Conduct a health and safety risk assessment of the workplace

  Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety Unit:  Conduct a health and safety risk assessment of the workplace Question: Ex...

 

Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

Unit: Conduct a health and safety risk assessment of the workplace

Question:

Explain own responsibilities for health and safety as

defined by current legislation and:

a) specific legislation covering own job role.

b) particular health and safety risks which may

affect own job role and precautions required.

Answer:

a) Specific legislation covering own job role;

1. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Also known as the Management Regs, these came into effect in 1993. Main employer duties under

the Regulations include:

 

making 'assessments of risk' to the health and safety of its workforce, and to act upon risks they identify, so as to reduce them (Regulation 3);

appointing competent persons to oversee workplace health and safety;

providing workers with information and training on occupational health and safety; and

operating a written health and safety policy.

 

2. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

The main provisions of these Regulations require employers to provide:

 

 adequate lighting, heating, ventilation and workspace (and keep them in a clean condition);

 staff facilities, including toilets, washing facilities and refreshment; and

 safe passageways, i.e. to prevent slipping and tripping hazards.

 

3. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992

The main provisions here apply to display screen equipment (DSE) users, defined as workers who

habitually use a computer as a significant part of their normal work. This includes people who are regular

users of DSE equipment, or rely on it as part of their job. This covers you if you use DSE for an hour or

more continuously, and/or you are making daily use of DSE.

Employers are required to:

 

 make a risk assessment of workstation use by DSE users, and reduce the risks identified;

 ensure DSE users take adequate breaks

 provide regular eyesight tests;

 provide health and safety information;

 provide adjustable furniture (e.g. desk, chair, etc.); and

 Demonstrate that they have adequate procedures designed to reduce risks associated with DSE

work, such as repetitive strain injury (RSI).

 

4. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992

 

Ensure that suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided free of charge "wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways." The PPE must be 'suitable' for the risk in question, and include protective face masks and goggles, safety helmets, gloves, air filters, ear defenders, overalls and protective footwear; and

Provide information, training and instruction on the use of this equipment.

 

 

5. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

The main provisions of these Regulations require employers to:

 

avoid (so far as is reasonably practicable) the need for employees to undertake any manual handling activities involving risk of injury;

Make assessments of manual handling risks, and try to reduce the risk of injury. The assessment should consider the task, the load and the individual's personal characteristics (physical strength, etc.)

Provide workers with information on the weight of each load.

 

B) These are some Health and Safety risks in construction:

·       Working at Height

·       Moving Objects

·       Slips, Trips, & Falls

·       Noise

·       Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome

·       Material & Manual Handling

·       Collapse

·       Asbestos

·       Airborne Fibres & Materials – Respiratory Diseases

·       Electricity

 

Precautions

·       Training, including safety awareness training is essential for employees required to work at height.

·       Employers are required to carry out and document a comprehensive noise risk assessment – and issue appropriate PPE.

 

Question:

Identify resources for the risk assessment to take

place and:

a) how and where to find expert advice and guidance.

b) the work areas and people for whom the learner

is carrying out the risk assessment.

c) the work activities of the people in the workplace

where the learner is carrying out the risk assessment

Answer:

a) Where to find expert advice and guidance:

 

 This is mainly aimed at employers, managers and others with responsibility for health and safety, and will also be useful to employees and safety representatives.

To do this one need to think about what might cause harm to people and decide whether you are taking reasonable steps to prevent that harm. This is known as risk assessment and it is something one is required by law to carry out. If an employer have fewer than five employees you don't have to write anything down.

The HSE’s own staff is required about what they should expect to see in duty holders’ demonstrations that the risk has been reduced ‘as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)’; in those situations where the work activity is unusual (i.e. good practice is not yet established) or where there is a risk of a disaster (e.g. petrochemical and nuclear installations).

Reducing risks, protecting people; It makes transparent the protocols and procedures we follow to ensure that the process of decision-making, including risk assessment and risk management, is perceived as valid.

 

 

b) the work areas and people for whom the learner is carrying out the risk assessment are as follows;

 

SCADA room: people working include electrical technicians, engineers and helpers.

Welding workshop: people working are trained welders, mechanical  engineer, laborers etc

Administrative office: people working are Director/General Manager, Human Resource, Project manager, cleaners etc

Company environment: Pedestals are restricted to walk in only designated area.

