Hazard identification, risk assessment & risk control in the workplace

What is hazard identification, risk assessment, risk control?

Hazard identification is the process used to identify all the possible situations in the
workplace where people may be exposed to injury, illness or disease. "Find it"

Risk assessment is the process used to determine the likelihood that people may be
exposed to injury, illness or disease in the workplace arising from any situation identified
during the hazard identification process. "Assess it"

Risk control is used to identify all practicable measures for eliminating or reducing the
likelihood of injury, illness or disease in the workplace, to implement the measures and to
continually review the measures in order to ensure their effectiveness. "Fix it".
Why are they important?
As an employer, you have your business objectives as well as moral and legal obligations
to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. You must identify any potentially
hazardous situations (which may cause injury, illness or disease) in your workplace to be
identified on an ongoing basis before they occur.

What does the law require?

The Occupational Health and Safety (Manual Handling) Regulations 1999 require
employers to ensure that any risk is eliminated, or if that is not practicable, reduced so far
as is practicable. The Occupational Health and Safety (Hazardous Substances)
Regulations 1999 require employers to ensure that:
 an assessment is made to determine whether there is any risk (likelihood of injury,
illness or disease) associated with the use of a hazardous substance at the workplace;
and

 Any risk is eliminated, or if that is not practicable, reduced so far as is practicable.

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Hazard identification
Hazards in a workplace can arise from people being exposed to hazardous substances,
processes or environment. The hazard identification process is designed to identify all
the possible situations where people may possibly be exposed to injury, illness and
disease arising from all sources including the above.

Carrying out hazard identification for all existing plant, substances, processes and work
practices in your workplace may require some effort. If you have a large workplace, it is
a good idea to split it into several discrete areas for the hazard identification process, and
to tackle one area at a time. Priority should be given to areas with hazardous plant,
substances, processes or environment.

The relevant health and safety representatives need to be consulted during the hazard
identification process.

Employees working in the area have day to day experience of any hazards and should be
involved in the hazard identification process. Advice should also be sought from people
who are associated with the activities and processes in the area because they may provide
valuable input.

Risk assessment
once the hazards have been identified, they should be listed for a risk assessment to be
carried out in consultation with the relevant health and safety representatives and
employees.

Risk control
Under the OHS legislation, you are required to introduce new control measures to
eliminate the risk, or if that is not reasonably practicable, to reduce the risk so far as is
reasonably practicable, if the current measures are found to be inadequate and there is a
likelihood that injury, illness or disease will result from a particular situation.

The risk control process must be carried out in consultation with the relevant health and
safety representatives and employees.

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In identifying new risk control measures, the most effective form of control measures is
to eliminate the risk (eg by eliminating the process). If that is not reasonably practicable
you need to identify effective measures to reduce the risk. The OHS legislation specifies
that you must not depend solely on the use of administrative controls or personal
protective equipment to reduce the risk unless that you have established that the
following are not practicable measures:
 substituting the plant or substance with another one that is less hazardous

 using engineering controls (eg modifying the design of the workplace or plant, or
environmental conditions)

 isolating people from the source of exposure

Record keeping
Maintenance of appropriate records will assist you to:
 know what has been done and what more needs to be done; and

 Demonstrate compliance with your obligations under the OHS legislation.

You should keep documents which provide information on:

 when and where hazard identification was carried out

 a summary of identified hazards

 Whether there is any risk associated with each hazard identified?

 the risk assessment method used

 What new measures have been identified to control any risk?

 What measures are regarded as not reasonably practicable and the reason for
such?

 What are the reasonably practicable risk control measures for implementation?

 timeline and responsible person for the implementation of the practicable risk
control measures

 Who was involved in the hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
processes?

 Who was consulted in the hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
processes?
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Special Note on Codes of Practice: Codes of Practice made under the Occupational
Health and Safety Act 1985 provide practical guidance to people who have duties or
obligations under OHS laws. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 allow the
Minister for Work Cover to make Compliance Codes which will provide greater certainty
about what constitutes compliance with the OHS laws.

Codes of Practice will continue to be a practical guide for those who have OHS duties
and Work Cover will continue to regard those who comply with the topics covered in the
Codes of Practice as complying with OHS laws. Work Cover will progressively review
all Codes of Practice and replace them with guidance material and in appropriate cases,
with Compliance Codes.

Regards,

Syed Mardan.P

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