Hazards and risks. Hazards and risks

Transcription

1 s and risks What are the hazards in your workplace? Do you take steps to minimise the risks associated with these hazards? Identifying hazards and minimising risks is a key part of the team leader role. In everyday conversation, the words hazard and risk are used as if they mean the same thing. For example, you might say either: "There's a risk of skidding off the road at that sharp bend when the road is icy" or: "There's a hazard of skidding off the road at that sharp bend when the road is icy" Normally, this does not matter. But, when you are dealing with health and safety matters at work, the law gives different meanings to 'hazard' and 'risk.' It is important that you understand this difference, which is at the heart of all Health and Safety Law and at the heart of the Codes of Practice set up to see that the law is implemented. Page 1

2 Let's take the everyday example of a dangerous bend in the road and look at it through the eyes of the law. The two statements on the previous page would be re-written: That bend is very sharp and that makes it a hazard - someone could get hurt because of it." Risk When that bend gets icy, there is a greater risk someone will skid off the road and get hurt." Do you see the distinction which the law makes? It says that: hazard is the inbuilt potential of anything to do you harm; whereas risk is the likelihood that it will cause you harm. In the example, the sharpness of the bend has the potential to cause an accident and so it is a hazard. On a dry road, it is very unlikely to do so - but when frost puts a layer of ice on the same bend, there is a considerable risk that it will cause someone to get hurt. Why does the distinction matter? The distinction matters because virtually everything you do at work involves a hazard. Look at four examples from everyday, straightforward tasks: Using a gas (or electric) ring to heat up a quantity of water or soup in a 10 litre container in a kitchen. The first hazard is the heat produced by the ring, which could burn you. The second is the hot liquid which could scald you. But, without the heat the job simply couldn't be done! Using a shredder to dispose of confidential documents in an office. The hazard here comes from the sharp cutting blades of the machine. But, without them, it simply couldn't do the job. Loading a delivery van with an assortment of items to be delivered. The weight of the items is a hazard to the person lifting and moving them. But everything weighs something and that weight is often important for the use which will be made of the item. Page 2

3 A step ladder may be quite light, so that it can be moved. On the other hand a document safe will be heavy so that it can't! Cleaning second floor windows from a ladder. The hazard here is a fall from the height at which the person is working. But how could the windows be cleaned otherwise, assuming that it cannot be done from inside the building? It is impossible to remove the hazards from these tasks. But what you can do is to minimise the risk that a task will cause you, or anyone else, harm. Let's take these four examples in the same order and look at how any risks can be minimised. To minimise a risk is to make it as small as possible. Heat from a ring Sharp blades Ways Of Minimising Risk Turning on the ring after the container is placed on it. Turning it off before removing the heated container. Using no higher heat than is essential to do the job. Ensuring the machinery is properly guarded and is used by trained people who follow the maker's instructions and your workplace policies. Weight to lift Ensuring that any item to be lifted isn't too heavy (that is, beyond the strength of the person who must lift it). Making sure they follow the safe working practices in which they have been trained and ask for help if they are in any doubt. Fall from height Checking that the ladder is in a safe, useable state before using it. Ensuring that it is used in the way that the workplace policies say it should be used, in accordance with safe working practices and only by suitable, trained people. When considering hazards at work and ways of minimising risk, you must always think about any other people who may be affected by your actions. There are legal requirements and duties for you to do so. These arise from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Codes of Practice which have followed from it. (A code of practice is guidance on how best to behave to ensure that you keep within the rules laid down by the Act.) Page 3

4 Taking the example of cleaning windows, you would have a duty towards other people who might be hit by objects falling from the ladder - a bucket, a squeegee or even yourself! Exercise Think of three tasks which you or your team undertake in your own workplace. For each one: Identify any hazards. Identify anybody other than the person performing the task who may be affected. How could you minimise the risk of any accidents or injuries caused by these hazards? If you can't think of three suitable tasks, it might be helpful to talk to your manager. Task 1: Others who may be affected Ways of minimising risk Task 2: Others who may be affected Ways of minimising risk Task 3: Others who may be affected Ways of minimising risk Page 4

