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1 AUSTRALIA CANADA USA UNITED KINGDOM SINGAPORE MALAYSIA Safetycare Australia Pty. Ltd. Telephone (03) Safetycare Inc. Telephone (905) Safetycare Inc. Telephone (800) Safetycare (UK) Limited. Telephone (0208) SafetyMax Corp Pte. Ltd. Telephone SafetyMax Sdn Bhd Telephone (603) The information contained in this Facilitator s guide is distributed and sold as a guide and for informational purposes only. Safetycare makes no representation or warranty as to the compliance of this program with any and all applicable laws of the purchaser's jurisdiction. 2. Safetycare's liability for any damages to the purchaser or to any other party shall not exceed the amount paid by the purchaser for the guide. In no event shall Safetycare be responsible for any indirect or consequential damages or loss of profits, even if Safetycare has been advised of the possibility of such damage. Some provinces/states do not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to the purchaser. 3. This Facilitator s Guide is supplied as part of a subscription service. This guide is only to be used during a valid subscription period. Where a subscription is not valid, this guide may not be used. Facilitator s Guide UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS AND RISKS Copyright - All Rights Reserved

2 UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS& RISKS CONTENTS Introduction to the Facilitator s Guide 3 Introduction to the Video Program Understanding Hazards & Risks 4 Transcript of the Video Program 5 Part 1 What is a Hazard? What is a Risk? 13 Part 2 Workplace Hazards and Risks 16 Part 3 Categorising Workplace Hazards 20 Part 4 Summary 26 Assessment 27 Answers 29 Page 2

3 INTRODUCTION TO THE FACILITATOR S GUIDE UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS & RISKS The aim of this Facilitator s Guide, when used in conjunction with the Video program, is to provide the facilitator with discussion points important to the overall development of the program and to allow participants the opportunity of discussing the impact the program may have on current work practices and whether in fact changes may be required. The time allocated to the program will be determined by which areas are seen as important to each Organisation, the time taken to develop the points made in the program and whether other data specific to your own environment is included in addition to, or instead of, the program examples. EACH FACILITATOR SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE GUIDE DISCUSSION NOTES SUGGESTED AND PREPARE THEIR OWN INPUT ACCORDINGLY. The program transcript is included to allow your Organisation to fully research the program content and develop specific examples critical to the performance of your own workforce. Where the Video program is made available to small or remote sections of your Organisation, some other examples or discussion points may be preferred to suit the needs of these people and if so, should be developed prior to distribution of the program. Maximum benefit will then be obtained by your people. All information included in the Facilitator s Guide may be copied and distributed with the exception of the transcript of the Video program. Any information which is copied or distributed must only be used internally by the Organisation that purchased the guide. Page 3

4 INTRODUCTION TO THE VIDEO PROGRAM UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS & RISKS The training session documented in this Facilitator s Guide is designed to be used after the trainees have finished watching the video tape Understanding Hazards and Risks. The training session is divided into four key areas. These are: 1. What is a Hazard? What is a Risk? The first section clearly defines the terms hazard and risk. It also looks at one example which illustrates the difference between these two terms. 2. Workplace Hazards and Risks. This session involves the trainees completing a written question and answer exercise that focuses on the hazards and risks in their own work environment. 3. Categorizing Workplace Hazards. This next section looks at two main methods of categorizing hazards in the workplace. It also involves the trainees in an exercise which gets them to categorize some of the hazards which exist in their workplace. 4. Accident Prevention. This final section involves the trainees in another question and answer exercise. This time the focus is on what each person can do to make the workplace a safer environment to work in. Page 4