 

c) the work activities of the people in the workplace where the learner is carrying out the risk assessment includes;

 

Connecting cables

Cable logging

Cable pulling

Cable termination

Cable tray constructions

Cable looping

Use of ladder

Use of machinery

Welding activities

Use of computers

Question:

Describe the purpose, legal implications and

importance of carrying out risk assessments and:

a) the methods of identifying hazards including

direct observation, examining records and

conducting interviews.

b) the workplace hazards most likely to cause harm.

c) the importance of remaining alert to the

presence of hazards in the workplace.

d) the importance of dealing with or promptly

reporting risks.

Answer:

a) The methods of identifying hazards including direct observation, examining records and conducting interviews.; This can be identified by conducting pre-start discussions on the work to be carried out; encouraging workers to recognize and highlight hazards while performing work; carrying out safety inspections and audits of the workplace and work procedures; conducting job safety analyses (or similar task evaluation processes);monitoring, measuring and testing the working environment, such as noise monitoring, electrical testing and atmospheric testing; analyzing proposed new or modified plant, material, process or structure; conducting hazard (or risk) surveys; reviewing product information, e.g. safety data sheets, operating manuals; researching publicly available data on hazards, e.g. media articles, industry or safety regulator alerts; and looking at past incident and near-miss reports.

 b) the workplace hazards most likely to cause harm

 

•  Biological Hazards:

Biological hazards include exposure to harm or disease from working with animals, people, or infectious plant materials. Such as Blood and other body fluids, Fungi/mold, Bacteria and viruses, Plants, Insect bites, Animal and bird droppings.

• Physical Hazards:

Physical hazards can be any factors within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it.

This Includes:

• Radiation: including ionizing and non-ionizing (EMF’s, microwaves, radio waves, etc.) materials
• High exposure to sunlight/ultraviolet rays
• Temperature extremes – hot and cold
• Constant loud noise

 

 

• Ergonomic Hazards:

Egonomic safety hazards occur when the type of work, body positions, and working conditions put a strain on your body. They are the hardest to spot since you don’t always immediately notice the strain on your body or the harm that these hazards pose. Short-term exposure may result in “sore muscles” the next day or in the days following the strain, but extended exposure can result in serious long-term issues.

. ERGONOMIC HAZARDS INCLUDE:

• Improperly adjusted workstations and chairs
• Frequent lifting
• Poor posture
• Awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive
• Having to use too much force, especially if you have to do it frequently
• Excessive vibration

 

 

• Chemical Hazards:

Chemical hazards are present when a worker is exposed to any chemical preparation in the workplace in any form (solid, liquid or gas). Some are safer than others, but to some workers who are more sensitive to chemicals, even common solutions can cause illness, skin irritation, or breathing problems.
SUCH AS;
Liquids like cleaning products, paints, acids, solvents – particularly if chemicals are in an unlabeled container
Vapors and fumes that come from welding or exposure to solvents
Gases like acetylene, propane, carbon monoxide and helium
Flammable materials like gasoline, solvents, and explosive chemicals
Pesticides

c) the importance of remaining alert to the presence of hazards in the workplace. 

It is important to remain alert to the presence of hazards, because a hazard is something with potential to cause harm. If you are aware of your surroundings, you minimize the chances of hurting yourself. If you are not alert to the presence of hazards in the workplace, then you are more likely to be impacted by then (i.e to be injured). The idea is that you do not want to be hurt, so you watch out for things or situations that might hurt you, therefore , it creates Awareness about the surroundings, Reduce workplace stress, ensures workers Use tools appropriately, Keep crisis exits which are easily accessible, Update Your Supervisor about the unsafe conditions, ensures workers Use mechanical assistance, Reduce Workplace Environment Stress, gives further advise on how to Wear the right safety equipment’s, and Sit in a proper posture.

 d) the importance of dealing with or promptly reporting risks.

 Reporting of risk are legal requirements. This is important because it tells the enforcing authorities for occupational health and safety (HSE and local authorities) about serious incidents and cases of disease. This means they can identify where and how risks arise and whether they need to be investigated.
It also allows HSE and local authorities to target their work and provide advice on how to avoid work-related deaths, injuries, ill health and accidental loss.
Reporting them provide a way to monitor potential problems and root causes as they recur. The documentation of these problems and root causes increases the likelihood that repeating failures will be noticed and corrected before they develop to more serious incidents
Information on accidents, incidents and ill health can be used as an aid to risk assessment, helping to develop solutions to potential risks. On the other hand help to prevent injuries and ill health, and control costs from accidental loss.
It also helps for record keeping such as:

• any reportable death, injury, occupational disease or dangerous occurrence
• all work-related injuries that result in a worker being away from work or unable to do their full range of normal duties for more than three consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident but including any weekends or other rest days)