Safe Working Practices

SAFETY WORKING PRACTICES AND RISK ASSESSMENT

Introduction

Employers have to ensure the safety and health of the workers and other people as much as possible, including the assessment of the possible risks in the working place and find the solution to reduce them. Specifically, employers are required to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health and safety of workers that come from the working place, to identify

(a) groups of workers at particular risk in the performance of their duties; and

(b) the measures to be taken to comply with the employer’s duties under the Regulations;

Key Term

1. A hazard is a source of potential harm or damage or a situation with potential for harm or damage;

2. risk has two elements:

• the likelihood that a hazard may occur;

• the consequences of the hazardous event.

Principles of risk assessment

The assessment should first establish the hazards that are present at the place of work and then identify the significant risks arising out of the work activity. The assessment should include consideration of the existing precautions to control the risk, such as permits to work, restricted access and use of warning signs or personal protective equipment.

Person to carry out risk assessment

Everybody has the responsibility to carry out the risk assessment, not only employers but also workers and the company.

Time of assessment

Risk assessment should be done regularly, normally before any task or work begins.

Elements of risk assessment

The main elements of the risk assessment process are:

(a) classify work activities;

(b) identify hazards and personnel at risk;

(c) identify risk controls;

(d) estimate the risk;

(e) decide the tolerability of the risks;

(f) prepare risk control action plan (if necessary);

(g) review adequacy of action plan;

(h) ensure risk assessment and controls are effective and up to date.

SAFETY OFFICIALS

Introduction

1. Every person on board has a...