5 TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO PROGRAM UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS & RISKS Copyright Safetycare. All rights reserved Dealing with hazards in the workplace is clearly influenced by a number of different factors including how we as individuals deal with hazards in our everyday lives. So, let's start our look at hazards by first examining this human influence. One thing that we all have in common is an ability to protect ourselves. Self-preservation is a basic human instinct. What this means is that we all continually make decisions about what we believe is safe, or indeed safe enough, to do, before we do it. Very often these decisions are subconscious decisions, usually based on experience. We have become familiar with our surroundings and repeat many activities on a regular basis, such as driving a car. We have as individuals accepted that certain activities have an element of danger attached to them, but we are prepared to pursue these activities as we believe our chances of being harmed or injured is either very small or alternatively,.. it s a risk we are willing to take. There are many things that influence us on what we personally see as dangerous. Our age, our physical characteristics and our level of fitness are just three good examples. Again, driving a car illustrates this point very well. An experienced driver may, after many years of driving, decide due to a number of factors, such as slower reflexes, that continuing to drive is simply too dangerous. The other human factor associated with hazards or dangers is that many people are indeed attracted to different activities, at least in part, because there is a real element of danger involved. Skiing, surfing, rock climbing and contact sport are four common examples. As you can see, as individuals we not only have different perceptions about what we see as safe but we have many choices about how we deal with hazards that may impact on our own health and safety. Society, on the other hand, has seen the need to regulate activities Page 5

6 Historically society takes a reactive approach to safety. As hazards are identified in the community the often slow process of changing the public's attitude comes into play before standards, rules or regulations can be implemented or new laws can be passed. Often these days disasters or traumatic events that receive widespread media coverage are the triggers that create the momentum necessary for change. There are numerous examples of how the community deals with hazards that pose threats to people's health and safety. Here are just a few: Drink driving laws Compulsory use of seat belts in cars Speed limits on our roads Smoking in public Government approval before new pharmaceuticals are released Swimming pool fences Gun control laws Industrial emissions regulations Building regulations And so on the list is almost endless. The workplace takes both a reactive and a pro-active approach to dealing with hazards. Not only is the workplace influenced by the reactive approach that society places on safety but there are three other key factors that come into play. First there is the added power of specific occupational health and safety legislation which dictates by law certain standards that should be adhered too. Second, we have the cold hard fact of economics, no organisation wants its personnel harmed or injured. And third, we have the organisations own philosophy on dealing with hazards, which is reflected by such things as its safety policy, safe work procedures and training. It would not be unfair to say that the identification, evaluation and control of hazards is the cornerstone of current workplace health and safety philosophy. The principle is simple,. if we eliminate some of the hazards and control the rest so they pose no serious threats to our health and safety then we will have a safe workplace. Page 6

7 Any successful safety strategy has this principle as its foundation. However the degree to which it is successful is dependent on three factors, which are: The ability of the organization to identifying all of the hazards that are present The ability of the organization to implement satisfactory control measures whenever necessary, and finally the level of commitment from all personnel within the organization to accept the rules, regulations and safe work practices and procedures that have been established. It follows from this that regardless of the level of commitment and the suitability of hazard control measures that we can never have a safe workplace unless all the hazard that exist have been identified. It is simple common sense to conclude that if hazards go undetected or they have not been properly evaluated the end result will be unknown risks. (And) Because the process of hazard identification and risks assessment is so important it is vital that everyone fully understands the meaning of the words, hazard and risk, and, importantly the difference between them. By definition a hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm, illness injury or damage. And, the key word in this definition is potential. By definition a risk is simply the likelihood that a particular hazard will actually cause harm, illness or injury or result in damage. And, the key word in this definition is likelihood. So, more simply, the hazard is the potential for harm and the risk is the likelihood that harm will occur. An example that clearly illustrates this distinction is walking across a road. The main hazard when crossing a road is being hit by a passing vehicle. In this situation you can see that the risk of being hit by a vehicle is very small. However, in this situation the risk is much greater. In both of these situations the hazard is the same - that is, being hit by a passing vehicle, but there are two different levels of risk. Page 7

8 You can see from this example that it is not the hazard itself that is the problem but rather the level of risk associated with the hazard. In this example we can see that that the risk of walking across the road is simply too high,..and the solution have people walk over the road, not across it. The hazard has been controlled and the risk of being hurt has been removed. If we take this example even further and look at the road system in general we will see that it represents a good analogy for how hazards in the workplace should be addressed. Away from developed areas we are likely to see only occasional signs indicating such things as speed limits, curves and steep hills. In built up areas there are a multitude of control devices that are encountered. Pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, stop signs, give way signs, roundabouts, speed bumps, physical barriers, noise barriers, lighting and so on. As the risk of accidents and injuries becomes greater, the use of control measures becomes greater. It is also interesting to note that vehicle safety has become an area of increasing concern. People want to reduce the risk of injury if they are involved in an accident. In recent years there have been major advances in car safety features. The best recent example being the widespread introduction of air bags. This clearly parallels improvements in both the design and guarding of workplace equipment and machinery that has also occurred in recent years. Even though the road system is not perfect, it is relatively safe. why it works is three fold. The reason First, major hazards have been identified and control measures have been implemented. Second, rules and regulations have been developed which are generally well known and understood but more importantly they are accepted as reasonable by the majority of the population. Page 8

