Managing workplace health and safety risks is crucial for creating a safe and productive environment for employees. In this blog, we’ll explore practical strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, ensuring your workplace complies with safety standards and promotes well-being. By implementing these effective risk management practices, you can prevent accidents, reduce potential hazards, and foster a culture of safety in your organisation.
A workplace hazard is defined as any source of potential harm or anything that would have an adverse effect on a person’s health or safety within a working environment.
These hazards can stem from various sources, including physical elements like machinery or tools, chemical exposure, biological risks (such as bacteria or viruses), and ergonomic issues that arise from improper work setups. Hazards can also include psychosocial factors like workplace stress or harassment, which can negatively impact an employee’s mental well-being.
Identifying and managing workplace hazards is crucial for ensuring employee safety and maintaining a productive work environment. Employers are typically responsible for assessing the risks associated with their operations and implementing safety measures such as training, protective equipment, and regular safety audits. The outcome is to reduce or eliminate hazards to prevent accidents, injuries, and long-term health issues.
A hierarchy of hazard control framework is essential in workplace health and safety because it provides a systematic approach to managing hazards. Read more here.
It is a structured framework that prioritizes methods to reduce or eliminate risks associated with hazards.
This approach guides organisations on strategies that provide the most protection for workers.
The hierarchy is typically represented in five levels: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE), arranged from most to least effective.
The top and most effective level of hazard control is the complete removal of the hazard from the work environment. If a hazard no longer exists, workers are not exposed to the associated risks. An example of elimination is redesigning a process to remove a dangerous step, such as automating a task that would have previously exposed workers to machinery hazards.
The second level is substitution, which involves replacing a hazardous material, process, or activity with something that poses a lower risk. For example, a toxic chemical can be substituted with a non-toxic or less harmful one, reducing health risks while still allowing the job to be done.
These controls aim to isolate workers from the hazard rather than remove it. Engineering controls often involve physical modifications to equipment, workspaces, or processes. Examples include installing safety guards on machinery, using ventilation systems to reduce airborne contaminants, or enclosing noisy equipment to protect workers' hearing.
When elimination, substitution, and engineering controls are not feasible or sufficient, administrative controls are implemented to reduce exposure to hazards. These include policies, procedures, and training that influence the way work is done. Examples include rotating shifts to limit exposure to repetitive tasks or dangerous substances, setting work-rest schedules to avoid fatigue, or implementing strict safety protocols.
PPE is considered the last line of defence and the least effective control measure in the hierarchy because it does not eliminate the hazard but only provides a barrier between the worker and the hazard. PPE includes items like gloves, hard hats, respirators, and safety goggles, which must be used correctly and consistently to be effective. While essential, PPE relies heavily on worker compliance and is vulnerable to human error, making it less reliable than other controls.
The hierarchy ensures a proactive rather than reactive approach, focusing on hazard prevention over hazard protection.
In practice, multiple controls may be used together to achieve the best results. For example, engineering controls might be combined with administrative controls and PPE to ensure comprehensive safety in situations where full elimination or substitution is not possible.
Physical hazards in the workplace are environmental factors or conditions that can cause harm to an employee’s body. Such hazards are one of the most common types of risks workers may face, and they are typically linked to various injuries or health issues. Physical hazards include, but are not limited to:
Addressing physical hazards often involves a combination of engineering controls (e.g., installing barriers or soundproofing), administrative controls (e.g., training and proper work procedures), and personal protective equipment (PPE) like earplugs, thermal gear, or safety harnesses.
With so much discussion about hazards and risks, it can be easy to get confused between the two. But it’s important to know the difference.
A workplace hazard refers to any source, situation, or condition that has the potential to cause harm or injury to a person in the workplace. It can take many forms, such as physical (machinery, noise), chemical (toxic substances), biological (viruses, bacteria), ergonomic (poor posture, repetitive movements), or psychosocial (stress, harassment). Hazards are the inherent dangers that exist in a workplace or task. Read more here.
On the other hand, a workplace risk is the likelihood or probability that exposure to a hazard will actually result in harm or injury. It considers not only the presence of a hazard but also factors like how often workers are exposed, the severity of potential harm, and how vulnerable employees are to the hazard. In essence, risk is a measure of how dangerous a hazard is in practice, based on both its potential and the specific conditions in which workers encounter it.
In summary, a hazard is the source of potential harm, while risk is the likelihood and impact of that harm occurring in the workplace.
The best way to fix a workplace hazard depends on the type and severity of the hazard, but the most effective approach follows the Hierarchy of Hazard Control, which prioritizes different methods based on their effectiveness.
In summary again, they are (in order of effectiveness):
By using the hierarchy of control, workplaces can systematically reduce risks and protect their workers in the most effective way. A combination of these methods is most likely necessary to fully address a hazard.
Regular hazard assessments, training, and monitoring are also key to ensuring long-term safety.
Risks are often expressed in terms of the potential for injuries, illnesses, or accidents in the workplace. Read more here.
Examples include:
In managing risks, employers are responsible for identifying potential hazards, assessing the associated risks, and implementing appropriate control measures to minimise or eliminate the likelihood of harm. Regular risk assessments, training, and monitoring are other measures needed to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Read more here.
The team at Mackay Safety provides expert advice and services related to workplace health and safety management. The experienced team can assist with conducting risk assessments, developing safety programs, and ensuring compliance with industry safety standards and regulations. Additionally, Mackay Safety might provide training, safety audits, and solutions to mitigate hazards and improve the overall safety culture in your workplace.
