Best Practice for Risk Based Inspection

the findings of the examination are acceptable and that each individual vessel is
subjected to an examination within the maximum period i.e. 144 months.
The advice provided in the ACoP to the PSSR is different to the above. The ACoP
states that it is not permissible to carry out an examination of a sample of a group of
identical vessels as representative of the population. This is discussed further in
Chapter 7.
2.3. GUIDELINES ON RISK ASSESSMENTS
2.3.1. Health and Safety Executive – A Guide to Risk Assessment Requirements
This guide (2.12), published with a supporting leaflet entitled ‘five steps to risk
assessment’, is intended for employers who have duties under Health and Safety
law to assess risks in the workplace (see Section 2.1.3). The five steps referred to in
the leaflet are:
Step 1 : Look for the hazards.
Step 2 : Decide who might be harmed and how.
Step 3 : Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are
adequate or whether more should be done.
Step 4 : Record your findings.
Step 5 : Review your assessment and revise it if necessary.
The leaflet is aimed at the commercial, service and light industrial sectors. Although
hazards in these sectors may be few and simple, the basic concept is the same. The
method of risk evaluation tends to be qualitative, which is sufficient where the
hazards are simple and limited.
2.3.2. Health and Safety Executive – Reducing Risks, Protecting People
This publication (2.13) is a discussion document, produced by the HSE, to generate
the views of the public and industry with respect to the process involved in the
assessment of risk adopted by the HSE. It describes the decision making processes
and the factors that influence the final decisions on what risks are unacceptable,
tolerable or negligible. In doing so it highlights the difficulties in taking account of
ethical, social, economic and scientific considerations.
It also introduces the important concept of tolerability. This refers to the willingness
of society to live with a risk with the understanding that the risk is worth taking and
that it is being properly controlled and managed.
2.3.3. CEOC – Risk Assessment: A Qualitative and Quantitative Approach
These recommendations (2.14) were produced to unify the experience and methods
and co-ordinate the approach of various inspection organisations to safety in the use
of plant and machinery. The recommendations are divided into three sections.
• The first deals with determining how a major hazard could arise at an
installation.
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