Hazard/Risk Identification and Control Procedure

Introduction

Hazard identification and the steps taken to minimize the risks associated with identified hazards are a critical component of working safely. A hazard/risk assessment and control plan will provide the basis for the requirements needed to work safely. These plans require continuous evaluation to ensure risk assessments do not change and that new hazards created by process changes are identified.

Legislation

Section 22 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations states:

(1) Subject to subsection (2), an occupational health and safety program required by section 13 of the Act must include: (b) the identification of existing and potential risks to the health or safety of workers at the place of employment and the measures, including procedures to respond to an emergency, that will be taken to reduce, eliminate or control those risks

Responsibilities

1. Vice-President (Administration) will: 1.1 ensure that adequate resources are available to implement appropriate measures. 1.2 ensure that the program is communicated to employees. 1.3 require compliance with the procedures.

2. Associate Vice-Presidents, Deans, Directors, Department and Unit Heads will: 2.1 ensure that the program is communicated to employees. 2.2 require compliance with the procedures. 2.3 participate in hazard identification and take action to correct unsafe conditions.

3. Supervisors will: 3.1 inform employees when processes may lead to hazardous exposure. 3.2 require compliance with the procedures. 3.3 formulate and document a hazard/risk assessment for the areas under their supervision and control. 3.4 participate in hazard identification and take action to correct unsafe conditions.

4. Employees will: 4.1 comply with the procedure. 4.2 where required, attend training sessions. 4.3 report any conditions that could lead to unsafe conditions to their supervisor.

5. University Health and Safety Committee will: 5.1 support and promote implementation of the procedure and related education and training. 5.2 monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of the procedures.

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6. Local Safety Committee will: 6.1 participate in formal inspections to assist in hazard identification and recommend corrective action.

7. Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) will: 7.1 provide expertise and advice to all levels of management, employees and students on matters pertaining to hazard identification and control. 7.2 ensure the procedure is kept current.

Procedures

A Hazard/Risk Identification and Control Plan (the Plan) must be completed by the person performing the work and their direct report before any new or modified equipment, machinery or work process is used or started.

The Plan must be reviewed at least annually and whenever there is a change in operations or procedures or there has been an incident.

The direct report is required to use Hazard Control Plan form or a similar form to complete the Plan. Prior to conducting the hazard assessment the direct report and person performing the work shall review the types of hazards and control measures available for the work being completed.

The steps to completing a hazard/risk and control plan are: Step 1 – Identify potential hazards Step 2 – Assess the risk associated with each hazard Step 3 – Select appropriate hazard controls Step 4 – Implement the selected controls Step 5 – Assess the effectiveness of the selected controls

Step 1 — Identify Potential Hazards

Hazards can be identified by such means as review of the manufacturer’s manuals, inspection, interviews with persons who work perform similar work and review of incidents in this or similar work areas.

Common hazards in include exposure to chemicals, biological agents (bacteria, viruses, dust and mold), equipment in motion, electricity, sharps, extreme temperatures, noise, vibration, and violence. Other hazards may arise from work design (ergonomics), working alone, unattended processes, unplanned loss of air, power or water, animals, fire, spills and other emergencies.

When hazardous materials will be used for the work, the following questions should be considered:  What are the materials and in what quantities will they be purchased and used?  Is the work to be conducted once, or will the hazardous materials be used repeatedly?  Are any of the workers or people that may be affected by the work pregnant, likely to become pregnant, or sensitive to specific materials?  Are any materials to be used toxic, corrosive, irritants or sensitizers?  Will any carcinogens or potential carcinogens be used?  Have flammability and environmental toxicity been considered?  What are the potential routes of exposure (inhalation, absorption, ingestion, injection)? Hazard/Risk Identification and Control Procedure 2/8 Health, Safety & Environment February 2010

Step 2 — Assess the Risks Associated with each Hazard

Risk assessment is important in the analysis and evaluation of risks associated with hazards. Risk assessment helps the persons involved determine appropriate ways to eliminate or control a hazard.

Some risks associated with common hazards include:  In the case of equipment: unintended contact with moving or dangerous parts; electrical shock; electrical fire; emission of harmful airborne material during use or maintenance; spills and leaks; sharps and burns.  Animals pose a risk of physical injury and illness from improper restraint and hygiene controls.  In the case of work design: most commonly musculoskeletal injury from such factors as lifting, awkward or repetitive movement and vibration. There may also be a risk of hearing damage.

Risk is assessed by considering the probability of an event in combination with the severity of harm the event would cause to the University community, the public and the environment if it occurred.

Probability factors are ranked in the following descending order of importance: Frequent – Probable – Occasional – Remote – Improbable

Severity factors are ranked in the following descending order of importance: Catastrophic – Critical – Marginal – Negligible

Risk can be given a rating using the following matrix:

Frequency Number of times task is performed by each person Number of persons Few times per Many times per performing task Less than daily day day Few 1 1 2 Moderate 1 2 3 Many 2 3 3

Severity 0 No injury or illness 2 Minor injury or illness without lost time 4 A lost time injury or illness without permanent disability 6 Permanent disability, loss of life or body part

Probability -1 Low probability of loss 0 Moderate probability of loss +1 High probability of loss

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Risk 10 to 7 = High 6 to 4 = Moderate 3 to 0 = Low

Example:

Working from height –no fall protection provided Frequency – Few people performing task, 6 times per day Rating = 2 Severity – Fall can cause permanent disability or loss of life Rating = 6 Probability – High probability of loss due to no fall protection available Rating = 1 Total Risk = 2 + 6 + 1 = 9 = HIGH RISK

Working from height – Fall protection provided and required Frequency – Few people performing task, 6 times per day Rating = 2 Severity – Fall restraint prevents fall from occurring, worker may be able to slip on same level Rating = 2 Probability – Moderate probability of loss due to protective equipment Rating = 0 Total Risk = 2 + 2 + 0 = 4 = MODERATE RISK

By implementing Fall Protection requirements into the job task, the risk of the task has been decreased by 50%.