9 And finally, there is an accepted method of enforcement in place where people are generally prepared to accept the consequences if they break the rules. In the workplace there are numerous examples of hazards, but in order to simplify things they can be categorised into four main groups. Physical Hazards Chemical Hazards Biological Hazards. And Ergonomic Hazards. Physical hazards include such things as: excessive noise excessive vibration exposure to radiation inadequately guarded equipment or machinery slippery surfaces protruding objects extremely hot or cold surfaces or substances inadequate lighting defective tools exposed electrical sources and so on. Physical hazards are generally considered as relatively easy to identify and in most cases the risk to personal health and safety is easy to assess. Chemical hazards are a little more complicated: There are thousands of different substances used in the workplace from cleaning agents in the office through to sodium cyanide, which is used in the gold mining industry. Many of these substances possess hazardous properties. They can be flammable or explosive, chemically reactive, poisonous or carcinogenic. Many chemicals also have a combination of these hazardous properties. Apart from the effects of a fire or explosion chemicals can only be harmful to people if they enter the body. And this can only occur in one of four ways.. direct contact, ingestion, injection or inhalation. Direct contact with the skin, face and eyes and breathing in airborne contaminants are the two most common areas of concern with relation to chemical hazards. Page 9

10 Chemical hazards are considered much more difficult than physical hazards to identify and assess particularly with regard to the long term health effects. Biological hazards include such things as: Various bacteria such as Legionella Viruses ranging from the common cold to HIV and different strains of Hepatitis Flour, grain and organic dusts Insect bites and Various forms of fungus. These biological hazards can lead to a variety of outcomes ranging from allergic reactions and respiratory conditions to serious or fatal illnesses and diseases. Again, as with chemical hazards, biological hazards are not considered as easy to identify and assess. An Ergonomic Hazard can be defined as any situation that leads to undue physical or mental stress. Examples include: poor workplace design and layout inappropriate or unnecessary manual handling or material handling tasks poorly designed tools and equipment tasks that require excessive reaching, stretching or bending work periods without sufficient rest breaks, and tasks that require excessive repetitive movements. These hazards classifications that we have just looked at are helpful to us in identifying hazards that are present in the workplace but in order to identify ALL the hazards that exist we must concentrate our efforts on examining job tasks rather than just identifying specific hazards. For example a sealed container of a hazardous chemical liquid presents little danger in itself, however when the substance is to be used a whole range of potential hazards can emerge. Page 10

11 For example Is there manual handling involved? Could it be dropped and spilled? Is there the potential for burns from direct contact? Could vapours be inhaled? Is the chemical flammable? Is there likely to be a reaction with another chemical substance? And so on. Identifying all the hazards is the only way we can evaluate all the risks factors involved and make appropriate decisions as to whether or not each job task is safe. There is also another widely used method of classifying hazards that can be very helpful in hazard identification. Again, there are four categories, which are: Caught by, in or between Struck by or struck against Fall to floor level or below,.. and Exposure to. The first three categories are fairly self-explanatory but the fourth category needs some explanation. "Exposure to" covers potential contact with any energy source or hazardous material as well as exposure to physical strain or mental stress. Examples include Exposure to: different forms of radiation heat cold noise electricity chemicals airborne contaminants fire lifting and so on. Examining job tasks with these categories in mind can be extremely helpful in uncovering not only the obvious hazards but also what could be described as the hidden hazards. Page 11

