 |
|
MODULE 3: IDENTIFYING HAZARDSIntroduction The first step in controlling workplace hazards is to first identify them. We want to determine what hazards are present. Once hazards are identified, you'll conduct an analysis to examine more closely
the nature of the hazard. Analysis requires that each item or component be examined to see how it relates to or influences the whole. Safety inspections should do more than simply identify hazardous conditions. They should provide useful data for the purpose of effective analysis and evaluation of the safety management system. There are five basic methods you can use to identify workplace hazards:
Informal observation/Formal Observation Program (FOP) An informal observation process is nothing more than being watchful for hazards and unsafe behaviors throughout the work shift. No special procedure is involved. All employees should be expected to look over their work areas once in a while. One of the most effective proactive methods to collect useful data about the hazards and unsafe behaviors in your workplace is the Formal Observation Program (FOP) the includes a written plan and procedures. For example, safety committee members or other employees may be assigned to complete a minimum number of observations of safe/unsafe behaviors during a given period of time. This data is gathered and analyzed to produce graphs and charts reflecting the current status and trends in employee behaviors. Posting the results of these observations tends to increase awareness and lower injury rates. But, more importantly, the data gives valuable clues about safety management system weaknesses. Observation, is important because it can be a great tool to effectively identify behaviors that account for a majority of all workplace injuries because it considers how these behaviors interact with the hazardous conditions. The walkaround inspection, as a method for identifying hazards, just can't identify unsafe behaviors as effectively as observation. Note: An important policy for successful formal observation procedures is that they are not, in any way, linked to discipline. To make sure this occurs, formal observers should be employees, not supervisors or other managers. Supervisor/manager roles and responsibilities as observers may quite confusing to those being observed. It's fine for observers to express appreciation when safe behaviors are observed, and warn employees that are not performing safe procedures. Observers should not discipline or "snitch" on employees: To do so ensures the formal observation program will fail as an accurate fact-finding tool. Comprehensive surveys Comprehensive surveys are not the same as interviews or inspections. An interview is a verbal exchange conducted one-on-one, preferably in private, and has the potential to gather more information. An inspection is often done by employees at the workplace who walk around observing the workplace and asking questions in public. Comprehensive surveys ideally should be performed by people who can bring to your worksite fresh vision and extensive knowledge of safety, health, or industrial hygiene. Because there are few professional consultants equipped to do comprehensive surveys in all three areas, the best approach is to use a team consisting of outside specialists: a safety professional and an industrial hygienist. We encourage you to take advantage of Oregon OSHA's excellent safety and health consultative services. Just call you local Oregon OSHA field office and schedule a visit. Workers' compensation insurance providers and other insurance companies offer expert services to help their clients evaluate safety and health hazards. Private consultants may also provide excellent specialized services to help determine workplace hazards. For the industrial hygiene survey you should, at a minimum, inventory all chemicals and hazardous materials in the plant, review your hazard communication program, and analyze air samples. For many industries, a survey of noise levels and a review of the respirator program also will be vital. Interviewing employees Outside experts may or may not conduct interviews during their comprehensive surveys. If they do, that's great. If they don't, it becomes important for someone in-house to do so. A wealth of information, over and above what might be possible from a survey, may be obtained by conducting one-on-one interviews with employees. When conducting the interview keep the following tips in mind:
Inspections are the best understood and most frequently used tool of assess the workplace for hazards. Much has been written about them, and many inspection checklists are available in various OR-OSHA publications. The term "inspection" means a general walk-around examination of every part of the worksite to locate conditions that do not comply with safety standards. This includes routine industrial hygiene monitoring and sampling. Sometimes the term, "audit" is substituted for the term "inspection." Actually, an audit is a little different. The audit is more of an evaluation tool because the process involves giving a numerical rating of some kind to items that are being audited. While inspections involve locating hazardous conditions, audits more generally involve locating ineffective or missing safety programs. Inspection Frequency The regular site inspection is done at specified intervals. According to OAR 437, Division 1, Rule 760(7)(a), the employer must inspect as often as the type of operation or character of equipment requires. Think about the most hazardous operation or location in your company. How often are safety inspections conducted there?
In Oregon, safety committees play an important role in the success of the hazard identification and control program in accordance with OAR 437, Div 1, Rule 765(d).
