City and Guild PowerPoint Introduction to risk assessment

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Level 2 Diploma in Site Carpentry

PowerPoint presentation

Introduction to risk assessment

Unit 211: Set up and operate a circular saw



Origins of risk assessment

The law says that every employer who has more than five employees must have a written risk assessments.

A risk assessment should identify all the hazards associated with a task and evaluate the risks.



Basic principles of risk assessment

A risk assessment should identify all the significant hazards associated with a task and evaluate the risks.

A risk assessment should be:

• suitable and sufficient

• not one event but an on going cycle of activity

• it must include monitoring and review

• it must be planned and thorough

• it must be competently executed

• it must be a matter of detailed record

• it must record all significant findings.



Who should carry out risk assessments?

Your works manager or health and safety officer would normally carry out risk assessments. But anyone can do these providing they are:

• trained

• experienced

• knowledgeable

• capable.



Key stages of a risk assessment

• Identification of hazards

• Identification of people at risk

• Evaluation of the risk

• Selection of additional control measures

• Information and training

• Records

• Monitoring and review



What’s the difference between a hazard and a risk?

• Hazard: the potential to cause harm, by injury or ill health.

• Risk: the likelihood of a hazard doing harm.



Possible hazards around circular saws

• Age maturity

• Trips

• Noise

• Manual handling

• Moving parts of the machine

• Lighting

• Exposure to hazardous substances



Evaluate the risks

• The likelihood of the hazard resulting in actual harm or loss.

• This is governed by the frequency of the activity concerned, the number of people affected and the extent of their exposure to the hazard.

• The severity of a hazard and the consequences if the hazard were to result in harm or loss.

• The adequacy of current control measures.



Hierarchy of control

• Elimination

• Substitution

• Controlling risk at source: separation and isolation

• Safe working procedures

• Training, instruction and supervision

• Personal protective equipment and clothing



What if the risk cannot be eliminated?

When it is not reasonably possible to eliminate the risk, preference should be given to controls in descending order. Personal protective equipment and clothing should be considered a last resort.



Information and training

• Relevant information and training is needed.

• A understanding of the risks involved in any activity.

• The correct use of control measures that should be used.

• You need to know what the risk assessment says before you carry out the task.

• You need to be trained for the task.



Risk assessment overview

• The aim is to identify the significant risks.

• The risks from the identified hazard must be assessed.

• What actually happens in the work place or during the work activity must be addressed.

• The recording of the assessment must be a formal written record.

• To review the assessment periodically and revise if necessary.



Examples of good working practices

• Example of risk assessment on a hand-fed circular saw:www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/training/handfedcircularsaw.pdf

• Safe working practices on a circular rip saw:www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis16.pdf

• Safe working practices on a crosscut saw:www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis36.pdf

• Audio on five steps to risk assessment:www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/talkingleaflets/indg163.mp3

http://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/training/handfedcircularsaw.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis16.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis36.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/talkingleaflets/indg163.mp3



Any questions?

Education

City and Guild PowerPoint Introduction to risk assessment