12 Controlling hazards to reduce or eliminate the risk of accidents and injuries is not a simple task, it requires a continuing commitment from all people at all levels within the organization. How many times have you heard the expression "it was an accident waiting to happen". Unfortunately this is a simple admission that people were aware of a potential problem but did not take appropriate steps to have it addressed. It can't be emphasised too much just how important human behaviour is when it comes to preventing accidents and injuries. The best example to illustrate this point can be found if we look at the biggest single injury problem in the workplace today back injuries. As a workplace health and safety issue no other subject has received more attention than the hazards and risks associated with lifting and carrying. Almost everyone has either been formally instructed on correct lifting and carrying techniques or is at least aware of them. But, visit any workplace, anywhere and within minutes you will see incorrect lifting techniques being used. Not a single organisation with more than a handful of employees anywhere in the world has managed to implement a strategy that has resulted in correct lifting and carrying techniques being the accepted norm. If you ask people why they don t lift correctly a typical response would be: I know I should bend by legs but I ve been lifting this way for years and I ve never had a problem. If people don t see they are at risk they are unlikely to change their habits. Clearly this example highlights that accident prevention is not just about hazard identification and risk control. It is also very much about knowledge, attitude and commitment. A successful safety strategy not only needs to establish appropriate policies, procedures and practices but just as importantly it needs to create an atmosphere in the workplace that promotes safety awareness and encourages behavioural change. As we have already said, the identification and evaluation of hazards is fundamental to workplace safety but the success of any effort to reduce the number or accidents and injuries will be very much a reflection of the attitude and the commitment of the entire workforce. Page 12

13 PART ONE WHAT IS A HAZARD, WHAT IS A RISK? Hazards and risks are an inherent component of every workplace. The ideal situation would be to have a work environment that is free from all hazards and risks but this is practically impossible to achieve. The only way we could have a workplace with no hazards and no risk is to stop all work and activities. This is obviously not an option. We therefore need to acknowledge that some hazards will be present and we will need to put in place control measures for any of these hazards that present unacceptable levels of risk. This training session is designed to help you understand more about hazards and risks. It is divided into four main sections. These are: WHITEBOARD TEXT (Write the following text on the whiteboard or a flipchart.) 1. What is a Hazard? What is a Risk? 2. Workplace Hazards and Risks. 3. Categorizing Workplace Hazards. 4. Accident Prevention. Let s now look at the first section. During the video we looked at the definition of the terms hazard and risk. In these definitions we highlighted key words. Page 13

14 Lead into the first exercise. EXERCISE 1. Ask the trainees: What was the definition of the term hazard as it was described in the video? Get responses from the trainees. Get the following answer: A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm, illness, injury or damage. 2. Ask the trainees: What was the key word we had to remember in this definition? Get responses from the trainees. Get the following answer: Potential. Discuss with the trainees the key word potential and why it is important to the definition. 3. Ask the trainees: What was the definition of the term risk as it was described in the video? Get responses from the trainees. Get the following answer: Risk is the likelihood that a particular hazard will actually cause harm, illness or injury or result in damage. 4. Ask the trainees: What was the key word we had to remember in this definition? Get responses from the trainees. Get the following answer: Likelihood. Discuss with the trainees the key word likelihood and why it is important to the definition. Page 14

15 After you have reviewed the definitions of the words hazard and risk and have highlighted the key words, move into the group discussion. This is to ensure everyone is clear about the meaning of the terms. DISCUSSION 1. Say to the trainees: Many people get confused with the terms hazard and risk. Who can recall the example that we saw in the video which helps us explain these two terms? Get responses from the trainees. Ask one of the trainees to describe the example. (The example being when a person crosses the road. The hazard is the same, that is, being hit by a passing vehicle however, there are two different levels of risk.) 2. Begin a group discussion. Ask the trainees something along the lines of: Have these terms ever created any problems for you at a safety meeting, during discussions with someone or in an accident investigation? If so, how? 3. At an appropriate time conclude the discussion. Page 15