Assessing risks should be a team effort; these activities can be completed by the person performing the work and their direct supervisor or by members selected by the Faculty/Department performing the work. The Risk Matrix can be used to provide awareness, determine if control measures are adequate, and to prioritize hazards and control measures.

Step 3 — Select Appropriate Hazard Controls

All hazards must be controlled either by removing the hazard or reducing its risk of harm to an acceptable safe level, both proactively (to prevent its occurrence) and reactively (to minimize its harmful affects in the event it does occur). Often more than one hazard control method must be implemented. For example, chemicals require a combination of proper storage, labeling, safe work practices, the use of PPE and emergency response equipment, procedures and training.

In selecting appropriate hazard controls the following standards apply:  The control must comply with legislated or regulatory requirements. Some of the legislation and regulations that specify standards for hazard control include: o The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations o Hazardous Products Act (federal) o Environmental Protection Act  The control must comply with University of Regina policies, procedures and rules.  The priority for selection of controls is:

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o Eliminate hazards at their source (e.g. redesign the work process, substitute a safer chemical for a hazardous chemical, use different equipment). o If it is not practical to eliminate hazards; control the hazard to reduce the risk to workers by using engineering controls (e.g. machine guards, noise enclosures, ventilation to dilute the concentration of a hazardous substance). o If it is not practical to control the hazard, protect workers from the hazard by using tools such as administrative controls, safe work procedures, effective safety training, proper supervision, or personal protective equipment.  Controls must be effective in reducing the risk of harm to staff, students, and the public, to an acceptable level.

Step 4 — Implement selected controls (Formal Safety Control Plans required)

The person performing the work and their direct report are responsible to ensure that the hazard control measures selected to control the identified hazards are present, maintained and implemented.

Implementation includes:  the development of written safety control plans, and/or safe work procedures,  the provision of information to personnel of the procedures, and  a method of ensuring proper procedures are followed.

Step 5 — Assess effectiveness of selected controls

It is also the responsibility of the person performing the work and their direct report to evaluate the effectiveness of the hazard control selected, and to make improvements where deficiencies are identified. The person performing the work and their direct report will assess effectiveness of controls through regular inspections, testing and monitoring, evaluations of complaints or concerns received and investigations into near misses or other incidents.

Common symptoms of ineffective controls include:  Repeated non-compliance. Non-compliance may be a consequence of lack of training or consequence, or other problems in the control that cause persons to be reluctant to implement them, such as the creation of another hazard.  Failure to reduce risk. For example, testing may demonstrate that there has been no change in the measured risk after the control has been implemented. In other cases students/staff or others may have a continued complaint.  Near Miss/Injury. A near miss, a risk, or incident causing harm is proof positive that the control measures are ineffective in some way.

A copy of the completed Hazard/Risk Control Plan must be submitted to HSE.

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Hazard/Risk Control Plan

Building: ______

Location: ______

Faculty/Department: ______

Supervisor/Direct Report: ______

Person/Position Performing Task: ______

Potential Hazardous Chemicals: List of Potential Hazardous Chemicals present or likely to be present: Item Quantity MSDS MSDS Selected Control Measures: (Storage/ available reviewed Labelling/Written procedures; PPE, (√) (√) emergency equipment)

Number and Type of Chemical Storage Cabinets: Separation of Incompatible Chemicals:

Hazardous Equipment: List of Hazardous Equipment: (e.g. high pressure, extreme temperature and high voltage equipment, ladders, mechanical equipment) Item Selected Control Measures: (e.g. Safeguards, Written safe operation and maintenance procedures, PPE, emergency equipment; training or restricted use)

Other Potential Hazards: List of Other Potential Hazards: (e.g. noise sources above 85 dBa Lex; musculoskeletal injury from lifting, awkward movement, repetitive motion, or vibration; working alone; unattended processes; unplanned loss of air, power or water; unplanned Leaks) Item Selected Control Measures: (e.g. safeguards, written safe operation and maintenance procedures, PPE, emergency equipment, training)

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Emergency Safety Equipment Available: Location: Location signage (√) Item Type:

Eyewash Location: Emergency Shower Location: Location: Spill Kit: Type: Location: First Aid Kit Type: Fire Location: Extinguisher Type:

Other:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Available Available Location and Type Item (√) Eye Protection Foot Protection Hand Protection Skin protection Hearing Protection

Respirator

Other:

Hazardous Waste Describe Type, Quantity and Disposal Methods Available:

List of Safe work/operating/emergency procedures Describe Posted Describe training and/or implementation measures (√)

Safe work practices

Emergency Contact Emergency Shut

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Describe Posted Describe training and/or implementation measures (√) Down Equipment operation Equipment maintenance

Spill

Fire/evacuation Training requirements

Decontamination

Comments:

This Hazard/Risk Assessment has been completed by ______(person performing the work and their direct report) on ______(date) and submitted to HSE.

______Signature

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