OHS Risk Analysis - What does the 'Risk Rating' refer to? Total or Residual?

[samsung]

In a quantitative OHS Risk Analysis, what does 'Risk rating' refer to? what I mean to ask is if the calculated rating refers to the Total Score for that Risk or it is the RESIDUAL Risk i.e. the risk left after applying certain controls.

If it is assumed that it refers to the Total Score of the Risk under question (irrespective of the applied controls), what does it still mean ? If the score is high and as such the Risk classifies itself as Significant, does it still warrant 'ADDITIONAL CONTROLS' despite the fact that adequate controls are already in place.

Please help to let me learn when to consider a significant hazard for action based on its Risk Rating?

Thanks in advance & best regards,

[Randy]

Excellant question..........

Initially when you do your assessment you are told to take current controls into consideration as well as the hazards you identify...this gives you initial risk.

Upon eliminating/reducing hazards (using the prescribed heirachy) or creating/modifying controls, or a little of both you wind up with the residual risk....this is the risk you will operate under

In all cases levels of tolerability/acceptability must be established

Hopefully you move from higher to lower risk with either controls or hazard elimination/reduction

[samsung]

Originally Posted by Randy

Excellant question..........

Initially when you do your assessment you are told to take current controls into consideration as well as the hazards you identify...this gives you initial risk.

Upon eliminating/reducing hazards (using the prescribed heirachy) or creating/modifying controls, or a little of both you wind up with the residual risk....this is the risk you will operate under

In all cases levels of tolerability/acceptability must be established

Hopefully you move from higher to lower risk with either controls or hazard elimination/reduction

Thank you Sir. This means, during the implementation & operational phase, one has to concentrate much on the 'Residual Risk' and should apply whatever controls needed to bring the Risk under Acceptable level (to be decided by oneself).

This makes things a bit clear and as such, wouldn't it be better to first calculate the total risk that a particular hazard poses assuming total absence of Controls.

Let's put 2 more columns in our table one referring to ' Existing Controls' and another for the remaining or Residual Risk which we still need to control if it is Significant.

Now if we put some additional controls, let its credentials be subtracted from the Residual Risk so as to make all known that this hazard now poses no any risk.

Some more thoughts please...

Best regards,

[Randy]

Very seldom will you be able to eliminate all risk, you're goal will to always reduce risk to what your organization (top management) determines to be acceptable/tolerable...Only you can define that.

It really doesn't matter how acceptability/tolerability is achieved..either through controls, the application of hierarchy, or any combination.....Kinda like flying, there are controls and there is an application of heirarchy, but there is still risk.

[samsung]

Originally Posted by Randy

Very seldom will you be able to eliminate all risk, you're goal will to always reduce risk to what your organization (top management) determines to be acceptable/tolerable...Only you can define that.

It really doesn't matter how acceptability/tolerability is achieved..either through controls, the application of hierarchy, or any combination.....Kinda like flying, there are controls and there is an application of heirarchy, but there is still risk.

Well said. "There are controls & still there are risks" which one has considered acceptable in one's own set of norms. This is very very important to define a criterion for 'acceptability' since one cannot (and should not) go on reducing the Risk beyond a level where it becomes technically & economically non-viable.

The whole purpose of it is to bring the risk to a level where one can peacefully live with the prevalent hazards. Hazards will always be there to haunt us.

Best regards,

[Randy]

Yep...no matter how good the controls, and no matter how much we try, we can still get run over crossing the street.