Get in touch today by phoning 07 4944 1272 or visit Mackay Safety’s website for more information.
For further reading, here are some helpful Government resources:
Safety Management Systems (SMS) are an important software component of any workplace, particularly in high-risk industries like mining, construction, manufacturing, maritime, energy, and aviation.
They are essential for ensuring employee safety, training, preventing workplace accidents and errors, and adhering to workplace health and safety regulations.
This article explains more about the components of safety systems, the role they have in keeping costs down, but above all how they prioritise your employees’ safety and wellbeing.
Safety means being free from harm or danger, and management is how you prevent potential risks from occurring.
In the workplace, safety management includes:
Anyone who has run their own business will understand the importance of having a safety management system (SMS).
Without one, too many hours are wasted on manually keeping track of staff training, competencies, health and safety certifications, compliance, equipment maintenance, and so on.
Businesses with SMS software can easily identify and manage risks, which helps prevent costly accidents, insurance claims, fines, or legal action.
Above all else, it ensures your most important asset – your staff – know their health and safety is being put first. This too, helps your company become an employer of choice in the industry, ensuring you attract the best candidates for job vacancies. It also helps your company retain valued employees.
Safety is a fundamental requirement in the workplace, and in heavily-regulated industries its importance is often highlighted as part of a company’s values.
An SMS manages safety comprehensively. It helps humans assess risks and introduce controls to prevent injuries, illnesses, and accidents. Managers can use their SMS as a tool to create safer workplaces and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
A well-implemented SMS improves productivity, reduces costs associated with workplace incidents, and improves a company’s reputation.
In summary, the key benefits of an SMS include:
The 5 pillars of effective safety management systems include:
Your company’s safety policies and objectives are the foundation of your SMS. Your company’s expectations and commitments about workplace health and safety, along with any goals, are detailed here and communicated with employees.
Clear methods and procedures are set, and employees are actively encouraged and empowered to report and address safety issues as part of their commitment to teamwork. This section should be reviewed regularly to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
A critical component of an SMS is a Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA). Potential hazards are identified within a workplace and the risks associated with those hazards. The aim is to reduce the likelihood and/or severity of harm associated with each hazard.
Hazards could be physical, chemical, biological or psychological and pose potential harm to people, equipment, the environment or a system that is in place. A risk assessment on each hazard will determine what the consequences are of the hazard. Each hazard is prioritised in terms of risk, with the highest at the top and the lowest at the bottom. Priority is given to the highest risks first, as they pose the most potential threat.
An appropriate control is then allocated to each hazard. Sometimes management may believe a hazard is too risky and therefore it should be eliminated, while in other cases a decision might be made to mitigate the risk as much as possible. Controls might be policies or procedures that employees, contractors and visitors must adhere to while on site or in the workplace. Another example of a control might be engineered, such as installing a fence or barrier around no-go zones.
A control might also be as simple as a sign during flu season, reminding people of the importance of covering sneezes and washing their hands to prevent illness from spreading.
To gain a positive safety culture within your workplace, you need to empower people to follow the guidelines your company has laid out in the SMS. Staff members are assigned roles that oversee safety management and give oversight about how to manage work, health, and safety risks. They are given key responsibilities, which might include establishing safety committees to oversee the SMS, or actionable items on the SMS. They also evaluate the effectiveness of control strategies and support the identification of new hazards and how to minimise risks. In workplaces they are commonly given titles such as ‘onsite health and safety advisors’ or ‘WHS risk management consultants’.
Training, communications, and actionable activities fall into this category.
New employees need introductory training, and current employees need regular safety training, to ensure safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds within your company.
The SMS includes open reporting channels for staff to report hazards, incidents, or illnesses freely and without fear of any retribution. Under this pillar, staff understand their safety responsibilities, and how to alert or communicate incidents or concerns.
Training records, equipment or property certificates, incident reports, and safety audits should be stored in the SMS and be readily available to employees, supervisors, or safety mangers, etc, when they are needed. This helps with monitoring what areas/hazards/equipment need improvements to safety, or which certifications and training needs to be updated.
SMS software needs to seamlessly integrate with other software within your company, to ensure efficient operations. It also needs to be scalable as your company grows.
Your company is unique, which is why Mackay Safety ensures safety management software is tailored to your company’s industry and the specific needs of your business. Tailored solutions include customised reporting, flexible safety protocols adjusted for teams and departments, and alerts or notifications for specific reminders.
Best of all, you can access your tailored SMS solution easily through our mobile app.
Nothing new comes without its challenges. The biggest hurdle with change is bringing staff on the journey as it can be exciting for some and daunting for others.
Mackay Safety believes the most effective way to engage staff members on the SMS journey is by promoting the benefits and encouraging safe work practices through consistent reinforcement.
Overcome resistance by:
SMS software is an integral part of sustainable business operations, and should incorporate policies, plans, procedures, forms, records and more, which are tailored specifically to your company’s operational needs.
These are part of the safety management system pillars and are a critical component of workplace safety.
Mackay Safety provides creative and practical solutions using both paper-based, and digitised applications (through 4PS and 4P Forms) to maintain and streamline your processes.
Our systems are simple to follow, developed by experienced consultants, and offer real value for money.
At Mackay Safety, we have a range of services including ICAM accident investigation (incident cause analysis method), exploration safety services, independent auditing services, and safety management plans, systems and advice.
Contact us today for a free consultation or for more information, visit www.mackaysafety.com.au or phone +61 7 4944 1272.
