Safety Tutorial
Hazard Identification
To make a workplace
as safe as possible it is necessary to have an ongoing program
of hazard identification.
What is a hazard?
The Oregon OSHA provides an excellent defintion of a hazard as:
"a danger which threatens harm to employees" or "unsafe
workplace conditions or practices (dangers) that could cause injuries
or illness (harm) to employees."
To identify hazards
in a workplace, use a systematic approach. There are various strategies
that can be used, depending on your type of business. This is
one approach:
Identify: Use
periodic surveys, inspections and observation to identify workplace
hazards. Look for hazards in materials, equipment, the environment
and that could be caused by employees. According to SAIF about
3% of all accidents are caused by the first three of these. The
remaining 97% are caused by the fourth category--people. Use individual
interviews, walk-around inspections and both informal and formal
observation programs to identify hazards that could be caused
by people. Do not be looking to place blame, instead be looking
for ways to improve safety.
Analyze: Once
a potential hazard or unsafe work practice is identified, an analysis
takes a closer look at the hazard to determine its nature and
and root cause. The analysis also looks at what must be accomplished
to eliminate or reduce the impact of the hazard.
A good approach to
analysis is to have employees who are the most familiar with the
problem area go step-by-step through their job process. Write
down and describe each step. (Have them perform the job five or
six times to be sure nothing is missed.) Then analyse each step
to determine its impact on the potential hazard(s) and how the
hazard can be eliminated or reduced.
This is called a Job
Hazard Analysis. You can also do a process analysis, which breaks
a process down into its componet parts.
Develop Solutions:
Once the source of the hazard has been identified, develop ideas
for possible solutions. Look at:
Engineering Controls
- elimate the hazard by redesigning equipment, changing processes,
substituting materials, etc.
Management
Controls - reduce exposure to hazards that engineering controls
can not eliminate by establishing safe work proceedures, work
schedules, improving training and changing human behavior.
Interim Controls -
when the desired changes can not be implemented immediately, use
interim controls to eliminate or reduce worker risk until the
final solution can be implemented.
Present Recommendations:
Provide a report to
management that gives them the information they need to make a
decision concerning the hazard(s). Identify the hazard(s); give
an analysis of the root cause(s); provide alternative solutions;
and provide an ROI analysis showing the payback and benefits of
each solution.
Implement the Changes:
Make the changes management has approved.
Evaluate: Monitor,
evaluate and get feedback on the effectiveness of the changes.
Go back to the first step above. This is important to ensure that
the changes addressed the problem, and whether it is necessary
to make additional modifications or improvements.
More Information: Management Controls | Reporting | VPP Label Printers
Related information: Reading
Consumer Labels to identify hazardous materials
The above information
is provided as a free service of Safe-Workplace.com. It is intended
as a brief general introduction, for general information purposes
only. It is not a substitute for proper training or review of applicable
government regulations and standards. |
