Hazard Analysis, Risk Assessment and CAPA synchronization summary by SAAD ABDUL WAHAB

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This article is based on the summary of OHSAS 18001:2007, OH&S Managment System, Risk Assessment, HSE Auditing course of NILAT Karachi (Labour Department, Govt. of Sind)

Director General NILAT (Labour Depart, Govt. of Sind) awarding Course Completion Certificates

Remember!!
Any unsafe act that may take you at risk is a hazard..

A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work.

To overcome the naturally existing hazards, you need to have a code of acts, set of safety instructions and to follow those instructions, u must avail the provisions as SAFETY CONTROLS as a precautionery, proactive or preventive action.

Dont forget ever..

An accident completes when you let the following triangle to complete all sides..
1) - Hazard / Potential Threat (to reduce)
2) - Event (to manage)
3) - Target (to learn from..)

To disconnect the vertex of THREAT from the vertex of EVENT, u must apply some PREVENTIVE CONTROLS like work instructions, process control parameters, safe procedures, standard operating procedures or whatsoever you can add as your work based preventive actions.

Now, to detach the unfortunately occured EVENT from the TARGET, you require DEFENCE like PPEs, Active and Passive Measures, Emergency Palns etc.

If you failed to stop the formation of this triangle, it means the accident has occured, otherwise its an incident.
In both cases you have to take some CORRECTIVE ACTIONS in order to minimize the anticipated degree of reccurence of such near misses, close calls, dangerous occurence, or even accidents.

Just remember, Proactive measures are preferred over Reactive measures, likewise you say, Preventive Measures should be so much complete and influential that you never need to apply Corrective Actions. (CAPA Implimentation)

It is pertinent to mention here about the risks,
Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard. It may also apply to situations with property or equipment loss.

Similarly you can say,

Risk assessment is the process where you:

1. identify hazards,
2. analyze or evaluate the risk associated with that hazard, and
3. determine appropriate ways to eliminate or control the hazard.

Before going to assess the rsik, always calculate the S*L number of work related hazards
S = Severity (Max. Extent of associated hazard)
L = Liklihood (Max. Extent of hazard occupancy)

Remember, the min. & max. limits/range of S & L varies between 1 to 5, i.e, (1<= S & L >=5)

On the basis of S*L number you calculate the extent of CONTROL & DEFECE Parameters you actually need to enforce in order to assess the risk associated with your job, so as to detach the predictible connections b/w the 3 vertices of Accident triangle, i.e, THREAT, EVENT, TARGET.

If You are Experiencing Close Calls, Consider You are at the Second Step...

This pyramid actually shows how an unsafe act, non serious behavior leads to a fatality.

This is actually the Risk Assessment, Preventive Action, and Hazard Analysis scheme.

Remember that, Accidents due to Lack of Awareness is your employers fault, but Accidents dur to Lack of Care is directly your fault, but in both cases the Dangerous occurence/Event directly TARGETs you,
So it depends how much you worth ur life or how much penalty u can afford by loosing ur safety focus.
Like other Management Systems, OHSAS, OH&S also require Continual Improvement by implimenting PDCA Cycle for sustainable approaches.

Who should do Risk Assessment.... operation owner, the supervisor, safety, an expert if required
The simple 5 steps to do the Risk Assessment;

1) Identify the Hazards
2) Decide who might be harmed and how
3) Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution
4) Record your findings and implement them
5) Review your assessment frequently and update if necessary