A
Alan Cotterell
Industrial Deaths & ISO9000
INDUSTRIAL DEATHS AND RISK MANAGEMENT
In recent times there has been widespread concern in the community over the number of deaths in industrial incidents. It is believed by many, that most of these ‘accidents’ are preventable. As a result new laws are being prepared which require ‘risk assessments’ in many situations. These laws offer a new systematic approach to safety management.
What is a ‘risk assessment’? An example of a risk assessment occurs when a worker erects scaffolding. If he looks at an untightened clamp, and considers that it could cause an ‘accident’, the likelihood of the ‘accident’ occurring, and the potential consequences – that is a risk assessment.
(Risk assessments were often performed, by the bureaucrats who developed our current laws. These laws were usually passed after a serious ‘accident’ had occurred – they were essentially reactive. They were also specific for certain hazards such as asbestos and lead, however this type of law cannot cope with the multitude of dangerous situations encountered in the workplace.)
What happens when a risk assessment finds a problem? We have to ‘control the risk’. This means we can eliminate the source of the problem, or substitute a less dangerous alternative. We can ‘engineer out’ the problem.
Another way of handling the problem is by ‘administrative risk control’. This entails use of documented codes of practice and management systems.
What is a ‘code of practice’? A code of practice is a recipe. For example, it may be a generalised code, which specifies the order in which a building is put up, and requires risk assessments in certain situations. A code of practice is usually part of a ‘management system’.
The final level of control is use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, harnesses, ear muffs etc.
The proposed Victorian legislation for ‘Major Hazard Facilities’ (such as the Longford Gas Plant), requires submission to the Victorian Workcover Authority of a ‘safety case’, before a licence to operate will be granted. The safety case will have to specify the nature of the company’s Safety Management System. There is a requirement in the legislation, for workers to report circumstances with the potential for ‘accidents’, to their employers. In New South Wales the new health and safety legislation will require widespread use of risk assessments. This type of legislation will be taken up by the other states.
The use of risk assessments and safety management systems will probably cause a change of mindset, both in the workplace and in the community. We will all become more ‘proactive’ – this means planning what we do, and looking at ‘what could happen’ in various circumstances which might arise.
Let us hope that this new systematic approach greatly reduces the number of industrial deaths in Australia.
INDUSTRIAL DEATHS AND RISK MANAGEMENT
In recent times there has been widespread concern in the community over the number of deaths in industrial incidents. It is believed by many, that most of these ‘accidents’ are preventable. As a result new laws are being prepared which require ‘risk assessments’ in many situations. These laws offer a new systematic approach to safety management.
What is a ‘risk assessment’? An example of a risk assessment occurs when a worker erects scaffolding. If he looks at an untightened clamp, and considers that it could cause an ‘accident’, the likelihood of the ‘accident’ occurring, and the potential consequences – that is a risk assessment.
(Risk assessments were often performed, by the bureaucrats who developed our current laws. These laws were usually passed after a serious ‘accident’ had occurred – they were essentially reactive. They were also specific for certain hazards such as asbestos and lead, however this type of law cannot cope with the multitude of dangerous situations encountered in the workplace.)
What happens when a risk assessment finds a problem? We have to ‘control the risk’. This means we can eliminate the source of the problem, or substitute a less dangerous alternative. We can ‘engineer out’ the problem.
Another way of handling the problem is by ‘administrative risk control’. This entails use of documented codes of practice and management systems.
What is a ‘code of practice’? A code of practice is a recipe. For example, it may be a generalised code, which specifies the order in which a building is put up, and requires risk assessments in certain situations. A code of practice is usually part of a ‘management system’.
The final level of control is use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, harnesses, ear muffs etc.
The proposed Victorian legislation for ‘Major Hazard Facilities’ (such as the Longford Gas Plant), requires submission to the Victorian Workcover Authority of a ‘safety case’, before a licence to operate will be granted. The safety case will have to specify the nature of the company’s Safety Management System. There is a requirement in the legislation, for workers to report circumstances with the potential for ‘accidents’, to their employers. In New South Wales the new health and safety legislation will require widespread use of risk assessments. This type of legislation will be taken up by the other states.
The use of risk assessments and safety management systems will probably cause a change of mindset, both in the workplace and in the community. We will all become more ‘proactive’ – this means planning what we do, and looking at ‘what could happen’ in various circumstances which might arise.
Let us hope that this new systematic approach greatly reduces the number of industrial deaths in Australia.