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Hazard, Risk and Plant Assessments
Why might you need help in undertaking risk assessment of your plant, equipment or processes?
It is imperative that all plant and equipment be assessed and evaluated prior to introduction into the workplace. In addition to assessing plant we must also fulfil our obligations to complete a risk assessment if we:
Standards bodies are responsible for defining safety standards that must apply and the intention is to protect operating personnel from serious injury and prevent damage to the environment caused by accidents or poor operating practices.
Risk assessment is vital for two reasons: The level of risk determines the priority that should be accorded to, and the selection of appropriate safety measures to deal with the different hazards.
Before commencing the risk assessment process, machinery designers and users will need to be familiar with a number of Standards and relevant codes of practice. These categories and practices deal with specific types or groups of machines and safety related components and devices.
In conjunction with the above the final selection of the most appropriate safety system will also depend on the:
- Nature of the hazard
- Severity of the possible injury
- Access requirements (full or part body, frequency and duration)
- Possibility of avoiding the hazard
- Energy source present
- Stopping time of the process or machine
- Durability
A complete risk assessment is necessary to ascertain whether or not a
machine is safe. If it is not safe then a risk reduction analysis followed by the selection of appropriate safety measures is required.
For example, this includes, amongst others, mechanical (crushing, shearing, entanglement, impact, etc), electrical, thermal, noise, vibration and radiation hazards. The essential safety requirements should be met by applying the following principles in the order given :-
| Control |
Action |
Example |
| Design |
 OHS&E requirements should be included in all designs |
Using Australian Standards criteria to design equipment |
| Elimination |
Remove the hazard from the workplace Restrict access to work area |
Using a forklift or crane to eliminate the manual handling of heavy items |
| Substitution |
Replace the hazard with an item, chemical etc which is less hazardous |
Replacing a solvent based product with a water based alternative |
| Isolation |
Remove hazard from general workplace or use of restricted work areas |
Separate staff from a welding hazard by using a screen or barrier |
| Engineering |
Modify the process to eliminate or reduce hazard |
Modifying tools or equipment Adding guards to machinery Installing a conveyor |
| Administrative |
Company policy and procedures Improve skills and knowledge in working with hazard |
Implementing work practices from the EH &S Management System to reduce exposure e.g.. Rotating staff, housekeeping etc Information on how best to handle hazardous substances Training to support implementation of any controls |
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) |
Reduce exposure, improve task handling Note: (PPE should only be considered when other controls are not practical as PPE does not remove or reduce the hazard) |
Safety goggles, ear plugs, respirators, reflective clothing, boots, hard hats etc |
Achievable Solutions Consultants conduct Risk Assessments in relation to many types of situations, plant, equipment, processes and workplaces. The Risk Assessments are intended to objectively identify hazards that could injure a person and using a risk analysis technique quantify the degree of risk.
Once the risk has been quantified the appropriate level of control can be introduced to reduce high levels of risk to ensure personnel are less likely to be injured. Achievable Solutions utilise the risk assessment process with the following :
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design plant
state from
another