WHS Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment And Risk Control

Answer :

1.Provide three (3) examples of different sources of information and data you might need to use when identifying hazards. 

There are different sources of information we could collect while identifying hazards are:

1.  Collect existing information on workplace hazard: to collect information on workplace hazard which may be already available with the employers or workers to investigate upon the hazard.
2. For safety hazard inspection of workplace: regular inspections of workplace, equipment and facilities is very much mandate in order to maintain safety hazard in workplace.
3. Health hazard identification:identification of health hazard is much more important than      physical hazard. Conducting regular health hazard and reviewing employees medical records would help to identify health hazards in the workplace.

2. Briefly explain the difference between a hazard and a risk within the work.

A hazard means a situation or condition that has the potential to harm any person. In a workplace hazard may include electricity, noisy machinery or chemicals. Whereas a possibility that may harm any individual when exposed to a hazard is termed as risk. In a workplace risk may include illness or injury. 

3. Using the information provided in the table below, outline the harm these workplace hazards may cause, and how these harms might be caused (an example has been provided).

4. Provide five (5) sources of information and data that might be accessed to determine the nature and scope of:

a. Workplace risks; and

• Identifying the hazards that are related with the workplace.
• Identifying the workers and employees who could be at risk from those hazards.
• Implementing some control measures to control the risk and future planning to reduce the risk.
• Maintain a record of the investigation carried to check the hazard on workplace.
• On regular basis reviewing the risk assessment.

5. Briefly explain your understanding of how the legislative framework is applied to work health and safety in Australia. Provide an example each for a current Act, Regulation and Code of Practice That relates to WHS, hazards and risk. 

The main purpose of work health and safety act is to make sure that every employee has the right to know about their job description provided by the employer. According to the act the employee has right to not perform jobs that are not within their job description. It is also necessary that the employer provide adequate equipment to perform the job and maintain a unbiased environment in the workplace. The legislative framework of australia for work health and safety has some principle structure:

• The structure of whs act is completely comply with the laws.
• To create a safe and healthy workplace in the organisation for the employees.
• Penalty for the companies, if found not abiding the rules of the act .

Currency act: Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT)

Regulation: Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (ACT)

Code of Practice: ACT Codes of Practice

6. Briefly outline the key provisions for two (2) forms of guidance material that can be used to assist workers in managing hazards and risks within the workplace. 

The two forms of guidance material that can be used in the workplace are:

• Identifying hazards at workplace: it is very important to figure out the hazard in the workplace by finding things or situation that has the potential to harm any individual. Hazards could be identified by inspecting the workplace, consulting the workers or employees, reviewing the available information and also by regular inspection.
• Controlling the risk: managing the risk in a workplace is carried out by elimination or minimizing the percentage of risk so far possible. There are some steps to control riskin a work place. Firstly eliminating the hazards that could be possible done. Secondly we could reduce the risk from hazard through engineering control. And lastly we could also reduce the exposure to hazard using administrative control.

7. In relation to WHS in the workplace, provide three (3) examples of duty holders and briefly define their roles with regard to WHS. 

In order to maintain WHS in the workplace there are certain people with specific job role.                   Some of those people with their duties are listed below:

• Health and safety committee(HSC): this a group established to maintain the cooperation between PCBU and workers to provide a safe workplace under the act of WHC.
• Health and safety representative (HSR)|: this is a representative elected among the worker by an worker group in order to maintain the WHS is an company under the act. The job role of HSR is to take initiative among the workers and to represent them in order to maintain safe workplace.
• Person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU):this a legal entity which is responsible for operating a business or undertaking. Some example of PCBU are like public companies, private companies and local authorities.

8. Outline three (3) individuals or parties in a workplace that might need to be advised of workplace hazards and the harms they might cause. 

There are many individuals or group present in the workplace who might need to be advised of the workplace hazards. Some of them are:

• Contractors or sub contractors: these are the people who work for the company but they are not an employee of that company. Company may use this people for help in buisness activity like maintenance, cleaning and catering. These peoples should be advised about the workplace hazards in order to avoid any risk.
• Clients or partners: clients or partners of a company are the people who use to do business with a company but are not employee of the company. These people use to visit the workplace for business or any administrative purpose.  These peoples should be aware about the hazards in the workplace.
• Auditors or investigators: these are the people who use to visit industries or companies in order to investigate or to make sure that everything is going right. They are not a part of the company but use to visit work place within regular interval of time. Regular steps and measure should be taken to maintain their safety in the workplace.

9. Provide three (3) examples of the tools, techniques and processes that you might select and apply when identifying hazards within the workplace, according to organizational requirements. 

