Tool Box Talk: Hazard Recognition and Risk Analysis

“Hazard Recognition and Risk Analysis”

“What are we doing, that we have always done, and that is no longer an acceptable risk?”

Hazard Recognition – Recognizing a condition or behavior that can cause harm.
Risk Analysis – Analyzing the probability and severity of risk in order to reduce the chance that harm will occur.

Injuries: A Matter of Probabilities

30,000 HAZARDS Unsafe Acts Unsafe Conditions Wheel chocks not in place at rear wheels of trailer

3,000 NEAR-MISSES OR FIRST AID Lift truck is driven into truck trailer and trailer moves

300 INJURIES REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION Driver jumps to the ground and sprains his ankle

30 LOST-TIME INJURIES Driver jumps to the ground and breaks his leg.

1 FATALITY Truck Trailer Moves, driver jumps to the ground and lift truck rolls over him.

Personal Risk Tolerance

How do we decide what is risky?

Let’s look at examples of activities and rate the risk level of each activity.

Do you have a high or low risk perception for?

Driving without a seatbelt
Working at heights without fall protection
Driving 20 mph above the speed limit
Smoking
Disagreeing with your spouse

Factors That Influence Our Decisions

Personal Factors Situational Factors
Experience (Positive/negative) Stress
Knowledge/Skill Rushing
Age Control
Physical Ability
Organizational Factors
Safety System
Leadership Behaviors
Peer Behaviors

Personal Factors

What personal beliefs would motivate someone do this?

OUR Actions Are Driven By Organizational Beliefs

Safety Systems
Are systems in place to encourage people to do the job with minimal risk? Yes /No!
Leadership Behaviors
Are at-risk, time-saving actions accepted? Yes/ No!
Peer Behaviors
Do our co-workers encourage at risk behavior? Yes/No !

Organizational Factors

What is in the safety system that would allow this? Our safety system would not allow this! True/False

The Social Environment and Cultural Resistance to Change

“PPE IS UNCOMFORTABLE”

Resistance to Change

Risk Perception

We perceive risk differently
Many factors influence our decision
By understanding our risk tolerance and personal / organizational factors, we can prevent injuries

Use the risk assessment matrix instead of relying on one person’s assessment of what is “risky”

Probability
Unlikely – not likely to occur
Likely – may occur
Very likely –near certain to occur
Severity
Marginal – Minor Injury or First Aid
Critical – Injury or Lost Time Injury
Catastrophic – Death or Permanent Disability

Identifying Hazards

Identify the hazards before you start a job. Ask the questions, what is involved in this task that can hurt me or my co-workers, how can I/we protect myself/ourselves during this task?

Developing a Safe Solution or Plan