Work Health Safety Assessment: Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies

This report focuses on the risk assessment of work safety in the construction industry, specifically at Lendlease. It discusses the hazards and risks involved, identifies vulnerable groups, and provides strategies to mitigate these risks. The report also highlights key agencies governing work health safety and relevant policies for maintaining a safe work environment.

Work health safety
assessment

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
ASSESSMENT................................................................................................................................3
1. Work Safety Risk Assessment.................................................................................................3
2. Vulnerable groups to risk of hazards.......................................................................................7
CASE STUDY.................................................................................................................................8
1. Key agencies governing the work health safety......................................................................8
2. Policies relevant to maintaining safe work environment.........................................................8
3. Summary of the findings.........................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Risk assessment is considered as an important part of occupational health and safety (OSH)
management plan which covers the hazards and the risks along with identifying the people who
can be at risk and discovering the areas where control measures are required for preventing
illness and injury. It is also important to meet certain regulatory requirements as the main goal of
risk assessment is to provide the workers with safety and healthy environment. Lendlease is a
multinational constriction, infrastructure and property company which has its headquarters in
Australia. It performs its operations in various countries across the world (Lendlease
Corporation, 2021). The report will shed light on the risk assessment of work safety which will
help in reducing the risks and mitigating the effects of the risk. It will also highlight the key
agencies and institutions which are responsible for governing the work health safety and also
maintain the safe work environment.
ASSESSMENT
1. Work Safety Risk Assessment
Task or
scenario
Hazard/s Associated
harm, e.g.
what could
go wrong?
Existing Risk
Controls
Current
risk
rating
Use the
Risk
Matrix
Any
additional
controls are
required?
Residual
risk
rating
Use the
Risk
Matrix
Falling of a
person
Working at
height
Fall is the
major hazard
in itself
which can
cause
physical
hazards and
ergonomic
hazards.
These can
lead to
construction
deaths and
also many
harmful
incidents
caused by
failure to
use fall
The safety
standards with
the high risk
equipments
must be met.
Employees
must have
access to
correct
equipment
High Six foot rule
must be used
and also they
must use the
fall
prevention
equipments
such as
guard rails
and safety
Medium
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protection
equipment
and unsafe
use of
ladders.
which can be
referred as
Personal
Protective
Equipment
such as non
skid boots,
hard hats and
the correct
uniform
sizing.
nets.
Improper
operation
of heavy
equipments
such as
cranes and
forklifts.
Struck by
Objects
hazard can
be caused by
such
scenarios of
improper
operation of
moving
objects
(Khan and
et.al., 2019).
These can
prove to be
deadly if
not properly
operated.
These can
give major
physical
injuries
which can
cost lives of
many
(Newaz and
et.al.,
2018).
The workers
must be aware
of the site
safety rules
which can
help in
guiding the
clear vehicle
routes. They
must be
trained to
avoid these
routes on foot.
There is a
need to check
the forklift
and crane
controls.
High Head
protection
must be
worn
including the
hard hats
which can
help in
avoiding
potentially
dangerous
situation.
Medium
Taking
place of the
Natural
hazard which
This can
lead to
The
construction
Medium The
construction
Medium-
High
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natural
disasters
can lead to
death of the
people
working and
also the
infrastructure
and building.
devastation
of
everything
including
the living as
well as non
living
things.
companies
must be
updated about
weather
forecasting.
They must do
all the
preparations
so that the
loss due to
those hazards
can be
minimized.
companies
must be in
regular
contact with
the weather
forecasting
so that
arrangements
can be made
in prior.
The
workers
got electric
shock or
caught in
the blasts
Electrical
hazards can
be caused
due to the
electric
shocks
during
electric
fittings at the
construction
site.
These can
lead to on-
site deaths
and also lot
of physical
and mental
harms to the
worker who
is caught by
this.
The workers
must be
trained to deal
with the
electrical
work in
construction.
The workers
can also
locate and
identify the
utilities such
as maintain
the safe
distance
requirements
and power
lines etc. The
Medium The
employees
must not
operate the
portable
tools which
are not
grounded or
double
insulated.
Medium-
Low
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portable tools
must not be
used which
have ground
fault circuit
interrupts.
During
trenching,
the caught
in between
incident
took place
Caught in
accidents can
be caused
during
trenching
because of
collapsing of
trenches
(Hu, Chong
and Wang,
2019).
These can
cause
hundreds of
injuries and
dozens of
fatalities
every year.
The worst
thing
caused by
this can be
the death of
the person
while
working.
There must be
proper safety
measures and
wall support.
All the
utilities must
be marked
before
digging up
that proper
distance can
be
maintained.
The site must
be inspected
for safety by
competent
people and
the workers
must be made
educated so
that they can
protect
themselves
during the
High A protective
system must
be employed
by the
registered
professional
engineer for
the trench.
Medium-
High
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accident of
trenching.
Using of
hazardous
materials
These are the
hazards due
to hazardous
materials
such as
chemical
spills,
airborne
materials etc.
These can
also cause
physical
hazards such
as heavy
machinery or
drills.
These can
cause
biological
hazards
including
asthma,
bronchitis
and even
choke the
lungs of the
person
coming
directly in
contact with
the
hazardous
materials
and are
exposed to
the same.
The
employees
must be
provided with
the safety data
sheets (SDS)
and also they
must be
provided with
the right PPE
in which
respiratory
protection is
present. They
must also be
trained to
handle the
hazardous
materials
properly.
High Workers
must be
properly
trained so
that they can
