Risk assessment training course

Module 1
Principles of risk assessment

Principles of risk assessment

Session outcomes

• Understanding the principles and practicalities

of risk assessment

• Understanding risk evaluation

• Selecting control measures

• Implementing control measures

• Monitoring and reviewing

Principles of risk assessment

Legal background

Management Regulations (1999) are the

umbrella regulations
Require employer to:
• Identify hazards
• Assess risks
• Eliminate or control exposure to risks
• Write it down if significant

Principles of risk assessment

Risk Assessment – the 5 steps

• What are the hazards?

• Who is doing what, where & when? (WWW)

AND
Who else might be affected by what is done?

• What is the degree of risk?

• What do we need to, or can we, do to control

(eliminate/minimise) exposure to the risk?

• How will we monitor the work/people?

Principles of risk assessment

What comes first?

Even before the 5 steps – one question:

What is it we have/want/would like to do?
We can call this: -
• The task
• The job to do
• The procedure
Everything can be covered in this way

Principles of risk assessment

Let’s have some examples

Principles of risk assessment

 Hazard and Risk

Hazard the potential to cause harm or damage

Risk the chance of that harm occurring

Calculated as -

potential severity of harm

(the consequence – or damage)
x
likelihood of event occurring

Principles of risk assessment

Hazard identification

• What will I be using/doing?

• How much do I know about what I am
using/doing?
• What factors or properties could there be that
affect the level of hazard (not risk)?

• Do I really have to do the work/task at all?

• Can I substitute something less hazardous?

Principles of risk assessment

Who is affected by the work?

• Those who do the work

• Maturity
• Experience
• Health and immune status
• Medication
• Disability
• Pregnancy
• Others in the workplace
• Cleaning and maintenance staff
• Visitors
• External – including neighbours

Principles of risk assessment

Can we work out how high the risk is?

Consequence - severity
• What could go wrong?
• What is the worst that could happen?

Likelihood
• How often must it be done?
• How many people do it?
• Is everyone doing it competent and trained?

Principles of risk assessment

Where do our risks fit on the spectrum?

How likely?

How bad?

Principles of risk assessment

Evaluating the risk

1. Highly unlikely 1. Slight harm

2. Possibly 2. Injury affecting work
3. Quite likely 3. Serious injury
4. Very likely 4. Possible fatality

Principles of risk assessment

Risk Matrix

4 8 12 16

3 6 9 12

2 4 6 8

1 2 3 4

Principles of risk assessment

Risk Matrix

4 8 12 16

3 6 9 12

2 4 6 8

1 2 3 4

Principles of risk assessment

 Risk Matrix – Does it work?

4 8 12 16
Tolerable Significant Unacceptable Unacceptable

3 6 9 12
Insignificant Tolerable Significant Unacceptable

2 4 6 8
Insignificant Tolerable Tolerable Significant

1 2 3 4
Insignificant Insignificant Insignificant Tolerable

Principles of risk assessment

Controlling the risk

Unacceptable – stop doing it until

improvements made
Significant - proceed with caution but
improvement high priority
Tolerable - OK to proceed but plan to
improve
Insignificant - Any improvements low
priority

Principles of risk assessment

Controlling the risk

• Decide measures to be taken

• Implement them according to priority
• Confirm measures appropriate and work

Principles of risk assessment

Monitoring and Review

Monitoring
• ‘Live’ nature of assessments
• Possible modification to procedures

Review
• Identifies changes to procedures
• Possible modification to assessment

Principles of risk assessment