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03/06/11 Risk Assessment Methods For Reducing Work-Related Risks Risk assessment is a system of methods for examining working conditions. HSE risk assessment procedures elaborated by the Health and Safety Executive are aimed at reducing work-related risks and injuries. The article provides an insight into health and safety risk assessment methods. Risk assessment is important for any employer who seeks to increase their workers’ productivity and maintain it at the highest level. It’s not an optional choice whether to carry out risk assessment tests but a requirement which employers should fulfil to comply with the legislation on health and safety issues at the workplace. These tests help find out potentially risky workplace areas which need to be eliminated or improved. Risk assessment methods are not designed to eliminate all risks but to ensure that all employees are properly protected against them. The HSE risk assessment process may consist of the following steps: identifying hazards, deciding who may be affected by them, evaluating potential risks, choosing precaution methods, implementing them. To identify potential risks, employers need to take a critical look at the workplace; employees may help them find out what might be potentially risky as they may know the working conditions better. Besides, the website of the Health and Safety Executive provides valuable information on various types of risks in different working environments. The following step of the risk assessment process helps identify groups of employees who are exposed to risks. Next, employers need to evaluate potential risks and decide whether risks need to be eliminated or can be controlled. When all steps of the HSE risk assessment process have been taken, it is possible to elaborate a plan of action on how to handle risks. There are various types of risks depending on the type of business; however, slips are one of the most common causes of injuries at work. According to some sources, in 2007/2008 four out of ten injuries at the workplace were caused by slips and falls. The latest research studies show that a third of all work-related accidents occurred in the UK is caused by slips. Risk assessment methods help ensure that flooring is safe and risky areas are properly marked. There are various HSE risk assessment models but the ‘slips potential model’ is considered to be one of the most effective. It is based on the research on the main slip causes carried out by the Health and Safety Executive. This model implies a holistic approach towards risk analysis and considers such controllable factors as flooring materials, environmental factors and contamination. Flooring materials need to be tested for roughness and slip resistance properties which can be done with the help of the pendulum test. Lighting and condensation are two more factors which can contribute to slips as well as flooring contamination. A great number of slips occur in contaminated conditions so there is a special pendulum test to identify the contamination level. Besides, there are also predictable factors which need to be taken into consideration: surface usage, pedestrian behaviour and footwear. HSE risk assessment is an obligatory procedure for any employer; it helps identify workplace problem areas which need to be improved or eliminated.
Further information Pendulum testing - Surface roughness - Slips Potential Model - Slip testing methods - HSE slips site - Grip Potential Ltd |
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