16 PART TWO WORKPLACE HAZARDS & RISKS Lead into the next exercise. EXERCISE 1. Say to the trainees: The next exercise we will do in this training session looks specifically at the hazards that exist in our own workplace. I will give you a handout that has several paragraphs of text. This text is from the section in the video sub-titled Workplace Health and Safety Philosophy. What I want you to do is get into pairs. Read the handout that I give you then answer the questions on the next two pages. 2. Provide each of the trainees with a copy of the handout and the questions. Inform the trainees they have 20 minutes to complete the exercise. 3. After the 20 minute time period has elapsed have each of the pairs provide their answers to the questions. As a group discuss any interesting answers that are given. 4. After all the trainees (in pairs) have provided their answers to the questions and have discussed their answers as a group, conclude the exercise. Page 16

17 WORKPLACE HAZARDS AND RISKS HANDOUT It would not be unfair to say that the identification, evaluation and control of hazards is the cornerstone of current workplace health and safety philosophy. The principle is simple,.if we eliminate some of the hazards and control the rest so they pose no serious threats to our health and safety then we will have a safe workplace. Any successful safety strategy has this principle as its foundation. However the degree to which it is successful is dependent on three factors, which are: The ability of the organization to identify all of the hazards that are present The ability of the organization to implement satisfactory control measures whenever necessary, and finally The level of commitment from all personnel within the organization to accept the rules, regulations and safe work practices and procedures that have been established. HANDOUT 1 Page 17

18 WORKPLACE HAZARDS AND RISKS QUESTIONS 1. Do you think that all hazards have been identified in our workplace? 2. What hazards exist that you think people may not be aware of? 3. Do you think that the control measures that exist are satisfactory for the hazards in our workplace? 4. Which control measures do you think are inappropriate or don t function as they should? (Please list the examples and explain why.) Page 18

19 WORKPLACE HAZARDS AND RISKS QUESTIONS (Cont d) 5. How would you describe the level of commitment from all personnel within the organization to accept the rules, regulations, safe work practices and procedures that have been established? 6. What can we do to improve this level of commitment? Page 19

20 PART THREE CATEGORISING WORKPLACE HAZARDS There are many different ways of categorizing hazards in the workplace. Some of these are very complex while others are quite simple. Lead into the next exercise. EXERCISE 1. Ask the trainees: Who can recall the two different methods of categorizing hazards that we saw in the video? Get responses from the trainees. Get the following answers: 1.1 The first one involved four categories. These were; Physical Chemical Biological Ergonomic. 1.2 The second also involved four categories. These were; Caught by, in or between Struck by or struck against Fall to floor level or below Exposure to. NOTE: Write these answers on the whiteboard as the trainees call them out. 2. Once you have written the correct answers on the whiteboard ask the trainees to give you a few examples of hazards in their workplace that would come under each of these headings. 3. Conclude this exercise by saying: Can anyone remember what was said at the end of the section on hazard categories in the video? Get responses from the trainees. If no one can recall what was said then state the following to the trainees: Examining job tasks with these categories in mind can be extremely helpful in uncovering not only the obvious hazards but also what could be described as the hidden hazards. Page 20

21 Lead into the final exercise. EXERCISE 1. Say to the trainees: The last exercise we shall do in this training session is on Accident Prevention. Shortly I will give you a handout that contains several paragraphs of text. This text is from the last section of the video the section sub-titled Accident Prevention. What I want you to do is get into pairs. Read the handout I give you then answer the questions on the next two pages. 2. Provide each of the trainees with a copy of the handout and the questions. Inform the trainees they have 20 minutes to complete the exercise. 3. After the 20 minute time period has elapsed have each of the pairs provide their answers to the questions. As a group, discuss any interesting answers that are given. 4. After all the trainees (in pairs) have provided their answers to the questions and have discussed their answers as a group, conclude the exercise. Page 21

22 ACCIDENT PREVENTION HANDOUT Controlling hazards to reduce or eliminate the risk of accidents and injuries is not a simple task, it requires a continuing commitment from all people at all levels within the organization. How many times have you heard the expression: It was an accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately this is a simple admission that people were aware of a potential problem but did not take appropriate steps to have it addressed. It can t be emphasized too much just how important human behaviour is when it comes to preventing accidents and injuries. The best example to illustrate this point can be found if we look at the biggest single injury problem in the workplace today back injuries. As a workplace health and safety issue no other subject has received more attention than the hazards and risks associated with lifting and carrying. Almost everyone has either been formally instructed on correct lifting and carrying techniques or is at least aware of them. But, visit any workplace, anywhere and within minutes you will see incorrect lifting techniques being used. Not a single organization with more than a handful of employees anywhere in the world has managed to implement a strategy that has resulted in correct lifting and carrying techniques being universally accepted. CONTINUES HANDOUT 2 Page 22