I'm sure you can see from the above discussion that a quarterly inspection by the safety committee may not be sufficient to ensure hazards are effectively identified. Oregon OSHA recommends that, at a minimum, medium and large fixed worksites be inspected completely at least every quarter, with some part of the inspection occurring each month. For construction sites, Oregon OSHA recommends site inspections at least weekly because of the rapidly changing nature of the site and its hazards. At small fixed worksites, the entire site should be inspected at one time. And even for the smallest worksite, inspections should be done at least quarterly. If the small worksite uses hazardous materials or involves hazardous procedures or conditions that change frequently, inspections should be done more often. What should we inspect? A methodical inspection will follow a checklist based on the inventory of hazards and the preventive actions and controls designed to reduce or eliminate worker exposure. Regular site inspections should be designed to check each one of those controls to make sure that hazards are contained. Do not overlook areas outside of the production mainstream. Your search for common hazards and Oregon OSHA standards violations should cover the entire worksite, including all office areas. Refer to Oregon OSHA's Self-Inspection Checklists for the Workplace to see examples of model inspection checklists. Who Should Inspect? From your reading earlier, you already know that the safety committee is responsible for conducting quarterly safety inspections. But is that where it ends? Shouldn't be. Others should be conducting safety inspections on a regular basis. Supervisors. Employers should make it the supervisor's responsibility to inspect his/her work area at the beginning of every shift to ensure equipment and personnel are ready to work safely. This can be particularly helpful when other shifts use the same area and equipment or when after-hours maintenance and cleaning are routinely done.What training should inspectors receive? Employees. All employees should have training in the hazards that they may be exposed to during work. When they are responsible for workstation inspections, employees also should have specific training in how to inspect. On-the-job training with the supervisor goes farthest to ensure adequate education (understanding of consequences) and training occur.Written Inspection Reports In all but the smallest and least dangerous of workplaces, written inspection reports are necessary to record hazards discovered, responsibility assigned for correction, and tracking of correction to completion. Quarterly safety committee inspections must include a written report with recommendations for corrective action. A written record will help ensure:
Beware of "tunnel vision" If you use experts from within your company, be on guard for "tunnel vision," which can lead to a failure to spot hazards in areas not directly related to your firm's primary function. You want your maintenance shop, for example, to be just as safe as your production line. Oregon OSHA frequently finds unguarded saws and grinders, non-code electrical wiring, and other basic safety hazards in areas that are outside the main production process but regularly used by employees. Review Documents Assessing the workplace wouldn't be complete without thoroughly reviewing existing documents to determine what kind of hazards have existed in the workplace prior to the assessment. Actually, document review may considered both an assessment tool and an analysis tool. Not only are we able to determine the hazards that have caused accidents in the past, we can analyze to uncover trends in the types, locations, date/time, etc. for accidents. Review these documents to assess workplace hazards
Well, that's a lot of important information. All these activities to identify hazards in the workplace are so important to the overall effectiveness of your safety management system. Be sure you integrate these activities into the line positions...employees, supervisors and managers...safety is a line responsibility! It's time to take your first module quiz. Module Quiz 16. The identification process determines ______________: a. who is liable17. An analysis process examines ______________: a. where hazards can be found and how to find it18. Which of the following is not discussed in this module as one of the five basic actions you can take to identify workplace hazards? a. observation19. ______________ is/are considered one of the most effective proactive methods to collect useful data about the hazards and unsafe behaviors in your workplace. a. Employee interviews20. Comprehensive surveys ideally should be performed by people ___________________: a. with fresh vision and extensive knowledge21. An important policy for successful formal observation procedures is that they are always linked to discipline. a. True22. According to the text, this method for identifying hazards just can't identify unsafe behaviors as effectively as observation. a. interviews23. What is a major weakness of the walk-around safety inspection? a. Does not adequately identify unsafe behaviors24. Comprehensive safety surveys are best conducted by in-house experts. a. True25. According to ________________ all places of employment shall be inspected by a qualified person or persons as often as the type of operation or the character of the equipment requires. a. OAR 437, Div 1, Rule 760Congratulations on completing the third module! I'm sure you'll agree that using any and all methods to identify hazards is important. Continue on to the next module to learn more about the various methods to analyze the workplace for hazard. If you have any questions or comments, just drop me an email at email. |
|||||
Please
take a brief survey to tell us what you think of the Oregon OSHA Web site.
Adobe
Reader is required to view PDF files. Click the "Get Adobe Reader" image to get a free download of the reader from Adobe. Available for Macintosh or Windows.