Warehouse safety

Source excerpt

# How is a risk assessment done? (cont.) ## How are the hazards identified? (cont.) - Include people who work off-site either at home, on other job sites, drivers, teleworkers, with clients, etc. - Look at the way the work is organized or done (include the experience of people doing the work, systems being used, etc.). - Look at foreseeable unusual conditions (for example: possible impact on hazard control procedures that may be unavailable in an emergency situation, power outage, climate event, etc.). - Determine whether a product, machine or equipment can be intentionally or unintentionally changed (e.g., a safety guard that could be removed). - Review all of the phases of the process or lifecycle. - Examine risks to visitors or the public. - Consider the knowledge, experience, training, and education of the individuals performing the work. - Consider the groups of people that may have a different level of risk such as young or inexperienced workers, persons with disabilities, or new or expectant mothers. It may help to create a chart or table such as the following: Table 1: Hazards, risks, and controls Job: Delivery Driver Task: Delivering Products to customers <table><tr><th>Hazards</th><th>Potential Outcomes</th><th>Risk</th><th>Priority</th><th>Hazard Controls</th></tr><tr><td>Working alone</td><td>May not be able to call for help if needed</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Manually lifting and carrying boxes</td><td>Musculoskeletal injuries (e.g., back or shoulder injury) due to manual material handling</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Working long hours</td><td>Fatigue, stress, short rest time between shifts, motor vehicle collision.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Driving in congested traffic</td><td>Motor vehicle collision, stress</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></table> Please see further below for guidance on determining the risk and priority of each hazard, including the risk matrices in Table 2 and Ta…

Source excerpt

# Hazard and Risk - Risk Assessment (cont.) ## What is a risk assessment? (cont.) Risk - the combination of probability and severity that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard. Risk can also be applied to situations with property or equipment damage, or harmful effects on the environment. Probability - the extent to which an event is likely to occur. The probability of harm may also be referenced as the likelihood of harm. Severity - the seriousness of an incident, injury, or illness. Severity, or consequence, describes the highest level of damage possible from a hazard and is often described in terms such as catastrophic, critical, moderate, minor, or negligible. In general, risk can be expressed as: Risk = probability X severity Hazard control - control measure(s) and action(s) taken to reduce the risk of a hazard based on the risk assessment. Hazard control should also include monitoring, re- evaluation, and compliance with decisions (the term "controls" or "control measures" are also used and have the same meaning). Recommending or determining hazard controls may be incorporated into the risk assessment process, or completed separately following a risk assessment. For definitions and more information about what hazards and risks are, please see the OSH Answers document Hazard and Risk. ## Why is risk assessment important? Risk assessments are very important as they form an integral part of an occupational health and safety management plan. They help to: - Create awareness of hazards and risks. - Identify who may be at risk (e.g., workers, cleaners, visitors, contractors, the public, etc.). - Determine whether a control program is required for a particular hazard. - Determine if existing control measures are adequate or if more should be done. Prevent injuries - or illnesses, especially when done at the design or planning stage. - Prioritize hazards and control measures. - Meet legal requirements …

Source excerpt

CCOHS CCHST Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail Hazard and Risk # Hazard and Risk - Risk Assessment ## On this page What is a risk assessment? Why is risk assessment important? What is the goal of risk assessment? When should a risk assessment be done? How do you plan for a risk assessment? How is a risk assessment done? How are the hazards identified? How do you know if the hazard will cause harm (poses a risk)? How are risks ranked or prioritized? What risk assessment methods should be used? What are methods of hazard control? Why is it important to review and monitor the assessments? What documentation should be done for a risk assessment? ## What is a risk assessment? Risk assessment is a term used to describe the overall process or method where of identifying hazards, assessing the risk of hazards, and prioritizing hazards associated with a specific activity, task, or job. It considers the probability or likelihood of harm from exposure and the potential consequence or severity of harm from exposure to a hazard. A risk assessment is a thorough look at your workplace to identify those things, situations, processes, etc. that may cause harm, particularly to people. After the identification of a hazard, it should be reviewed to determine how likely and severe the potential harm is. When this determination is made, you can decide what measures should be in place to effectively eliminate or control the harm from happening (hazard control). Some important terms related to risk assessments include: Hazard - a potential source of injury, adverse health effect, or damage to people, structures, equipment, or the environment. A common way to classify hazards is to categorize them as biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical, psychosocial, and safety hazards. Hazard identification - the process of finding, listing, and characterizing hazards. Hazard and Risk - Risk Assessment CCOHS

Source excerpt

# Hazard and Risk - Hazard Identification (cont.) ## What types of hazards are there? (cont.) - Biological - bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects, plants, and animals. - Chemical - depends on the physical, chemical, and toxic properties of the product - Ergonomic - repetitive movements, improper setup of workstations, etc. - Physical - radiation, magnetic fields, temperature extremes, pressure extremes (high pressure or vacuum), noise, vibration, etc. - Psychosocial - stress, violence, harassment, etc. - Safety. - slipping or tripping hazards, inappropriate machine guarding, equipment malfunctions or breakdowns. ## How do I know what is a hazard? Another way to look at health and safety in your workplace is to ask yourself the following questions. These are examples only. You may find other items or situations that can be a hazard. List any item that should be examined. During the risk assessment process, the level of harm will be assessed. What materials or situations do I come into contact with? Possibilities could include: - Electricity. - Chemicals (liquids, gases, solids, mists, vapours, etc.). - Temperature extremes of heat or cold (such as working outdoors, bakeries, foundries, or meat processing). - lonizing and non-ionizing radiation (such as x-rays, ultraviolet (sun) rays). - Asphyxiants (oxygen deficiency) - Working on or near water or ice-covered water. What materials or equipment could I be struck by? - Moving objects (such as forklifts, overhead cranes, vehicles). - Flying objects (such as sparks or shards from grinding). - Falling material (such as tools and equipment from above). What objects or equipment could strike or hit my body, or that part of my body might be caught in, on, or between? - Stationary or moving objects. - Protruding objects. - Sharp or jagged edges. Hazard and Risk - Hazard Identification CCOHS