At-risk events

Helps to define specific at-risk events that might be occurring. 

Helps to outline preventive measures needed to modify or control associated at-risk events. 

Near misses or close calls almost at-risk events. 

The control of at-risk events begins with understanding of how specific consequences of exposure may translate into a loss-producing event. For example, are predetermined consequences driving actions toward safe behaviors and use of control methods or toward unsafe behaviors Does the safety system/culture create an environment that uncovers and analyzes safety issues Do employees believe that unsafe actions are necessary to keep production schedules ... 

What are at-risk events How are they different from observations of employees in the safety system Under the enhanced safety, each employee should be observed and/or coached until a behavior has changed. In both cases, observation data is collected to ensure that the behavior is either changed or an action plan is developed to target specific behaviors. So, the question is. If you do not see this behavior again, has it actually been changed Or did the employee stop that behavior when an observation was conducted ... 

For example, when a behavioral observation of an employee is performed and the employee is performing the task under at-risk conditions, this observation would count as one observation. Under a typical behavioral safety process, if an employee is trying to clear a jam from a piece of equipment in an at-risk manner, that observation counts as one at-risk events and the employee would be coached about what should do differently and shown the safe method. 

The core philosophies of the behavioral approach complement and are usually integrated into other programs, such as voluntary protection process (VPP), ANSI/AIEIA/ASSE, ZIO, the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, 2012). The behavioral approach provides the safety system a systematic approach of identifying and correcting at-risk events and conditions that could can be immediately corrected or provide short-term corrections. 

A behavioral approach does not identify the interrelationships of specific hazards since it focuses only on individual employee behaviors. The JHA provides the mechanism that helps bridge the gap between how the job is completed and the observation of defined at-risk events using a structured data collection method (Figure 2.6). 

One of the best way to describe behaviors is by using the ABC model (antecedents (activators), behaviors (at-risk events), and consequences (of exposure)). While this model has been around for many years, it is not always fully understood or used properly in assessing the workplace. 

Figure 2.6 Overview of How theJHA and At-Risk Events can be Integrated into the JHA Process.

How jobs are completed is a function of the perceived organization culture. The perception that risks can be taken and no injury or damage will occur is reinforced because of the relatively low probability that most at-risk events will result in an immediate injury or damage. 

Actions based on the selected beliefs. Procedures are followed and at-risk events reported or the hazardous condition and the risk are accepted. The ladder of inference attempts to explain why the underlying... 

All human actions involve some level of risk as they are engaged in thousands of daily at-risk events. Think about what you do on a daily basis Try to become aware and notice the level and severity of risk that you actually accept for yourself and others. For example, driving on a major highway, moving from one lane to another in heavy traffic while on a cell phone, eating, or engaged in passenger conversation. 

An analysis is made of assessment findings to determine the nature and impact of hazardous conditions, unsafe practices, past history of losses, and at-risk events involved in the operation. 

Conducting a program of safety inspections to find and eliminate unsafe working conditions or at-risk events, to control safety hazards, and to comply fully with aU safety standards for every job. 

At-risk events are activities that place employees or individuals into exposure to a hazard and is associated risk. 

Document any past at-risk event(s) or history of loss-producing event(s.) What actions and behaviors are present What are the factors that may be driving a specific behavior (Conducting a Job Hazard Analysis (fHA), n.d. Managing Worker Safety and Health, n.d.). 

Identifying other potential at-risk events or behaviors that may be present and previously not known. 

Existing and potential hazards and consequences of exposure At-risk events and preventative measures Residual risk (RR)... 

Tracking the sequence of steps is important because if the steps are out of sequence, the relationship between the steps and the existing and potential hazards and consequences of exposures, at-risk events, and the preventative measure(s) cannot be properly documented.The cause and effect diagrams wiU have provided a detailed view of the required steps and their related tasks that will be used to complete this section. 

For example, if an employee puts a hand into running equipment, what is the probability of that hand being caught by the machine What could be the severity of the event The more an employee is exposed to an at-risk event, the greater the chance that the hand will be caught. The frequency of exposure to the hazard increases the probabihty of getting caught in the piece of equipment with serious severity. 

Job steps and task-specific desirription NR RA Existing and potential hazards andtar consequeitces of exposwe At-risk events and preventive measures RR... 

The at-risk event and preventative measures listed, act as a guidance statement to convey safe methods. At-risk events and preventative measures are now matched against existing and potential hazards and the consequences of exposure. Refer to Figure 11.5 for an example on describing At-Risk Events Documentation. ... 

Describe the at-risk events and preventative measures section of the JHA. 

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