HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety - Assignment 1: Risk Analysis and Assessment

This document provides a risk analysis and assessment for telecom engineers. It includes potential hazards, control measures, recommendations, justifications, and a final risk assessment report.

Running head: HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 1
Assignment 1: Risk Analysis and Assessment
(Author’s name)
(Institutional Affiliation)

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 2
Assignment 1: Risk Analysis and Assessment
Question 1. Hazards which may arise from the activities of the Telecom Engineers
1. Injuries due to possible falls- Telecom Engineers usually climb telecommunication
towers and customers rooftops to fix various problems. Accidents may arise while
climbing ladders which may lead to personal injuries.
2. Electrical shocks- Most of the telecom wire cables are usually connected to electrical
circuits of which if they are not handled properly they can lead to hazardous electrical
shocks.
3. Accidents while traveling- Telcom engineers usually move from one home to another
using vehicle or on foot. Car accidents may happen or be stuck while closing the roads.
4. Hazardous environmental conditions- Telcom engineers can be opted to move from one
location to another. Various locations can be having unfavorable environmental
conditions such as floods, excessive snows and heavy rains which can be vital.
5. Hazardous materials- Hazardous materials such as installation cables, batteries and wires
can lead to injuries or cause harm to telecom engineers if not handled properly.
6. Illuminations- Telecom engineers usually install high illumination lights on the telecom
towers which can lead to possible eyesight damage.
7. Assaults from customers- Telecom engineers usually move from home to home in order
to repair and install telecom cables. Various customers may be uncooperative and violent
thus posing dangers to telecom engineers.
8. Theft and assault from strangers- Telecom engineers usually work on the side pavements
where they can be easily attacked by strangers and lose their items.

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 3
9. Heavy workload- Telecom engineers may sometimes have heavy workload while
repairing and installing cables thus they might not have enough time for rest or
concentrating on personal issues which may lead to stress and other health problems.
Question 2. Potential Control Measures
1. Injuries due to possible falls
Ensure all ladders are in good conditions before use.
Use safety harness while climbing telecom poles and towers
Wear personal protectives like helmets while climbing poles to reduce extents of injuries
during the falls
2. Electrical shocks
Install warning signs in high voltage wires
Use personal protectives like gloves while dealing with non-insulated electrical wires
3. Accidents while traveling
Observe traffic rules during driving.
Install zebra closing, high-speed cameras, and speed bumps
Train workers on the best ways to prevent accidents.
4. Hazardous Environments
Use weather forecast during traveling from location to location
5. Hazardous materials
Install warning signs to high hazardous materials
Wear personal protectives while dealing with acid batteries and other chemicals
Train workers on best methods to deal with dangerous materials
6. Illuminations

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 4
Wear protective eyeglasses to prevent high illumination when dealing with tower lights
7. Assault from consumers
Approach consumers politely to prevent revoking them
Train workers on how to deal with violent customers
Assess the psychological conditions of various customers before visiting their homes
8. Theft and assault from strangers
Install security officers
9. Heavy workloads
Allocate only enough time for each employee
Question 3 Recommendation For Each Risk
 Replace and check all worn out and broken ladders
 Install safety harness while climbing telecom poles and towers
 Install warning signs for high voltage electrical wires
 Install zebra closing
 Observe traffic rules
 Wear personal protectives while dealing with hazardous materials
 Replace and repair broken office furniture
 Allocate optimum work
 Accompany workers with security officers
 Train workers on how to deal with violent customers
Question 4 Justifications for Recommendations
 Replace and check all worn out and Brocken ladders