23 ACCIDENT PREVENTION HANDOUT (Cont d) If you ask people why they don t lift correctly a typical response would be: I know I should bend my legs but I ve been lifting this way for years and I ve never had a problem. If people don t see they are at risk they are unlikely to change their habits. Clearly this example highlights that accident prevention is not just about hazard identification and risk control. It is also very much about knowledge, attitude and commitment. A successful safety strategy not only needs to establish appropriate policies, procedures and practices but just as importantly it needs to create an atmosphere in the workplace that promotes safety awareness and encourages behavioural change. As we have already said, the identification and evaluation of hazards is fundamental to workplace safety but the success of any effort to reduce the number of accidents and injuries will be very much a reflection of the attitude and the commitment of the entire workforce. HANDOUT 2 Page 23

24 ACCIDENT PREVENTION QUESTIONS 1. What did the passage of text mean to you? 2. Do you agree with the example about lifting and carrying that was used in the handout? Why? Page 24

25 ACCIDENT PREVENTION QUESTIONS (Cont d) 3. Do you think that the number of accidents and injuries that occur in our workplace is a reflection of the attitude and commitment of the entire workforce? Why? 4. How can you personally contribute to making the workplace a safer environment to work in? _ Page 25

26 PART FOUR SUMMARY During this training session we: Looked at the definition of the terms hazard and risk and clearly explained the difference between them Identified hazards in the workplace that the trainees thought were not common knowledge Identified control measures that were inappropriate or were not functioning the way they should Suggested ways the organization could improve the level of commitment that its workforce had towards health and safety Learnt two methods of categorizing hazards Determined how we (each trainee) could personally contribute to making the workplace a safer place to work. If you follow the rules, procedures and guidelines in your organization as well as follow the principles and outcomes of this training, then you will go a long way to preventing accidents in the workplace. Page 26

27 ASSESSMENT UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS & RISKS Name: Date:. I.D. (if applicable): Score 1. Workplace health and safety is based on what principle? a) Guesswork b) Identification, evaluation and control of hazards c) Risky behaviour d) Economics 2. What is the definition of a hazard? a) Any dangerous chemical b) A control measure to improve safety c) Anything with the potential to cause harm d) A risk 3. What is the definition of a risk? a) The likelihood that a hazard will actually cause harm b) The identification of a hazard c) Road safety d) Injury or illness suffered in the workplace 4. The four main types of workplace hazard are physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, and. a) Ergonomic hazards b) Risky hazards c) Minor hazards d) Safe hazards Page 27

28 5. Chemical hazards can be harmful to people either by causing a fire or explosion, or by. a) Causing excessive noise b) Exposing electrical sources c) Lifting and carrying d) Entering the body 6. Bacteria would be an example of what kind of hazard? a) Ergonomic b) Biological c) Fire d) Unavoidable 7. What kind of tasks would be categorised as ergonomic hazards? a) Unnecessary manual handing tasks b) Tasks requiring excessive stretching c) Tasks requiring excessive repetitive movements d) All of the above 8. What type of hazard is not covered by the category exposure to? a) Falls to floor level b) Contact with electricity c) Chemical hazards d) Exposure to radiation 9. Which of these is not a physical hazard? a) Excessive noise b) Protruding objects c) Insect bites d) Slippery surfaces 10. A successful safety strategy must promote safety awareness and encourage change. a) Structural b) Unnecessary c) Chemical d) Behavioural Page 28

29 ANSWERS TO ASSESSMENT 1. b) Identification, evaluation and control of hazards. 2. c) Anything with the potential to cause harm. 3. a) The likelihood that a hazard will actually cause harm. 4. a) Ergonomic hazards. 5. d) Entering the body. 6. b) Biological. 7. d) All of the above. 8. a) Falls to floor level. 9. c) Insect bites. 10. d) Behavioural. Page 29