HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE - Fichier PDF

Health and safety ❚ 833for the health and safety performance of the organization. It should then indicatehow key management personnel are held accountable for performance in their areas.The role of safety representatives and safety committees should be defined, and theduties of specialists such as the safety adviser and the medical officer should besummarized.What is a risk assessment?CONDUCTING RISK ASSESSMENTSRisk assessments are concerned with the identification of hazards and the analysis ofthe risks attached to them.A hazard is anything that can cause harm (eg working on roofs, lifting heavyobjects, chemicals, electricity etc). A risk is the chance, large or small, of harm actuallybeing done by the hazard. Risk assessments are concerned with looking for hazardsand estimating the level of risk associated with them. As suggested by Holt andAndrews (1993), risk can be calculated by multiplying a severity estimate by a probabilityestimate. That is, risk = severity × probability.The purpose of risk assessments is, of course, to initiate preventive action. Theyenable control measures to be devised on the basis of an understanding of the relativeimportance of risks. Risk assessments must be recorded if there are five or moreemployees.There are two types of risk assessment. The first is quantitative risk assessment,which produces an objective probability estimate based upon risk information that isimmediately applicable to the circumstances in which the risk occurs. The second isqualitative risk assessment, which is more subjective and is based on judgement backedby generalized data. Quantitative risk assessment is preferable if the specific data areavailable. Qualitative risk assessment may be acceptable if there are little or nospecific data as long as it is made systematically on the basis of an analysis of workingconditions and hazards and informed judgement of the likelihood of harm actuallybeing done.Looking for hazardsThe following, as suggested by the HSE and others, are typical activities where accidentshappen or there are high risks:●●receipt of raw materials, eg lifting, carrying;stacking and storage, eg falling materials;