Assessing and managing risk Flashcards
What are the steps involved in a risk assessment?
1) Identify hazard
2) Who is at risk
3) Evaluate risks and decide precautions
4) Prevention and control
5) Surveillence
What happens during identification of the hazard?
Determine job and the roles involved to analyse any hazards or exposures.
What happens when deciding who is at risk?
Assess exposure e.g. operators, visitors, vacinity
What is toxicokinetics?
Evaluating the rate of exposure, potential effects, duration and target organs during step 3 of a RA.
What can the pattern of exposure be?
Independent - own risk
Additive - two combined risks
Sinogistic - Effect more than doubles with additive
How is exposure monitored?
- Externally in the environment, using a device to measure personal exposure e.g. noise, radiation, light
- Internally/biologically monitoring through blood, urine, breathe.
What are the disadvantages of monitoring an exposure biologically?
More invasive and explores all exposure routes at once so can’t determine occupational from non-occupational.
What are the results from monitoring exposure compared to?
Exposure limits: Used as a threshold.
Some have no safe level, but the lower it is the lower the risk.
What control measures can be used to reduce exposure risk?
Engineering, organisation and PPE.
What is health surveillance?
A systematic, regular procedure used to detect early signs of ill health amongst those exposed to hazards, in order to act on them early. Involves reporting symptoms, screening, referrals, sickness absence, investigations.
When is health surveillance appropriate for use?
When there is an identifiable disease resulting from the exposure which has a valid technique for detecting and treating e.g. spirometry, audiometry
What happens in the step of prevention and control?
Record findings of the risk and creating an appropriate plan to reduce risk further
What is the use of surveillance?
Review and update plans regularly.
Why do some individuals not report their symptoms?
Fear of losing job if they raise the attention to the symptoms or its work related cause.
When investigating an individual case what must be looked at?
Description of effect/ signs and symptoms
Assessment of exposure - agent, duration, OHx
Acceptable time sequence and any latency
Differential diagnosis and competing causes e.g. hobbies, smoking
Non-occupational factors
