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Health and Safety Risk assessment Case Study Slips, trips, and falls Overview There have been numerous case studies that have been done on health and safety, and one of the many studies include a health and safety risk assessment case study on slips, trips, and falls. Slips, trips, and falls – explained Slips happen when a person’s foot loses traction with the ground surface as result of inappropriate footwear, or walking on slippery floor surfaces which are polished, wet, or greasy. Trips can occur when a person’s foot catches on an object or a surface. In a lot of cases, people tend to trip on low obstacles which are hard to identify such as uneven edges that exist in flooring, loose mats, open drawers, untidy tools, or electrical cables that lay across the ground. Falls can result from several things including slips or trips; however, many occur during falls from low heights such as steps, stairs, curbs, falling into a hole, a ditch, or into water.

What is Hazard Identification in HSE Overview What is Hazard Identification in HSE? Loosely translates to Risk Assessment in Health and Safety. Risk assessments in health and safety form part of the risk management process which are included in the overall Health and Safety Management Plan and Programme of organisations, in addition to forming part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s requirements, to which employers must be compliant. A risk assessment involves the process of identifying the current and existing hazards that may appear in the workplace and it defines those that are likely cause harm to employees, contractors, visitors, and any other person that may be affected by the activities of the organisation. What does hazard identification entail?

How often should a Health and Safety Risk Assessment be reviewed? Overview Business owners, employers, managers, or supervisors must know the importance associated with keeping things up to date so that they run smoothly, and health and safety is not an exception to this. To make sure that employees stay safe, and that the employer remains compliant, risk assessments must be carried out and reviewed as part of regular work practice. Apart from these assessments being done, employers may have some concerns regarding how often a health and safety (HSE) risk assessment must be reviewed. They are not something that can be done once, and never again, however, there is no official guideline set as to when and how often a risk assessment must be done, and how often they must be reviewed. This article will provide employers with some guidance on the matter so that they can ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993. Why should the risk assessment be reviewed? It is good practice to ensure that everything is running smoothly, and a risk assessment must be a routine part of working practice. It is crucial to remember that risk assessments must be carried out on certain occasions and specific situations.

What is a Risk Assessment in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Overview The core principles associated with a risk assessment process in addition with the legal requirements of why organisations go through this important task, is common territory to seasoned health and safety professionals and larger organisations. However, there are numerous smaller organisations that may not fully grans that they have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all employees and visitors, and that they must drive compliance relating to health and safety within the operations of the organisation. The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 requires that each employer provide a workplace which is safe and without risk to the health of employees, with further guidance offered on how employers can achieve this. Risk assessment in Occupational Health and Safety involves the fundamentals which are ingrained in the Act to assist employers in achieving their duties towards the health and safety of employees, and any other persons who may be affected by the organisation’s activities.

OHS Risk Assessment Overview As per the Amended Occupational Health and Safety Act, Section 29, an inspector may, without any prior notice, enter any premises occupied and used by an employer to perform work. In addition, the inspector may also request documentation relating to the health and the safety of an organisation, including the OHS Risk Assessment plan. This document is crucial to the inspector as it explains the risks which are associated with the work environment and it also serves as a contingency plan that clearly indicates how the organisation keeps its employees safe. The OHS risk assessment is a key area which has changed with the amended OHS Act, with imperative factors being described. This includes conducting a workplace specific risk assessment, and the development and implementation of a risk management plan in writing. What is a Risk Assessment? An OHS risk assessment is a term which is used to describe the overall process or method where hazards and risks are identified, where they are analysed and evaluated, and where the appropriate action to control or eliminate them is determined.

Health and Safety Risk Assessment Steps Overview Employers have an obligation to ensure and maintain a healthy and safe work environment for employees and visitors to the premises. This is to ensure that employees are safeguarded and to ensure that employers are compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993. There may be a misconception that health and safety risk assessments are complex, time-consuming, or tedious, however, there are five simple health and safety risk assessment steps that can be followed to ensure that an effective risk assessment is done.

Overview Employers have a legal obligation to provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment. However, even if this will look different for each organisation, it will no doubt include workplace health and safety (WHS) risk assessments. There must be a systematic and organised approach in place to manage the risks and this is the only way through which a healthy and safe workplace can be created. The way in which a health and safety risk assessment is carried out will influence the controls that are put in place as well as the overall level of health and safety in the workplace.

Health and Safety Risk Assessment Meaning Overview It is the employer’s legal obligation to ensure that employees are protected from occupational risks to which they could be exposed. This can be done by implementing and following a risk management process, which involves: Risk analysis Risk assessment and risk control practices. To effectively carry out a risk management process, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of health and safety risk assessment, the legal context, concepts, risk analysis, assessment, and control processes as well as the roles that are played by relevant participants.

A Health and Safety Risk Assessment Should Include 5 Steps The simplest definition of a Risk Assessment is that it is a careful examination of what, in the workplace, could cause harm to people, so that employers can weigh up whether they have taken enough precautions, or whether more should be done to prevent harm. A risk assessment is a crucial part for health and safety management and the main objective that it has is to determine the measures needed to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993, and all other regulations and legislation, to reduce the level of incidents and/or accidents. Why must a Risk Assessment be carried out? A risk assessment can help the employer comply with their legal duty and it helps them protect their employees and their business. There may be confusion as to when a risk assessment must be conducted, and employers may complicate the entire procedure by thinking that it is a complex and difficult procedure. A risk assessment can be conducted at any time, and it should be conducted before employees conduct a task, start work for the day, or do work that presents a significant risk of injury or ill-health. Employers are legally allowed to appoint a competent person to conduct a risk assessment on their behalf. However, the competent person must possess the right qualification to do so in addition to the necessary skills, training, knowledge, and experience, for instance a Health and Safety Manager or officer.