HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK 1.1 Baseline risk ... ID... · The form of HIRA is an integral part of day-to-day management that is carried out by the line supervisors during the

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HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENTThe Mine Health and Safety Act makes it mandatory for employers to ensure that they have to identified hazards that can result in accidents. This systematic approach to the identification of hazards, evaluation of risks and prioritization of actions required reduce potential risks to tolerable levels.

Mine management is expected to eliminate and/or reduce the risks that exist in the workplace. These documents have to address and advice what action has to be taken or is required in order to eliminate or reduce risk to acceptable levels. In order for this to happen, one is required to understand the HIRA process and to ensure that all significant hazards have been identified. The risks then have to be assessed and relevant risk reduction actions put in place to eliminate or reduce these risks.

Many people carry out risk assessment in the course of their daily duties. They recognize unsafe working conditions and do something to make them safer. However, the law requires that this process be formalized and documented in order to eliminate the possibility of significant risks “falling through the cracks”.

The law stipulates that risk assessments be done on a continual basis as the work environment changes, for example due to the introduction of new equipment, new work procedures or simply due to new ground conditions (in the case of the mining process).

The law requires every employer to “assess the risk to health and safety to which employees may be exposed while they are at work” and to “record the significant hazards identified and the risks assessed”.

The process of HIRA is to continual, as far as is reasonably practicable

1. Identify the relevant hazards 2. Assess the related risks to which persons may be exposed3. Develop methods to eliminate and reduce the risk4. Regularly review the relevant hazards.

It is important to remember that Hazards are defined as a source of or an exposure to danger and risks is the likelihood that injury or harm to a person will occur.

All employers regarding HIRA looks both inwards at the workplace and outwards at persons who are not employees of the mine.

1. Forms of risk assessment

There are three forms of risk assessment:

1. Baseline risk assessment.2. Issue-based risk assessment.3. Continuous risk assessment.

Once the assessment process has been defined, hazard identification, and their risk rating and risk prioritization follow.

1.1 Baseline risk assessment

This is a exercise that reviews all the potential hazards that are caused by processes within an area. It should be comprehensive list of all significant risks that a mine has identify and then a priority listing is established

The starting point is to divide the business area into geographical areas. Once areas are established, the next step is to list the activities in each area, then occupations (or trades) in each activity, then the tasks for each trade or occupation.

A risk profile will be compiled for each task, which can be consolidated to form an “occupation” risk profile, then an “activity” profile, followed by an “area” risk profile.

To understanding of areas, activities and task-based assessments are divided as follows:

Area-based: A specific, such as a workshop, mining section or a stope, is reviewed.

Process or activity-based: Develop a clear understanding of the process being evaluated, which usually requires input from experts within that area, for example an engineer or shift boss, as the case may be.

Occupation and task-based: An occupation or trade (boilermaker, miner, drill operator) or an activity within an occupation is selected and studied to establish the inherent hazards and to determine their particular risk levels.

The baseline risk assessment document should be reviewed periodically.

1.2 Issue-based risk assessment

Issue-based risk assessments address particular and specific issues that have arisen in the workplace. These include the following:

• New machinery.• Work process or system changes.• Issues from an accident investigation.• New knowledge that may alter perceptions of risk.

Whatever the change, a risk assessment must be done to ensure that any alteration to the risk profile is recorded.

1.3 Continuous risk assessment

The purpose of a continuous HIRA ensures that when additional risks are introduced by changes to the system are captured and addressed. The form of HIRA is an integral part of day-to-day management that is carried out by the line supervisors during the course of their daily duties. Examples of the continuous HIRA are:

• Audits.• Pre-work assessments using checklists.• General hazard awareness linked to a suggestion scheme.

* Placed by permission of the author: Anthony Coutinho - Manager Mine Safety, DMR

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2. Practical risk assessment

The general principles to be followed to ensure that the process is effective,

• It should consider risks which are likely to arise because of work and/or work activities.

• It should allow development and implementation of appropriate action to manage risk.

• It should be appropriate to the type of work so that it remains valid for a reasonable period of time.

Any HIRA process requires effective hazard identification. There are many techniques used to identify hazards.

2.1 Risk management

Once hazards have been identified, it is necessary to prioritize them which will satisfy the “reasonably practicable” requirement in the Act. The aim of risk assessment is to enable management to make better decisions. Risk assessment itself does not make decisions; it only provides the basis for decision-making, setting the direction for management. The setting of priorities is an important way to change employee understanding and to build hazard awareness.

There are several approaches that can be used for the measurement of risk. These include Risk Matrix type approaches to categorize the consequence of the hazard and its likelihood separately and then combine them in a matrix to create a priority ranking. It is essential that mines generate their own risk matrices. There has to be a clear explanation and description so that a risk assessment team can understand the matrix and agree on it and can use the tool consistently.