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 5
Replacing broken ladders is a significant control measure as it forms a permanent solution that
can prevent stepladder accidents and falls. Worn out ladders are at time difficult to handle thus
more energy and time are consumed during operations thus increasing chances for the
development of various health problems among workers(Health and Safety Executive, 2013).
Providing such a permanent solution to this health hazard will, therefore, lead to a safety and
quality working environment for telecom engineers.
 Install safety harness while climbing telecom poles and towers
Safety harness using specialized safety belts that can hold an engineer while installing cables can
provide a more liquid solution to possible falls. In most cases, engineers and linesmen are
required to work at vast heights for long durations of time fixing cables and faulty lines thus full
body harness is required to prevent them from any dangers.
 Install warning signs for high voltage electrical wires
Warning sings provide an alert to a hazardous or a dangerous condition(UK Government, 1974).
Installing warning signs to high voltage wires can provide a vital solution of electric shock
injuries that telecom engineers may encounter. This is due to the fact that workers are able to
determine which cables are within their expertise.
 Observe traffic rules
Strict implementation of traffic rules while driving is one of the primary factors that can prevent
road accidents. Telecom engineers who are well trained and aware of the traffic rules are less
prone to such accidents thus traveling hazards are minimized.
 Wear personal protectives while dealing with hazardous materials

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 6
Personal protectives include items such as gloves, helmets, aprons, and eyeglasses. Ensuring that
all telecom engineers are equipped with such personal protectives can reduce chances of self-
pricking using wires and other sharp equipment, contact with harmful chemicals such as acid
batteries, electrical shocks, and chances of facial and head injuries(Colby & Corwin, 2016).
Other than that, certain personal protectives such as helmets reduce the extent of injuries in case
an accident may happen.
 Allocate optimum work
Sometimes telecom workers can have a lot of work to deal with. The heavy workload can be
stressful for workers. Stress is a health problem since it can lead to the development of various
health issues such as depression. Allocating optimum work to each individual will help to reduce
workload and ensure that workers have enough personal time.
 Accompany workers with security officers
Telecom engineers usually work at the pavements to repair and install new cables. Different
locations can have various risks of theft and violence thus they can be easily be attacked during
their work and lose their personal items such as phones. Making sure that they are accompanied
by security officers can be helpful as it can reduce chances of theft and assault.
 Train workers on how to deal with violent customers(Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 2016)
In most cases, telecom engineers often move from home to home repair and installing cables
without prior knowledge about the consumers. This makes them be prone to violent customers
and thus having training on how to approach them is crucial. Training telecom engineers on how
to handle violent scenarios can help to reduce chances of assaults thus preventing them from
having both psychological and physical problems.

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 7
Question 5 Final Risk Assessment Report
Just like any other workplace, telecom engineers are prone to various health hazards
during their day to day activities. Therefore, it is of importance to regularly conduct a health risk
assessment for such workers to ensure they are working in a safe environment(UK Government,
1974). Most common health hazards for telecom engineers include possible falls from house
rooftops and poles, road accidents while driving or walking across the road, electrical shocks,
possible injuries while handling wires, possible injuries due to slippery floors at the office and
from broken tables and chairs, chemical exposure from cables and batteries, hazardous
environments from various locations and possible assault from consumers. Such dangers should
be prevented by the telecom company to ensure the company follows workplace and safety
standards.
There are various recommendations that are required to be implemented by the company
in order to make sure that such hazards are prevented. These include replacement of all broken
ladders, installation of safety harness during the operations, observation of traffic rules by the
workers, wearing of personal protectives while working, accompanying workers with security
officers and training workers on how to deal with violent workers. Such recommendations are
necessary and should be adhered to prevent possible dangers to telecom engineers.
In order for the company to ensure all the recommendations are followed, certain
strategies should be put into place. This includes regular training of workers the importance of
adhering to the recommendation, regular checkup of office equipment, follow up the causes of
accidents and injuries that may rise and frequent monitoring. Other than that, the company

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 8
should create a program that allows the workers to air their views on various threats and
problems they come across during their work. This will, in turn, help the company in creating a
conducive safe working environment as provided by the law. Other than that, the company
should be producing a written report on the progress and instances prevented in a certain
duration of time in order to measure failures and success incurred.

HSD1: Principles of Health and Safety 9
References
Colby, L. A., & Corwin, E. (2016). Occupational Health and Safety. In Patient Derived Tumor
Xenograft Models: Promise, Potential and Practice. doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804010-
2.00014-X
Health and Safety Executive. (2013). Workplace health, safety and welfare L24. Regulation. 1-
60 Retrieved from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l24.pdf%0A
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2016). Guidelines for Preventing Workplace
Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. Report.
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0104300
UK Government. (1974). Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Employment Law and
Occupational Health:doi.org/10.1108/eb022382