IOSH Managing Safely: A Comprehensive Risk Assessment Report

This report provides a detailed risk assessment of a workplace, following the IOSH Managing Safely guidelines. It identifies four key hazards: safety, biological, physical, and ergonomic, and analyzes their potential harm to various individuals including laborers, doctors, scientists, housekeeping staff, desk workers, and drivers. The report outlines existing risk controls, calculates risk ratings using a 5x5 matrix, and suggests additional controls needed to mitigate risks further. It also specifies who will action or monitor these controls and the timeline for implementation, emphasizing the importance of proactive safety management in maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. Desklib offers a variety of solved assignments and past papers to aid students in their studies.

IOSH MANAGING SAFELY
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
1. A brief description of the work area being assessed....................................................................4
2. A brief description of the tasks being performed in the work area.............................................6
3. A listing of four (4) hazards in the work area, with each one, followed through the risk
assessment process...........................................................................................................................7
4. List who may be harmed by the hazard.......................................................................................9
5. State how they may be harmed..................................................................................................11
6. Describe the risk controls already in place................................................................................12
7. Calculate a risk rating – using the IOSH 5 x 5 matrixes or an appropriate company-specific
system............................................................................................................................................13
8. Describe any additional controls needed...................................................................................17
9. Calculate a risk rating for the new controls (Residual risk)......................................................18
10. State who will action or monitor any further controls.............................................................19
11. State when the actions or monitoring needs to take place.......................................................20
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................21
References......................................................................................................................................22
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Introduction
In every business organisation whether small, medium or large risk factors arise that can
influence performance and position in the large marketplace. It is very much important for every
company to use risk assessment process to achieve better outcomes in certain time. In today’s
time, it becomes essential for management to take appropriate action to overcome several risk
hazards to improve performance and productivity of employees. Risk hazards can impact
negatively on the image as well as the profitability of the company thus it is very much important
for the management to identify and take the required action to overcome them. This report is
based on HSQE Ltd that committed to the effective provisions of great as well as active safety,
environment, quality dedicated health, and leadership. In this assignment brief description of the
work, areas have been analysed with a brief description of the activities which is performed in
the workplace. Apart from this, there have been examined four hazards in the work area through
risk assessment process. Risk hazards affect lots of people within the work area which has been
determined in this assignment.
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1. A brief description of the work area being assessed
In this report, the focus will upon the potential hazards that the employees of different
organizations face during work and staying in the environment. According to HSQE there are
certain areas on which the workers are exposed to threats, the potential places are exposure to
air, exposure to land, toxins released in air, the material waste disposal in the grounds and other
places, some built-in heritage that has been affecting the environment and the people living in
such places(Viswanathan, et. al. 2012)
The report will discuss all the major hazards, their major sources and the effects of the same,
thus there are certain measurement techniques by HSQE that have been helping the auditors to
calculate the same in the system (Viswanathan, et. al. 2012). The measuring factors will help in
understanding the most hazardous risks and the major people affected by the same. HSQE has
been studying the same from approximately 2009; they have been focussing on the environment
and the effect of the same in different sections of the society.
To study the same there has been certain risk assessment techniques used by the team to check
the different risky areas in the environment, some assessment areas are
Figure 1- Steps of risk assessment
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(Source-Tavistock and Portman, 2018)
The assessment starts from assessing the potential places with hazards and then analyzing those
using techniques such as chemical, natural, physical techniques to see the ranking of the same
like, what is more, likely to affect the people badly, what is less likely to affect the environment
(Storycontracting, 2018). Then it is decided what further actions are needed to be taken in the
system. The major people involved in the system and the people affected by the same. All the
major findings are recorded by conducting different studies lie doing qualitative and quantities
analysis to see the severity of the same in the system. The qualitative analysis will also help in
determining the same in various activities. These will further be discussed with the responsible
officials and then managed to see the process, climbing the hierarchy to escalate the same to the
officials (Storycontracting, 2018).
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2. A brief description of the tasks being performed in the work area
In the work area selected by HSQE, there was a certain activity that was performed in order to
check the risk assessments in that area. The activity was conducted to basically see the potential
risky areas in the stream and then studying the same in the process as under. The steps that were
followed are as under-
 Check the potential hazards in the place will help in determining the types of hazards
that have been into the place and then studying the same. This will help in making
accurate measures to see the places being affected and risk sources. The same will help
in managing the risk in future.
 Check the potentially affected people in the environment studied above. This will help in
making accurate responsive measures to check the people. There may be cases where
the people are lightly affected and can be easily cured with the protective measure.
There may be cases where people are damaged beyond cure.
