HAZARD & RISK MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE

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1 Introduction ATTAR is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees. ATTAR also recognises its legal and moral obligation to provide and uphold so far as is practicable, a workplace that is safe and without risk to the physical and psychological health of employees, contractors, clients and visitors. Purpose The purpose of ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure is to provide guidance in relation to hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control in the workplace. This procedure has been adapted from Worksafe, Victorian Workcover Authority, Oct 2000, Guidance Note - Hazard identification, risk assessment & risk control in the workplace Definitions 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 the process 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" Hazard Identification Hazards in a workplace can arise from a number of sources including: poor workplace design; hazardous tasks being performed in the workplace; poorly designed plant being introduced into the workplace; incorrect installation, commissioning, use, inspection, maintenance, service, repair or alteration of plant in the workplace; and people being exposed to hazardous substances, dangerous goods, processes or environment. The hazard identification process is designed to identify all situations where people may possibly be exposed to injury, illness and disease arising from all sources including the above. Prior to the introduction of any plant, substances, processes or work practices in the workplace, it is essential for the hazard identification process to be carried out to identify whether there is any potential for injury, illness or disease associated with such introduction. A hazard identification process will have been carried out on any plant, substances, processes or work practices that have the potential to cause a risk to health and safety that currently exist in ATTAR. Employees should familiarize themselves with the potential hazards and any eliminating or minimising requirements. HSPR ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure Page 1 of 6

2 Hazard Identification (cont) Where a hazard identification process has not already been completed, ATTAR Employees should complete one, using the ATTAR Risk Assessment & Control Form. Employees undertaking hazard identification should have the necessary training, or experience, or should seek assistance from a Director or other subject expert in the business to ensure they look for: Mechanical hazards including, but not limited to: "drawing in" points shearing points impact and crushing areas cutting areas entanglement areas stabbing points abrasion areas flying particles any protrusions which could cause injury Non-mechanical hazards including but not limited to: ergonomic hazards including manual handling electrical shocks and burns chemical burns, toxicity, flammability noise vibration radiation mist, dust, fumes suffocation engulfment biological hazards, viral slipping, tripping and falling hazards falling objects high pressure fluid high temperature objects working in very hot or cold conditions ATTAR has developed a number of individual Risk Assessment & Control forms relating to specific hazards including: ATTAR Working From Home Risk Assessment; and ATTAR Hazardous Substances & Dangerous Goods Risk Assessment These can be found on the ATTAR server and should be used in conjunction with the relevant law, regulation or standard. A hazard identification process and form must be repeated: before any alteration to plant or any change in the way plant is used or a system of work associated with plant, including a change in the location of plant; before any alteration is made to objects used in the workplace or to systems of work which include a task involving manual handling, including a change in the place where a task is carried out; before plant is used for any other purpose than for which it was designed; before an object is used for another purpose than for which it was designed if that other purpose may result in the person carrying out hazardous manual handling; if new or additional information about hazards becomes available; and if an occurrence of a musculoskeletal disorder is reported by or on behalf of an employee. Risk Assessment Once the hazards have been identified, a risk assessment should be carried out in consultation with the relevant employees, by completing the remainder of the ATTAR Risk Assessment & Control Form. HSPR ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure Page 2 of 6

3 The purpose of risk assessment is to determine whether there is any likelihood of injury, illness or disease associated with each of the potentially hazardous situations identified in the hazard identification process by considering: whether any person (employees and visitors) would be exposed to the identified situations under all possible scenarios (e.g. during installation, commissioning, erection, operation, inspection, maintenance, repair, service and cleaning of plant); what existing measures are in place to protect the health and safety of people who may be exposed; and how adequate the existing measures are for protecting the health and safety of people who may be exposed. If the likelihood that anyone will be exposed to a situation under all possible scenarios is nil, then there is no risk and no additional risk control measures are required. The adequacy of existing control measures should be considered if there is the potential that someone may be exposed to a particular situation. Existing control measures should not be regarded as adequate simply because an incident hasn't occurred. This particularly applies where the existing control measures are only administrative controls (e.g. training, safety procedures, safety signs, supervision) or personal protective equipment (e.g. safety gloves, safety glasses). These types of control rely heavily on human behaviour in doing the right thing and any deviation in behaviour (e.g. employees not following the safety procedures because some person or situation is distracting them) could cause injury, illness or disease. Where a risk assessment necessitates risk control measures, these should be undertaken un accordance with the relevant employees and using the Hierarchy of Control. The Hierarchy of Control is designed 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. Hierarchy of Control 1. elimination of hazard; 2. substitution of hazardous processes or materials with safer ones; 3. engineering controls; 4. administrative controls; and 5. personal protective equipment. Elimination Substitution Engineering Admin PPE HSPR ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure Page 3 of 6