handle and
manage the
risks due to
each
hazardous
chemical
which is
used.
Medium
2. Vulnerable groups to risk of hazards
The most vulnerable groups or sub-populations who are likely to be affected by the safety
hazards in the Lendlease Company are the construction workers who are responsible for
performing the primary physical work. The most people in this field are associated with the work
of digging, cleaning and building. They are most vulnerable to the hazards because they are
mostly involved in the duties including the manual labour such as preparing the job site, testing
and operating the equipment and machinery, transporting the materials and supplies to the job
site, using various mechanical and hand tools, measuring and cutting of the building materials to
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exact specifications and many more. These are more exposed to all kinds of hazards as they have
to face those things directly. In order to mitigate those risks and hazards, the employees and the
workers must be given proper trainings regarding their work (Manu and et.al., 2018). These
include teaching the ways to use the ladders or to protect against any type of fall. The main aim
of Lendlease behind this is ensuring that everyone is trained to that level which can help in
mitigating the risk on-site. The regular meetings must be held so that the employees can engage
in the best health and safety practice. The workers must be provided with all the equipments like
PPE which includes the eyewear, hi-visibility clothing, safety footwear and the protective
headgear. This can help in protecting against various hazards which are found on the
construction site.
CASE STUDY
1. Key agencies governing the work health safety
There are various agencies in Australia which ensure good health and safety of the
employees and the workers working in the construction companies. The Safe Work Australia is
basically an Australian government statutory agency which is established under the Safe Work
Australia Act in 2008. Their main goal is improving the health and safety along with the
compensation arrangements at construction companies (Naderpour, Kheyroddin and Mortazavi,
2019). It also develops partnership with the unions, governments and the industries to reduce the
injury, deaths and the diseases at the workplace. Also, there is a Safety Australia group which is
the leading national health and safety specialist company in Australia which provides the
training, safety consultancy, recruitment and services of injury management to the industries
especially the construction industry. Lendlease also takes helps from these agencies to ensure the
health and safety of the employees at workplace.
2. Policies relevant to maintaining safe work environment
There are numerous policies which are relevant for maintaining the safe work environment
in the construction industry. WHS policies and procedures states that trainings must be
organised, toolbox meetings must take place and supervision of the workplace must be done
regularly (Dehdasht and et.al., 2017). The health and safety manager of Lendlease also ensures
that the policies made are effectively implemented. Lendlease aims to eliminate the injuries and
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incidents across all its operations and the sites. The company also took the initiative through the
Global Minimum Requirements Framework in which the company sets the minimum health and
safety standards for controlling the risks associated with the operations. The work health and
safety policies help the company in outlining the WHS obligations to people who interact with
the company. These policies apply to the contractors, staff and the other workers and customers.
This also outlines the duties of all the officers, staff, other workers and the other people.
3. Summary of the findings
The findings from the risk assessment can be summarized as the health and safety plays a
major role at the workplaces especially at the construction companies as there are major risks of
the hazards. The Lendlease being the largest construction company in Australia is focussed on
the health and safety of its workers and thus provide them with majority of the safety equipments
and guidelines which they use to save themselves from the hazard. The risk assessment helped in
analysing all kinds of risk such as falling, electricity, natural, caught in between and many more.
It can be recommended that the construction companies must train especially the workers who
work on-site and are exposed to major types of risks which even can take their lives which is the
major loss. There must be regular inspection to see that all the equipments and the chemicals
used are safely used and packed. The employees must be aware of the risks which can take place
and must protect themselves and others from the risks of the hazards.
CONCLUSION
This can be concluded from the above report that there are major risks of the hazards which
can take place at the workplaces especially at the construction sites and the companies like
Lendlease which is in Australia. The report assessed major type of risks, its cause, effects and the
strategies to mitigate those risks. The report also highlighted the vulnerable group which is most
exposed to these type of risks. The major policies and the agencies were described which ensures
the good health and safety of the employees and workers at the workplaces.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dehdasht, G. & et.al., (2017). DEMATEL-ANP risk assessment in oil and gas construction
projects. Sustainability. 9(8). 1420.
Hu, X., Chong, H. Y., & Wang, X. (2019). Sustainability perceptions of off-site manufacturing
stakeholders in Australia. Journal of cleaner production. 227. 346-354.
Khan, M. W. & et.al., (2019). Occupational health and safety in construction industry in Pakistan
using modified-SIRA method. Safety science. 118. 109-118.
Manu, P. & et.al., (2018). Health and safety management practices of contractors in South East
Asia: A multi country study of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Safety science. 107.
188-201.
Naderpour, H., Kheyroddin, A., & Mortazavi, S. (2019). Risk assessment in bridge construction
projects in Iran using Monte Carlo simulation technique. Practice Periodical on
Structural Design and Construction. 24(4). 04019026.
Newaz, M. T. & et.al., (2018). Developing a safety climate factor model in construction research
and practice: A systematic review identifying future directions for
research. Engineering, construction and architectural management.
Online
Lendlease Corporation, 2021. [ONLINE]. Available through :< https://www.lendlease.com/au/ >
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