Workplace Risk Prevention and Assessment

Posted on Dec 5, 2024 in Medicine & Health

The Need for Preventive Action

Preventive action is a legal obligation of the employer.

Motivating factors include:

Society in general, companies, trade unions, and the government.

General Principles of Preventive Action

Prevention: The set of activities or actions taken or planned at all stages of business activity to prevent or reduce occupational hazards.

Prevention is the duty of both the employer and government.

Hazard, Injury, Risk

Hazard: The intrinsic property of something.

Occupational Hazard: The possibility that a worker will suffer harm.

Damage from Work: Disease, impairment of health, or injury caused by work.

Individual Factors: Behavioral patterns, knowledge, abilities, skills, awareness, prevention culture, status, and biological and psychological characteristics.

Risk of Crash

Two Variables of Probability: The probability of an accident occurring and the probability of harm once the accident has occurred.

Risks and Physical Load

Environmental Risks: The likelihood of impaired health (disease or condition) as a result of chemical, physical, or biological risk factors.

Physical Agents: Consider the area, zone, or organ affected or potentially affected by exposure.

Chemical Agents: Consider ways they can penetrate the body.

There are two kinds of effects:

• Immediate Effects: Damage that occurs immediately after an event.
• Delayed Effects: Effects that manifest over time.

Psychosocial Risk

Psychosocial risks arise from management or the work environment.

Grave and Imminent Risk Situation

• Rational Probability: A high probability that the risk will occur.
• Imminent: Difficult to avoid in a short time.

In a serious and imminent danger situation, the Prevention Act provides four steps:

1. The employer must take appropriate measures and provide clear emergency instructions.
2. The individual has the right to stop work.
3. Workers’ legal representatives can agree by majority to stop work.
4. Workers and their representatives will not suffer any repercussions for taking the above decisions or measures.

Need for Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is essential for determining appropriate action.

Preventive work involves making timely decisions to avoid damage.

Basic Characteristics of Risk Assessment

Risk assessment comprises:

• Hazard identification and risk factors.
• Identifying workers at risk.
• Qualitative or quantitative assessment of risks.
• Analysis of measures to eliminate or control risk.
• Decision on, implementation, maintenance, and control of appropriate measures.

Procedures:

Overall assessments address known risks requiring known control measures that can be implemented and verified easily.

Evaluation Criteria:

Risk assessment should be based on established procedures and criteria (e.g., for noise, asbestos).

Final Evaluation of Risk

The final risk assessment is the evaluation itself.

The relative importance of risk is determined by assessing the likelihood and severity of potential damage.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health provides the following classification:

• Severity of Expected Damage:

Damage may be considered:

• Slightly Harmful: Cosmetic damage, discomfort, and irritation.
• Harmful: Burns, minor illnesses, dermatitis, asthma.
• Extremely Harmful: Major fractures, poisoning, permanent disability or death.

• Probability of Risk Realization:

There are three possibilities:

• Improbable: Rarely causes damage.
• Possible: Sometimes causes damage.
• Very Likely: Almost always causes harm or this is inevitable.

Occupational Hazard Map

Developing a risk map involves identifying risks in different workplace areas and production stages to set planning priorities.