Field Level Risk Assessments P-02

Objective
To provide Team Members with a process that allows them to assess their work area prior to starting a task
in order to identify any hazards that may pose a risk to themselves or other people or activities in the work
area and to take action in order to control the hazards and reduce or eliminate the risks.

Mine Sites Hazard Assessments

Most customer sites have established hazard assessment programs that usually involve documentation and
supervisor or customer involvement. These processes must be adhered to according to
the specific site policies.
The process described in this document is intended to provide a method for ongoing hazard assessments to
keep team members focused on their task at hand and to prevent complacency and address changes or
new hazards that develop throughout the course of work.

Critical Rules
 Always conduct a Field Level Risk Assessment
prior to starting any task
 Take appropriate steps to identify all of the site
hazards that may affect you and your work
 Take steps to control or eliminate hazards
 Ensure your activities will not have an adverse
impact on other activities in your area
 Ensure other activities in your area will not have
an adverse affect on you
 Report any unsafe conditions to your supervisor
 Refer to Safe Work practices and procedures for
the work you are doing
 Understand your Emergency Response Plan
and your responsibilities
 Never perform work that you have not been
trained for or that you believe to be unsafe
 Communicate known hazards to other team
members

Assessing the Worksite

STAGE METHOD
Stop Before beginning your task stop and take a
good look around your area and be familiar with
your surroundings. Understand all the hazards.
It can take from 30-seconds to two minutes to
determine what you will need to do to make a
job safe.
KEY POINTS & SAFETY RISKS
Do not be complacent. Never
assume you know everything
about your area. New hazards
can be introduced without your
knowledge. Unfamiliar sites may
have hazards you would never
expect.

Identify the Hazards Look for other activities that you may impact on,
or that may impact on you. Look to see what
other activities are going around you. Are there
other people working on the same vehicle as
you or in close proximity to you?
Communicate with the customer
and/or any site officials that know
the site and the current hazards.
Be informed before proceeding

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Field Level Risk Assessments
Assessing the Worksite
STAGE METHOD
Identify the Hazards Look for other activities that you may impact on,
or that may impact on you. Look to see what
other activities are going around you. Are there
other people working on the same vehicle as
you or in close proximity to you?
Look for overhead lines or obstructions that can
interfere with your task.
Check weather conditions.
Avoid congestion.
Check for ground obstructions or instability.
Inspect tools and equipment prior to use.
Assess the Risks How bad can it be? Ask yourself, “What is the
possibility of an incident occurring and how
severe are the consequences?”
P-02
KEY POINTS & SAFETY RISKS
Communicate your intended
activities and become familiar
with the activities of others in your
area.
Contacting power or
communication cables can be
lethal or very expensive. If you
are using a crane or forklift, your
attention needs to be on your
task. Whenever possible move
away from overhead obstructions.
Booms and forklift masts make
great lightening rods. If you are
expecting inclement weather, take
steps to ensure you are prepared
to shut down if necessary.
Keep your work area clean so you
can move around freely without
hitting things or tripping over
items
Look for trenching or uneven,
unstable ground. Soft ground can
lead to stability issues with
support stands and jacks. Debris
or discarded materials can create
a tripping hazard.
Damaged or sub-standard tools
and equipment can cause serious
injury if they unexpected fail
during use.
Understanding the severity of a
hazard can help you to determine
the type of controls needed to
ensure your safety. Taking a
moment to think about it can be
the difference between a serious
mishap and an uneventful, safe
job.
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Field Level Risk Assessments
Assessing the Worksite
STAGE METHOD
Control the Risks Take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of
yourself and others around you.
Take steps to protect the environment, property
and equipment.
Be prepared for emergencies. Know your
emergency Response plan. Have contact
numbers available or other emergency
notification devices handy.
Unusual Tasks When you must undertake a task that is outside
the normal parameters of a regular procedure or
if the available safe work procedure is not
adequate for the task because of unusual
circumstance, you should conduct and
document an Unusual Task Safety Assessment
form (UTSA). This will help you plan a safe
approach to the task by documenting each step
and the associated controls prior to
commencing the work.
Resume Your Work When you have taken all reasonable and
necessary steps to make your work safe
proceed with your task. Continue to reassess
your activities as you go.
Refuse to do any work that you feel is unsafe or
that you have not been trained to do.
P-02
KEY POINTS & SAFETY RISKS
It is your responsibility to proceed
with your work in a safe manner
that does not create risk to
yourself or others around you.
Non-injury incidents of
environmental impact or
equipment and property damage
can be very costly. Be prepared
to prevent or control spills
associated with your work.
In an emergency, having a plan
can give you the precious minutes
that may mean the difference in
saving a life including your own.
Always adhere to customer
requirements for conducting
hazard assessments. If the site
you are at does not have a
process for documenting such
task then use the form to carry out
the
task. Writing out the steps and
implementing identified controls is
the safest approach for managing
this type of work.
Anytime something changes in
your plans or your environment
stop your work and re-evaluate
any new hazards and risks.
Performing work that is unsafe
can result in injury or death
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