Risk assessment: the assessment of occupational risks is the basis for the implementation of planned work in the field of OSH and is essential for the creation of healthy workplaces. It is the employer’s duty to provide the basic principles of prevention, including all necessary resources to ensure workplace safety. Our consultunt role is, alongside with the employer, to assess unsafe situations that can cause harm to the workers and to decide whether all necessary measures have been undertken, or more actions are needed in order to avoid industrial accidents.
Risk assessment is a process of analysis and decision-making related to the presence of specific hazards. Risk assessment is an important step in preventing industrial accidents and occupational diseases.
Risk assessment results are the starting point for planning the future work and providing all necessary resources for its implementation – financial, human, time and others.
If risk assessment is performed correctly, it can improve workplace safety and health, and therefore the overall productivity of the enterprise.
Periodically, it is necessary to carry out risk assessment analyses to ensure its relevance. Analyzes are mandatory when significant changes are made in the organization, or when they are the result of an accident investigation or “potentially dangerous situation”.
To focus attention on risk factors and safety in general, training is needed.
Being informed about safety and health at work helps to:
- the awareness and conviction of the managers and the workers of building more productive, safer and healthier workplaces;
- realizing that effective occupational safety and health means good business;
- reducing workplace risks, protecting employees health and wellbeing and saving time and money;
- reducing the human and economic cost paid for non-compliance with safe work requirements.
Health and Safety at Work Act and Ordinance No. 5 of 11.05.1999 of the MH and the MLSP on the order, method and frequency of risk assessment are the main legal documents according to which the assessment of the health and safety of the employees is carried out.
What is the risk assessment?
Risk assessment is the process of assessing the risks to the safety and health of workers arising from the work environment. It is a systematic study of all work aspects, including:
■ what could cause injury or damage
■ opportunities to eliminate hazards
■ what preventive or precautionary measures have been implemented (or should be implemented) to control the risk
The risk assessment includes:
- Assessment of work processes, work equipment, work premises, work organization, raw materials and materials used.
- Preparation of risk assessment cards, containing classification of activities, identification of hazards and possible harm, quantification of the risk and recommendations for elimination or reduction of the risk.
- Development of measures to prevent, eliminate or reduce the risk.
- Preparation of a draft of a Priority Program for risk control with recommended measures, deadlines for implementation and responsible persons.
All the documentation is formed in a Report with the results of the risk assessment, containing cards for assessing the workplace risk and specific suggestions for limiting the risk.
The risk assessment is revised in the case of:
- Changes occured that can have an impact on the risk – introduction of new production processes, equipment, products and materials, change of work organization, new buildings and premises, reconstruction of existing ones, etc.
- After changes in the regulatory framework
- The assessment is based on data and information that has become invalid or inappropriate
- There are conditions for the risk assessment to be improved
- The applied protective and preventive measures are ineffective or inadequate
- The results of investigations of industrial accidents, incidents, occupational diseases and near losses need reviewing
Risk assessment periodicity is determined by the employer depending on the established risk and in accordance with the legal requirements.
LOT-CONSULT medical engineering team has experience in performing risk assessment in enterprises of all industries. Including industry, construction, as well as in all spheres of commerce and services, including administrative setrvices.
Our competent specialists will assess the risk for the specific workplace, depending on location, used work equipment, raw materials and work premises. Risk assessment is not a one-time process. It is important for the employer to promptly implement all the changes that have occurred in an enterprise. E.g. introduction of new work processes, new work practices, performed repairs and reconstructions, etc.
LOT-CONSULT risk assessment
LOT-CONSULT carries out a risk assessment for the health and safety of the employees. The essence of the risk assessment is to identify the hazards associated with the work, the work process and the work environment with a subsequent decision to limit or eliminate this risk. This aims to reduce industrial injuries and occupational diseases in the enterprise. Our task is to discover together what in the work can cause harm to people. And to decide if the employer has done enough or if something more needs to be done to avoid this harm.
FAQ:
The employer is obliged to assess the risks to the safety and health of the employees, covering the choice of work equipment, the workplaces organization, raw materials and materials used, the use of chemical substances, etc. in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, Art. 16 (1) and Ordinance No. 5 of 11.05.1999 on the order, method and periodicity of risk assessment.
The risk assessment periodicity is determined by the employer depending on the established risk and needs to be reviewed in accordance with Art. 11, para. 1 of Ordinance No. 5 of 1999 on the order, method and periodicity of risk assessment (when introducing new production processes, equipment, products and materials, changing the organization of work, new buildings and premises, reconstruction of existing ones, etc.; after changes in the regulatory framework; when the assessment was made on the basis of data and information that became invalid or inappropriate – protocols of measurements of factors of the working environment, etc.; there are conditions for the assessment to be improved; the applied protective and preventive measures are ineffective or inadequate; the results of accident investigations, industrial incidents, occupational diseases and near losses require review; at the request of a supervisory authority).
The risk assessment needs to be updated when opening a new workplace, a new site, introducing new work processes, equipment, products and materials, changing the work organization, new buildings and premises, reconstruction of existing and other circumstances, according to Art. .11 (1) of Ordinance No. 5 of 11.05.1999 on the order, manner and periodicity of risk assessment.
Before the risk is assessed, it is necessary to cover all aspects of work activity in order to establish all possible dangers and risks in accordance with Ordinance 5 of 11.05.1999 on the order, method and periodicity of risk assessment.
The stages of risk assessment include: classification of work activities; identification of hazards in different work activities; identification of workers and employees exposed to hazards; determining the elements of risk; risk assessment; documentation.
The risk assessment for construction and assembly activities is prepared together with the previously announced subcontractors and is updated when new ones are included in the work process, according to Order No. 2 of 22.03.2004 on the minimum requirements for health and safety working conditions when carrying out construction and installation works.
