Employers control risk

The example shown in Table 16.4 illustrates an assessment conducted when planning work in the laboratory environment the controls are determined by employing the risk-based assessment process in conjunction with an understanding of the control measures that could be put into place. 

By identifying the normal and additional (controllable) risk factors associated with a job, an organization can minimize a new employee s exposure to controllable risk factors and reduce their chances of an accident in their initial employment period. Eight aspects of work which can contribute safety risk for a new employee have been discussed. All of the factors are controllable, but admittedly some are more easily dealt with than others. Each of the 8 aspects needs to be considered, and policy put in place to deal with each before a new employee arrives on the job. Table 4.1 shows a job risk profile checklist which could be used to consider each of the 8 risk factors. A key question or questions are proposed for each risk factor, and the far right-hand column of Table 4.1 has a possible course of action which could be taken to eliminate or minimize the risk factor. It is important to note that the 8 factors are particularly important for safety in a new employee s initial period of employment, which is roughly their first 3 months on the job. 

Reducing WMSD Hazards — WMSDs can be reduced by properly designing work stations and by selecting the appropriate tools or equipment for that job. Employers can establish procedures to correct or control risk factors by using ... 

The duty to comply with the law and control risks rests on the employer not the enforcing authority. The primary goal of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the enforcing authority is to influence the behaviour of employers and achieve a high degree of compliance. The aims of inspection can be summarised as ... 

One of the key principles of prevention, contained within both the RRFSO and the MHSW Regulations, is that responsible persons and employers should where reasonably practicable take advantage of developments in technology to control risk. Therefore if a specific technological development is made the management of an organisation may come under pressure to adopt it. 

Employers are required by these regulations to eliminate or reduce risk so far as is reasonably practicable. Where risk is not eliminated, employers are required, so far as is reasonably practicable and consistent with the risk assessment, to apply measures to control risks and mitigate any detrimental effects (regulation 6(3)). 

Control measures should be considered according to the hierarchy discussed in chapter 2 (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, behavior, and PPE). Control measures are not mutually exclusive, and several methods should be used in concert to control any hazard. Employ controls for higher-risk activities in addition to the control measures for lower-risk activities, e.g., if the risk activity is moderate, then both low-risk controls and moderate-risk controls must be used. 

Initially, the Health Safety at Work Act 1974, was designed to make those persons who created and controlled risk responsible for ensuring persons exposed to these risks were safeguarded from them. This meant employers, directors, managers and supervisors etc had direct responsibility for the safety of their work operation. This change was so fundamental because previous legislation such as the Factory Act, based itself on the physical aspects of work, for example, guarding and fall protection. 

Potential Solutions and Control Mechanisms Lists the potential solutions and control mechanisms that may be employed to reduce the risk of a specific issue or concern. 

Major hazard aspects of the transport of dangerous substances 1991 Recommendations for training users of non-agricultural pesticides Health surveillance under COSHH. Guidance for employers Anaesthetic agents. Controlling exposure under COSHH Risk assessments of notified new substances... 

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 1989 covers virtually all substances hazardous to health. Only asbestos, lead, materials producing ionizing radiation and substances below ground in mines (which all have their own legislation) are excluded. The Regulations set out measures that employers must implement. Failure to comply with COSHH, in addition to exposing employees and others to risk, constitutes an offence and is subject to penalties under the Health and Safety at Work Act, etc. 1974. 

Certain internal chemical treatments employed also need strict control to avoid risks of adverse chemical reaction and resultant corrosion. In particular, nitrogen-containing chemicals such as hydrazine and amines require effective monitoring to limit the concentration of ammonia release into steam because the presence of ammonia may, under certain conditions, cause stress corrosion cracking of copper and brasses. 

Sulfates in surface MU water sources usually are present at lower concentrations (typically 20-60 ppm) but this level may rise to several hundred ppm in subsurface waters. The maximum solubility of calcium sulfate is dependent on temperature but is in the range of 1,800 to 2,000 ppm in cold water. This rate is significantly less in hot BW where boiler deposits occur, the sulfate scale normally is present as anhydrite (CaS04). Sulfate scales are hard and very difficult to remove, so treatment programs employed must be carefully controlled to avoid risks of scaling. 

A virtually defunct form of chemical treatment program employed in older design, low heat-flux boilers, whereby the risk of BW scale formation is managed by means of a controlled reserve of carbonate ions. 

Implementation of source control methods should be instituted as soon as possible following initial fluid resuscitation. The selection of optimal source control methods must weigh benefits and risks of the intervention. Source control measures may cause complications (bleeding, fistulas, and organ injury), therefore the method with the least risk should be employed.24... 

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