Some of the tools, techniques and processes to identify hazards within workplace are:

• Inspecting the workplace: physical inspection of the workplace by identifying the objects or situation which have the potential to to harm any individual.
• Consulting the workers or employees: consulting with the workers or employees within the workplace could provide information regarding any hazardous object or incident happened in the workplace. 
• Regular inspection: regular inspection at workplace could help to identify any hazards and could also help to minimize the risk label in the workplace.

10. Outline ways in which you might document hazard identification processes and results, according to organisational WHS policies, procedures, processes and systems. 

This is the way toward looking at each work territory and work assignment to identify every one of the dangers which are "inalienable in the activity". Work zones incorporate however are not restricted to machine workshops, labs, office territories, rural and agricultural conditions, stores and transport, upkeep and grounds, reprographics, and address theaters and educating spaces. Errands can incorporate (however may not be constrained to) utilizing screen based hardware, sound and visual gear, mechanical hardware, perilous substances or potentially instructing/managing individuals, driving a vehicle, managing crisis circumstances, development. This procedure is tied in with finding what could cause hurt in work errand or territory.

11. What are the key points to consider when selecting and applying tools, techniques and processes for assessing risks within the workplace, according to organisational requirements? 

Thge key points to consider while selecting and applying tools, techniques and processes for assessing risks within workplace are like:

• Identification of risk : this is a process of finding, listing and characterizing the hazards found in an workplace.
• Analysing the risk: this is a process of understanding the criticality of the hazard and determining the level of risk. This analysis helps to evaluate the level of risk and how to control the risk.  This analysis could also helps us to estimate the risk.
• Risk evaluation: to determine the significance of the risk by comparing the estimated risk against the risk criteria this process is been used.

12. Outline ways in which you might document the results of risk assessments, according to organisational WHS policies, procedures, processes and system.

13. The hierarchy of control is a list of control measures, in priority order, that can be used to eliminate or minimise exposure to hazards in the workplace.List each of the control measures, and for each measure, provide an example for how they might be implemented in the workplace. 

The hierarchy of hazard control has five level, listed below is the hierarchy to control hazard in a workplace:

• Elimination of hazard: there is no better way to control the hazard than eliminating it. A common example in eliminating the hazard is like work carried at height above the ground level. Carrying out the work at ground level help to eliminate the hazard of falling down.
• Substitution: substitution of hazard involves substituting hazardous object with any object which is not hazardous. An example for this is replacing solvent paint with water based paint which helps in eliminating harmful fumes.
• Engineering controls: when hazard cannot be eliminated or substituted then this control measure is used by which we can reduce the level of hazard by the use of engineering control. For example when machinery has a moving part it could be guarded so that physical access could be prevented.
• Administrative control:these are the control measure which is used to direct people in a workplace. They include warning signs, procedures and trainings.
• Personal protective equipment: when no other option is available this control measure is used. This is least effective but it's the last line of defence against any hazard. Example like use of gloves, hard hats and respirators in the workplace.

14. You have been asked to develop and implement a risk control plan.  What types of information should be contained within the risk control plan? 

The information that should be listed within the risk control plan are like :

• Understand how risk management work
• Define the project.
• Get input from others in the project.
• Identify the consequences of each risk.
• Eliminate the irrelevant issue.
• Listing of all identified risk elements.
• Compute the effective risk.
• Monitoring the risk.

15. The warehouse within your workplace is quite well laid out.  In most areas of the warehouse, pedestrian walkways are marked with diagonal lines to ensure that workers are not struck by forklifts.There is, however, one section of the warehouse where no pedestrian walkways are marked out.  The unmarked area is used by workers every day and forklifts are operated in the area every day.  This area is located in a blind spot which makes it difficult for forklift operators and pedestrians to see each other.  Using the risk assessment matrix below, classify the risk.

By analyzing the above matrix it could be classified that 

• Injuries or treatment not requiring medical treatment fall under insignificant risk
• Minor injuries or first aid treatment are also almost certain but fall under minor risk.
• Serious injuries are likely to happen but have moderate affect risk.
• Life threatening injuries are unlikely to happen but have major risk.
• Death or multiple life threatening injury are rare but have catastrophic risk

16. Outline three (3) questions you might ask workers when evaluating implemented risk controls

 The three questions that should be asked while evaluating implemented risk controls are

• What is risk assessment? 
• What is the goal of risk assessment?
• Why is risk assessment important?

In what ways might you access internal and external sources of WHS information? 

The internal and external sources of WHS information could be classified as:

• Newspaper article
• Local news programmed.
• Pamphlets from organisation
• Online government websites
• Social media sites like YouTube face book