicals and sprays. RPE comes with

various forms of face piece, such as helmets, visors, hoods or masks.

4.1. Fall Protection

A fall hazard is anything in the workplace that could cause an unintended loss of balance or

bodily support and result in a fall.

 Fall hazards cause accidents such as the following:

a. A worker walking near an unprotected leading edge trips over a protruding board.

b. A worker slips while climbing an icy stairway.

c. A makeshift scaffold collapses under the weight of four workers and their equipment.

d. A worker carrying a sheet of plywood on a flat roof steps into a skylight opening.

4.1.1. How to evaluate fall hazards

The purpose of evaluating fall hazards is to determine how to eliminate or control them

before they cause injuries. Below are important factors to consider in conducting an

evaluation.

You may need others to help you evaluate fall hazards. Involve others who may have

experience identifying fall hazards, such as fellow employees or supervisors; they'll help you

identify the hazards and determine how to eliminate or control them. Involving others also

strengthens your company’s safety and health program.

A. Identify tasks that could expose workers to falls

As part of the hazard identification process, evaluate each task you will be performing and

look for anything that might expose you to a fall hazard. For example, if you will be climbing

a ladder to change a light bulb, make sure the ladder is not damaged and that the ladder is

stable.
Ensure all walking/working surfaces have the strength to support workers and their

equipment and then identify all tasks that could expose workers to falls. A walking/working

surface is any surface, horizontal or vertical, on which a person walks or works.

B. Identify fall hazards that you can eliminate

Eliminating a fall hazard is the most effective fall-protection strategy. Here are some ways to

eliminate fall hazards:

1. Perform construction work on the ground before lifting or tilting it to an elevated position.

2. Install permanent stairs early in the project so that workers don't need to use ladders

between floors.

3. Use tool extensions to perform work from the ground.

C. Prevent fall hazards

If you can't eliminate fall hazards, you need to prevent falls or control them so workers who

may fall are not injured. Eliminating fall hazards is the best prevention, but if you can

eliminate the hazard, you must take steps to prevent or control a fall. Here are some ways to

do this:

1. Ways to prevent falls include covers, guardrails, handrails, perimeter safety cables, and

personal fall-restraint systems.

2. Ways to control falls include personal fall-arrest systems, positioning-device systems, and

safety-net systems. Use these fall-protection systems only when you can't eliminate fall

hazards or prevent falls from occurring.

What is supported access?

Portable ladders, supported scaffolds, and aerial lifts let you get to a work area and support

you while you work. They make getting to a work area easy, but they can cause falls when

they're not used properly.

1. Portable ladders

Portable ladders are versatile, economical, and easy to use. However, workers sometimes use

them without thinking about using them safely. Each year, most workers are injured when

they fall from ladders. Most of the falls are less than 10 feet.

 Common types of portable ladders