Alternative approaches include nomograms, risk ranking tables, equations and other hazard identification techniques such as Failure Modes Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and structured analysis of “What-if” questions. These all achieve the same objective by producing the risk assessment team with a means of deciding on “consequence” and “frequency” and then helping it to arrive at a decision on priority.

2.2 Consequence assessment

Here the degree of harm from the identified hazard is assessed in terms of the potential severity of the injuries or ill health and/or the number of people potentially affected.

2.3 Frequency (likelihood)

This is a combination of two separate factors. The first factor is “exposure”, which is an analysis of how often and for how long the people involved are exposed to the hazard. The second is “probability”, which is the chance that a person will be harmed during the exposure period. Even if no formal system for prioritization of risks is used, components of the risk should be considered qualitatively during any risk assessment.

3. Example of a HIRA process on a rotating shaft

A risk assessment team may find this in a workplace and, to measure the risk for prioritisation, would follow these steps:

Hazard:The rotating shaft has the potential to cause harm.

Risk:The risk is the likelihood that the rotating shaft will harm a person.

Consequences:The degree of harm will vary according to the characteristics of the shaft. If the rotation is slow, with a small diameter, and if it is easily and rapidly stopped, the consequence could be friction burns. If the rotation is fast and it is not easily stopped, the consequence could be amputation or even death.

Exposure:To assess how often people are exposed to the hazard, consider how long the machine runs and how many people may be present during the time the machine is running.

Probability:The chance that a person will be harmed is determined by assessing – while the machine is running and people are present – the chance that a person will come into contact with the rotating shaft. One needs to consider those reasonably foreseeable circumstances where a person could get close enough to the shaft to become entangled. For example, one should consider normal operations when someone has to work close to the shaft or, possibly, reach over the machine to reach machine controls. One also needs to consider those people who have to pass by the hazard and who could trip and fall, thereby coming into contact with the rotating shaft. Finally, one also needs to consider infrequent but planned operations such as maintenance, where people may need to work close to the shaft when it is rotating.

3.1 Taking appropriate action

The analysis of the components of a risk not only enables one to prioritize, but also helps to develop appropriate risk control measures. Considering these and the risk control strategies specified in the Act (Section 11(2)), the following strategies could be considered:

Elimination:One should question whether the rotating shaft could be removed or whether in fact, such a machine of that design is needed in that location.

Control the risk at source:This strategy may involve guarding the shaft, moving maintenance points away from the machine or moving the machine itself into a safer position, such as an elevated location, where access is restricted. One could minimize the risk by installing a clutch on the shaft so that if entanglement occurs, the injury is minimized. In addition, one could provide a hazard awareness -training programme so that people keep away from such dangerous parts.

The provision of PPE alone is not appropriate in the case of dangerous machinery.


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4. Risk prioritization

Whichever approach is taken to prioritize risks high frequency/high consequence events are allocated the highest priority. Those with low frequencies and low consequences should be given low priority and those with either high frequencies and low consequences, or low frequencies and high consequences, should be considered medium priority.

5. Reporting and recording

It is vitally important that any risk assessment is recorded so that there is a reliable statement and evidence of what appropriate actions management is taking to protect health and safety. The risk assessment needs to be an integral part of an employer’s overall approach to health and safety and its results need to be linked to other health and safety records and documents, such as the statement of health and safety policy. Ultimately, it should become an integral part of an organization’s overall management system.

Whatever the format of a risk assessment report, it must be easily accessible to employees, their representatives and inspectors. The record of a risk assessment may consist of several documents which describe procedures and safeguards, the approach used and the results of the exercise. Although recording of the risk assessment process is important, the generation of a system on paper alone is not sufficient. Producing documentation must not detract from the major purpose of risk assessment which is to improve the management of risks and thereby ensure the health and safety of employees.

It is vitally important that the recorder of the risk assessment reports those findings which are judged to be significant. These include:

• The major hazards identified in the assessment. That is, those hazards which, if not properly controlled, pose serious risks to employees or others who may be affected.

• A review of the existing health and safety measures and the extent to which they are effective in controlling the risks.

• Those who may be affected by the significant risks or major hazards (including those groups and employees who are especially at risk).

6. Summary of steps to an effective risk assessment

This hazard identification and risk assessment process is summarized as follows:

1. The risk assessment process is practical and realistic.2. Involve people especially those at risk and their representatives.3. A systematic approach to ensure that risks and hazards are

addressed.4. Identify the major risks.5. Collect the information you can and analyze it before starting

the risk assessment.6. Start by identifying the hazards.7. Assess the risks arising from those hazards, taking into account

the effectiveness of existing controls.8. Record the assessment, including all assumptions you make

and the reasons for those assumptions.

Anthony CoutinhoManager Mine Safety. Tel: 012 444 3611


Documents

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK 1.1 Baseline risk ... ID... · The form of HIRA is an integral part of day-to-day management that is carried out by the line supervisors during the