assessing and managing risks

Question 1

what are the five steps to workplace risk assessment?

Answer 1

1. identify the risk
2. decide who may be harmed and how
3. evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4. record your findings and implement them
5. review your assessment and update if necessary

Question 2

step 1: identify the risk.

recall the different classes of hazard.

Answer 2

• mechanical: sparks, vehicles
• physical: noise, vibration, heat, radiation
• chemical: metal fumes
• biological
• psychosocial: work demand, work hours, shift patterns
• safety: cuts, burns, slips, trips
• ergonomic: manual handling, holding, carrying, pushing, pulling, poor posture

Question 3

step 2: who might be harmed?

Answer 3

• operators
• maintenance
• others in vicinity
• visitors

Question 4

step 3: Evaluate risk and precautions

what factors must you consider with exposure to toxic substances?

Answer 4

• route of exposure - inhalation, dermal, ingestion
• concentration of substance
• potential health effects - acute or chronic (weeks, months, years)
• effects of combined exposures *
• areas exposed
• target organs
• duration and pattern of exposure

*effects can be
independent
additive = double exposure
synergistic = multi-applicative (more than double)

Question 5

what are examples of ENVIRONMENTAL exposure monitoring and the advantages/disadvantages?

Answer 5

personal = Inhalation, dermal, noise, vibration, radiation
fixed point sampling = thermal, light

adv. - measures exposure at work i.e. the exposure that you get when enter work environment and then decrease in exposure when you leave and non-invasive
disadv. - can’t look at exposure via all routes/all scenarios

Question 6

what are examples of BIOLOGICAL exposure monitoring and the advantages/disadvantages?

Answer 6

blood, urine, exhaled breath

adv. - looks at exposure by all routes
disadv. - invasive and cannot differentiate between occupational and non-occupational exposure

Question 7

describe the threshold and non-threshold concept.

Answer 7

some things have a safe level while some things will cause harm in any amount you are exposed to it e.g. cigarettes (therefore try to decrease exposure as much as poss)

Question 8

what are the three classes of measures taken to minimise risk to exposure in the workplace?

Answer 8

1. engineering - design and layout of workplace, equipment
2. organisational - shift patterns, lengths breaks
3. personal protective equipment (PPE) - gloves, goggles, respirator, ear plugs etc.

^ is a hierarchy; engineering then organisational then PPE as a LAST RESORT in v high risk situations

Question 9

what is health surveillance?

Answer 9

putting in place systematic, regular and appropriate procedure TO DETECT EARY SIGNS of work-related ill health among employees exposed to certain health risks; and acting upon the results