4 (cont) Reasonably practicable" means practicable having regard to: the likelihood of a hazard or risk occurring (i.e. the probability of a person being exposed to harm); the degree of harm that would result if the hazard or risk occurred (i.e the potential seriousness of injury or harm); what the person concerned knows, or ought reasonably know, about the hazard or risk and any ways of eliminating or reducing that hazard or risk; the availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or reduce the hazard or risk; and the cost of eliminating or reducing the hazard or risk. The risk control process must be carried out in consultation with the relevant employees. Again, this should be completed on the ATTAR Risk Assessment & Control Form. In identifying new risk control measures, the most effective form of control measures is to eliminate the risk (e.g. by eliminating the process). If that is not reasonably practicable identify effective measures to reduce the risk. Law specifies dependence must not be solely on the use of administrative controls or personal protective equipment to reduce the risk, unless it has been established that the following are not practicable measures: substituting the plant or substance with another one that is less hazardous; or using engineering controls (e.g. modifying the design of the workplace or plant, or environmental conditions); or isolating people from the source of exposure; or changing the objects used in the task involving manual handling; or using mechanical aids for manual handling tasks. Consideration should also be given to the severity of injury, illness or disease that could occur. If the severity is high (i.e. fatality, serious injury etc), a higher hierarchy order of control (i.e. elimination, substitution, engineering controls, isolation) should be used. Sometimes they may have to be used in combination with administrative controls and in some cases personal protective equipment. It is not always reasonably practicable to immediately implement the higher hierarchy of control and there may still be a need to keep the process/activity going. In such situations interim control measures (in the form of administrative controls in combination with personal protective equipment) may be used until the higher hierarchy of control can be implemented. Note: If there is an immediate risk to health or safety, ensure that the process/activity in question is ceased until measures are taken to remove the immediate risk. Once a decision is taken on the suitable risk control measures, a plan should be developed in consultation with the ATTAR Director and relevant employees for the implementation of those measures. The implementation plan should identify: the actions required; implementation timetable; and who is responsible for the implementation of the actions. HSPR ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure Page 4 of 6

5 (cont) Employees who have been allocated responsibility for implementing actions should be adequately briefed on the expectations. Progress towards the implementation plan must be monitored with enough lead time to take any corrective actions necessary to complete the plan on time. Once the new risk control measures are in place, ATTAR must ensure that they are maintained via regular consultation with the relevant employees. Job Safety Analysis (JSA) The Job Safety Analysis (JSA) approach recognises different trades do different tasks. Many tasks undertaken are done routinely and have probably been done the same way for years - sometimes safely, sometimes not. It is essential for those doing these tasks to know the best and safest way of doing the job. Use the ATTAR Job Safety Analysis Form and follow the five steps to conduct an effective job safety analysis: 1. Document the activity Assemble those involved in the activity and then, using the JSA worksheet, tick all the known hazards and write down in step by step form the tasks that make up the activity. 2. Identify the hazards Next to each task, identify what part of the task may cause injury to those engaged in the task or others in the vicinity. 3. Document the control measures For each identified hazard, assess the associated level of risk to those involved, and then list the control measures required to eliminate or minimise those risks 4. Identify who is responsible Document the name of the person responsible for implementing the control measure. 5. Monitor & review Make sure the activity is supervised to ensure the documented process is being followed. The documentation should be reviewed whenever a documented activity changes or when there is a change of personnel or after an appropriate length of time. Paperwork & Record Keeping Use and maintenance of appropriate paperwork and records assists ATTAR provide and maintain a workplace free of risk to health and safety by being aware of what has been done and what more needs to be done and by demonstrating compliance with obligations under the law. Employees therefore must co-operate by completing and keeping the: ATTAR Risk Assessment & Control Form; ATTAR Working From Home Risk Assessment; ATTAR Hazardous Substances & Dangerous Goods Risk Assessment; and ATTAR Job Safety Analysis Form These completed forms must be provided to the ATTAR Technical Director for final review, approval and then filed in the ATTAR Safety Manual. Any related registers must also be updated immediately. HSPR ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure Page 5 of 6

6 Process Flowchart ATTAR Director Consultation Employees/OH&S Representative Hazard Identification OHSF002 ATTAR Risk Assessment & Control Form and OHSF003 ATTAR Job Safety Analysis Form Risk Assessment Evaluate Controls Elimination Substitution Engineering Admin PPE Trial & Implement Controls with approval of ATTAR Director Feedback or Complaints Further Information Feedback or complaints regarding the ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure or any hazard or risk should in the first instance be provided to the Health & Safety Representative, as nominated on the ATTAR Emergency Response Poster or to the ATTAR Technical Director. Further information can be obtained from the Victorian Workcover Authority (Worksafe) at HSPR ATTAR Hazard & Risk Management Procedure Page 6 of 6