Risk assessment

Risk, in relation to any injury and harm, is defined as "the probability of that injury or harm occurring."

Risk assessment should result in a list of any potential injury or harm and the likelihood of these occurring, arising from the hazards identified in the first step. In general, these should be stated from the most to the least serious, for example, from death by crushing to abrasion. The potential for fatal injury should be considered for each hazard type identified.

In assessing risks, consideration should be given to the state of knowledge about the frequency of injury or disease, the duration of exposure to injury or disease sources and the likely severity of the outcomes. Knowledge gained from similar workplaces or similar processes may be relevant to this risk assessment. Items to be considered include:

Frequency of injury - how often is the hazard likely to result in an injury or disease?

Duration of exposure - how long is the employee exposed to the hazard?

Outcome - what are the consequences or potential severity of injury?

Assessing these three factors will indicate the probability or likelihood of injury or harm to workers involved in a particular work process. It also indicates the likely severity of this harm. Incomplete data or incomplete information regarding hazards of a work process may complicate the task. Risk assessment requires good judgment and awareness of the potential risks of a work process. Any person undertaking the risk assessment must have knowledge and experience of the work process.

When making an assessment of likelihood, one must establish which of the following categories most closely describes the likelihood of the hazardous event occurring.

- Very Likely – could happen frequently.

- Likely – could happen occasionally.

- Unlikely – could happen, but only rarely.

- Highly Unlikely – could happen but probably never will.

Some examples of duration of exposure are:

- very rare – once per year or less;

- rare – a few times per year;

- unusual – once per month;

- occasional – once per week;

- frequent – daily;

- continuous – constant.

The consequences of an event can be categorized as follows:

- fatal – death;

- major injuries – normally irreversible injury or damage to health requiring extended time off work to effect best recovery;

- minor injuries – typically a reversible injury or damage to health needing several days away from work to recover. recovery would be full and permanent;

- negligible injuries – would require first aid and may need the remainder of the work period or shift off before being able to return to work.

An assessment of the risk will help determine the consequences (potential injury or disease) and assist to identify methods to reduce the risk. Risk assessment should include:

- assessing the adequacy of training or knowledge required to work safely;

- looking at the way the jobs are performed;

- looking at the way work is organized;

- determining the size and layout of the workplace;

- assessing the number and movement of all people on the site;

- determining the type of operation to be performed;

- determining the type of machinery and plant to be used;

- examining procedures for an emergency (eg: accident, fire and rescue); and

- looking at the storage and handling of all materials and substances.

In some cases it may be necessary to break down the activity or process into a series of parts and assess each part separately.

Risk assessment should provide information regarding which employees face an injury or disease risk, how often, and the potential severity of that injury or disease risk.