5 Read this Case Study which shows the risk which can result from the simplest of tasks: Case Study Jodie worked part-time at a cafe. The owner asked her to tidy up the deep freeze as it was quiet at that moment. While she was tidying up the deep freeze Jodie fainted. The freezer was a small walk-in type, around 3 metres (10 feet) square. It was almost three hours later that the cafe owner found Jodie. He wrapped her in blankets and took her to hospital, where she was found to be suffering from hypothermia. Exercise 1. What was the hazard in tidying up the freezer? 2. How did the risk arise? 3. What would you do to ensure that the incident could never happen again? (Suggested answers for this Exercise can be found on page 9) Your responsibility is to minimise risks Wherever you work and whatever you do, hazards will certainly be there! As a team leader you need to know what the hazards are. You must help in working out ways to minimise any risks to you and anybody else. Now, complete the exercises on the next pages to check that you understand the difference between hazard and risk. Page 5

6 Comprehension Check Complete the following exercises. Refer back to the session if necessary. A. Underline the three examples in each list. 1. Which of these are hazards? heating element hard hat guillotine blade vehicle jack safety shoes 2. Which of these are risks? trailing cable hot liquid safety harness wet floor unguarded guillotine B. Underline the three examples in this list of steps which you can take to help minimise risk to people. a. Broadcasting warnings on local radio. b. Training in lifting & handling. c. Issuing protective clothing. d. Increasing the lighting levels on stairs. e. Banning eating & drinking at work. C. Complete this sentence. Circle the letter in front of the answer. A hazard is: a. the inbuilt potential of something to cause harm. b. the risk that someone will get hurt. c. an accident waiting to happen. D. Mark the following statements (T)True or (F)False 1. A risk is the inbuilt capacity of something used at work to cause harm. 2. A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will actually cause harm. E. Why is it normally impossible to remove all hazards from the workplace? Page 6

7 Making Connections Refer back to the four examples of hazards and risks associated with the everyday tasks on page 3: 1. Using a gas (or electric) ring to heat up a quantity of water or soup in a 10 litre container in a kitchen. 2. Using a shredder to dispose of confidential documents in an office. 3. Loading a delivery van with an assortment of items to be delivered. 4. Cleaning second floor windows from a ladder. Can you think of any further inbuilt hazards which were not identified originally? 1. Heating soup or water on a gas or electric ring Original hazard: Heat from ring Other hazard Risk to people Action to minimise risk 2. Shredding paper for disposal Original hazard: Sharp blades Other hazard Risk to people Action to minimise risk 3. Loading van with assorted items Original hazard: Weight to lift Other hazard Risk to people Action to minimise risk 4. Cleaning second storey window from ladder Original hazard: Fall from height Other hazard Risk to people Action to minimise risk Page 7

8 Think and Apply How well do you use the skills in this session? Think about the sort of hazards and the risks associated with them in your workplace. Are the hazards recognised by your team members? How well do your team members follow the procedures designed to minimise the risks associated with these hazards? What can you do to improve the way that hazards are recognised, and risks to health and safety are minimised? 1. Read the list of skills. Tick the boxes to show your strengths and weaknesses. Skills strengths < > weaknesses I m good at this I m quite good at this I m not so good at this I m quite poor at this distinguishing between a 'hazard' and a 'risk' identifying hazards and risks in your own workplace discussing hazards and risks in your own workplace with team members and your line manager minimising straightforward risks from hazards which are inevitable in your workplace 2. Do you want to improve any of these skills? 3. How do you plan to improve the skills you listed in question 2? (You might want to discuss this with your line manager or your tutor/mentor/coach.) Page 8

9 Check your answers 1. What was the hazard in tidying up the freezer? Extreme cold. 2. How did the risk arise? Person working alone. No protective clothing issued. No alarm system provided. No system for checking whether staff inside the freezer. No checks on suitability of staff (e.g. general health; tendency to claustrophobia) to perform the task. 3. What would you do to ensure that the incident could never happen again? Set up a procedure for the selection, training and supervision of all Staff members who may go into the deep freeze for any reason. Issue suitable protective clothing and installing an effective alarm system, which is checked at the start of each working day. Did your ideas match these, or are there other actions which you would have taken to prevent a recurrence of an incident which could have resulted in death? This 'solution' isn t meant to be perfect or comprehensive - your ideas may improve on it. What is certain is that the system set out above would improve matters. This would make the risk far smaller and the likelihood of a similar incident happening again would be remote. Page 9