Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

What is Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment?

Hazard identification and risk assessment is a systematic process of recognizing workplace dangers and evaluating their potential impact and likelihood. This proactive approach allows organizations to implement appropriate controls before incidents occur, creating a foundation for effective safety management and accident prevention.

Key Components

1. Hazard Recognition

• Identify physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards.
• Consider both obvious dangers and subtle, long-term risks.
• Use multiple methods such as inspections, task analysis, and employee input.

2. Risk Evaluation

• Assess the severity of potential consequences from each hazard.
• Determine the likelihood of exposure and harm occurring.
• Prioritize risks based on their significance and manageability.

3. Control Implementation

• Apply the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE.
• Select controls that are practical, effective, and sustainable.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented controls over time.

Building Your Safety Mindset

1. Develop a Questioning Attitude

   • Ask "what could go wrong?" before starting tasks.
   • Challenge assumptions about familiar environments or routine activities.
   • Look at workspaces with fresh eyes to spot previously overlooked hazards.

2. Embrace Systematic Thinking

   • Break complex operations into manageable steps for thorough analysis.
   • Consider how changing conditions might introduce new hazards.
   • Recognize patterns that might indicate developing risks.

3. Value Diverse Perspectives

   • Seek input from colleagues with different experiences and expertise.
   • Listen to concerns raised by new employees who may notice what others have normalized.
   • Encourage reporting of even minor safety issues and near misses.

Discussion Points

1. What methods do you currently use to identify hazards before starting work?
2. How comfortable are you with speaking up when you notice a potential risk?
3. Can you share an example where early hazard identification prevented an incident?

Action Steps

• Conduct a hazard hunt in your work area and document findings.
• Practice using a risk assessment matrix on an upcoming task.
• Review incident reports from the past year to identify recurring hazards.
• Suggest one improvement to your team's hazard reporting process.