A workplace assessment should be conducted and reviewed regularly to identify any hazards in the workplace. This is so that control measures can be implemented to eliminate or minimise potential risks. Risk management can help you to respond to change and improve your business by preventing injuries and illness in the workplace, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of your workers and increasing productivity.
Hazards
A hazard is something in the workplace that can cause harm to people. Common types of workplace hazards include:
- mechanical hazards
- chemical and biological hazards
- sources of energy
- body stressing or impact hazards
- gravity
- psychological hazards.
Assessing your workplace
Use the following 4 steps to assess your workplace safety:
Step 1: Spot the hazards
Step 2: Assess risks
Step 3: Manage risks
Step 4: Monitor and review
What to look for when assessing your workplace
A safety walk around the workplace can help to observe how people work and predict what could and might go wrong. A walk around can also reveal:
- how plant and equipment are used
- what chemicals are present and their intended use
- what safe and unsafe work practices exist
- any potential hazards and the general state of housekeeping.
Things to look out for can include:
- does the work environment enable workers to carry out work without risk to health and safety? For example, is there space for unobstructed movement, adequate ventilation and lighting?
- considering the physical, mental and emotional demands of the tasks and activities, how is the work performed?
- how suitable are the tools and equipment for the task and how well are they maintained?
- how do workers, managers, supervisors, and others interact and how are inappropriate behaviours or conflicts dealt with?
- have any changes occurred in the workplace which may affect health and safety?
WorkSafe has a number of health and safety checklists to assist in assessing your workplace.
Consult with your workers
Ask your workers about any health and safety problems they have encountered in doing their work and any near-misses or incidents that have been reported.
Workplace surveys can also be undertaken to obtain information on matters such as workplace bullying and physical ailments that can lead to potential hazards.
To learn more, visit Consulting workers.
Regularly review and update information
Records of health monitoring, workplace incidents, near-misses, worker complaints, sick leave and inspection and investigation reports can assist in identifying hazards.
Visit the health and safety topics for industry specific information and advice on hazards and risks
You can also learn more on how to manage work health and safety risks.
There are also health and safety alerts with practical measures for preventing risk.