Risk Assessment (for Manufacturing)

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INTRODUCTION What Is a Risk Assessment?

Why is it important? It is a key element of our holistic health safety management plan because:* It allows us to see unsafe conditions and practices before they cause accidents. It helps assess what controls measures we need to have or add. It gives a clear basis for which safety concerns need to be prioritized. Overall, it creates awareness of the hazards for all levels of the organization.

New processes or activities in the workflow

Changes in the existing processes or activities (e.g. new equipment, product or tool are introduced).

New hazards identified

Increases in accidents and near misses.

All set? Once these elements are in place, you are ready to start your risk assessment. This course will walk you through the three main steps: Identifying hazards and risk factors Analyzing and evaluating the risk Determining the appropriate control measure

Before we start, let’s establish our baselines.

Risk Assessment | Manufacturing Risk & Hazard Identification

The first step is to identify the potential hazards and risks to health and safety. LESSON OBJECTIVE In this lesson, we will focus on this essential part of the risk assessment process. You will learn the following: What is the difference between hazard and risk? ** What are different methods for hazard and risk identification?** How to use a template for risk identification?

Review the Incident reports Incident reports contain records of accidents and near misses.

Check equipment manuals and instructions Manuals give information on proper use of equipment, safeguarding, installation.

Check Safety Data Sheets SDS contains information on chemicals, their safe use, and associated hazards.

Inspect the work area An inspection of the area is a simple yet effective way of identifying physical hazards.

Observe the work processes. Hazards can also come from unsafe practices and behavior of workers. This is an insightful way of identifying hazards that are not very apparent.

Talk to workers Workers are at the frontline of the workflow. Because they directly interact with machines, tools, materials, etc, they have first-hand knowledge of what things can cause harm that a supervisor might not be aware of.

Risk Factors A complete risk identification may seem like a daunting task, but you can have a more organized and systematic approach by looking at common risk factors. The 14 common factors in the manufacturing industry are the following: Crushing Entanglement Cutting, Stabbing, Puncturing Shearing, Burning, Friction Striking High Pressure Fluid/Gases Electrical Slips, Trips and Falls Manual Handling Suffocation Gases or Vapors Noise Light Temperature There will be other risk factors unique to your organization and workflow so make sure that you risk assess beyond the factors listed above.

Don't start from scratch. A template is a helpful tool for making your risk assessment activity much easier. Check out this digital template: iAuditor Manufacturing Risk Assessment Template

Our goal for Step 1. The goal of Risk Identification is to identify all possible sources of danger and who are at risk from these hazards. Document all your findings using a risk assessment template.

Templates are guides. A template is only a guide; It is not an all-encompassing and one-fits-all solution. Customize it according to your organization’s needs and improve it as you learn more about risk factors in your workplace.

Use various methods. To ensure that all hazards are found, use different methods such as worker interviews, physical inspection, a review of relevant documents, etc.

Be vigilant. New hazards and risks can arise as workplaces innovate. Therefore, risk identification should be a regular activity, not an event.

Risk Assessment | Manufacturing Risk Analysis and Evaluation

HELP ED In this lesson, you’ll help Ed decide on control measures for the hazard he has identified.

Meet Ed Ed is the safety officer of your plant, and he did a great job of accomplishing the first step of the risk assessment process.

He had identified the chemical disinfectant, chlorine, as one of the top hazards in the plant for the past two years.

Before COVID, chlorine was used only in specific places like bathrooms, tables, and handrails. But because of the need for regular disinfection, your housekeeping staff has to use the chemical as well in the hallways, stairs, and all floorings every four hours.

In addition, they have to use a higher concentration of chlorine in surfaces that are touched by bare hands.

How about now? Can you evaluate the current risk of the frequent use of high-concentration chlorine?

Great job! Ed is happy with the control measure your team has come up with.

Documentation Do not forget to record all your findings, including the control measure that you chose. This is a valuable asset for your assessment in the future.

Risk assessment and Change Management We work in dynamic environments and this means that the risks around us are also continuously evolving. Risk assessments help us keep up with the changes in our organizations by having better awareness of the quality of health and safety that we provide to our employees. Through this process, we can identify, analyze, evaluate and control the potential risks and hazards before they result in injuries and fatalities.

No risks are equal. We try to eliminate all hazards but all risks cannot be treated the same way. We have to decide on the appropriate method to control them following the hierarchy of controls--prioritizing the elimination of the hazard.

Awareness is good. Action is gold. It is not enough that we know about the risks to health and safety. What will ultimately determine everyone’s safety is your commitment to putting controls in place and immediately actioning the most severe and frequently occurring.

It’s a continuous process. Assess risks as workflows change, technology advances and your organization grows. Risk assessment is not a one-time activity and no template will fit your organization's needs. Make sure you adapt your criteria and methods are in context.