 How much they are affected with mentioned hazard as above based upon that there are
certain levels to check the severity in the system. These indicators are further cross-
checked and then officials make appropriate measures to see the cure in the same.
 Rating the hazard as per the severity level is the key to check the measure that can be
taken in order to avoid such situations. There are certain training and professional help
that has been used in order to check the situations in some places.
 Measures to control the same has been made with the help of required professionals
and then helping them in making curative measures to check the places in which more
cures are required (Sexton, 2012).
 Monitoring the measures by the senior members of the hierarchy, this will help in
making other plans in future to check each level of the society.
 Time lap calculation to check how much time has been taken in each step in order to
reduce the time lap between the different features.
 Review and implementation after the review is done the implementation of the
modified plans are then applied in the risk assessment process (Sexton, 2012).
3. A listing of four (4) hazards in the work area, with each one, followed through the risk
assessment process
In order to apply the risk assessment policy in the system, the audit team has identified below
mentioned four hazards in the workplace that are explained as under-
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 Safety hazards- They include hazards that can happen in day to day level, even if the
workplace is indoor and the work is not that of physical effort, then below mentioned hazards
can still persist-
 Wet floor or any fall and spill on the floors or on the tables or the electrical equipment;
this will create a unannounced accident in the place.
 There are certain hazards that can cause anything that will tend to fall in the place. This
may include ladders, stools, and high chairs. They can be dangerous at times.
 Any unattended or unguarded machinery that as potential exposure to people around, this
will create the scope of something highly vulnerable to risk(Safetylineloneworker, 2018)
 Biological Hazards- Certain biological hazards that are very common in the system are
due to certain chemicals in the industry people are working on, there can be other things like
some air born virus in the industry, or there can be some sort of harsh chemical in the system.
Some hazards are due to animals and plans also. Some are-
 Body fluids
 Fungus and other infections
 Bacteria and viruses in the system
 Plants that are not known sometimes medicated plants also affect.
 Physical hazards- Certain physical hazards are the ones that are caused due to exposure
to certain radiation, sometimes high exposure to sunlight is there or some poisonous animal
(Safetylineloneworker, 2018).
 Ergonomic hazards – They are usually happening due to long working hours and wrong
postures to work in. They may affect the following
 Blood pressure
 Cervical issues
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 Sore muscle issues
 Fractures
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4. List who may be harmed by the hazard
Based on the above-mentioned hazards and also certain hazards that affect the environment,
these hazards basically affects these following people who are at maximum potential risks-
 Labors – The most potential exposure anyone can have is due to the constant exposure to
the machinery and the working environment of the factories. The same has been the reason for
the hazards that happen to them. These labors are always in the situation to have all types of
expositions like an explosion to heavy machinery, exposure to strong radiations and ultraviolet
rays. They are many of the time at high risk to heights and heavy materials that can cause issues
at times.
 Doctors – Doctors are mostly exposed to biological hazards and other chemical hazards
that may be due to the working environment in the workplace or the working environment in the
hospitals or the labs. HSQE has identified certain cases in which doctors caught some sort of
virus and bacteria due to working in infected areas. Other cases depict the areas with dangerous
and poisonous animals that have affected the health and well-being of the doctors (Kamal, et, al.
2012).
 Scientists- As much as doctors, scientists are also exposed to certain such radiation that
has been very fatal to the health of the people working there (Kamal, et, al. 2012).
 Housekeeping – Housekeeping staff has been more prone to the all kind of small hazards
that have been into the system. They can be exposed to radiation, heights, heavy machinery, and
electrical equipment. etc, Housekeeping has been everywhere in the entire working area thus the
touch points are more. There were many instances where a housekeeping staff got injured
through small wire opening or glass breaking in the company. This needs a constant watch over
the basic security well-being.
 Desk workers- People who are more into sitting work and constant working on the
laptop are prone to more health issues rather than chemical issues. They may have muscle
problems and bone problems that can be due to the wrong posture, adverse sitting effects, long
sitting and less movement of the body.
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 Drives and transporters – in some places where there is constant use of transportation
and driving, their drivers and transporters are also prone to certain accidents and health issues
(Kamal, et, al. 2012).
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5. State how they may be harmed
Depending upon the certain working conditions and the style of working there can be different
ways in which the potential hazards can affect the health and safety of the employees and the
people surrounding these places and live around them. They can get harmed in different ways
some of them are-
Physical Issues- There are certain issues that can happen to people working in the hazardous
environments, they are mostly those people who are directly dealing with the heavy and
dangerous instruments. People working in the factories are always working near metal; they can
be situations when they might get caught in the machine, resulting in damaging the body parts of
the worker. Apart from that, there are always electrical appliances so there is always scope for
the electrical tragedy in the system resulting in permanent damage (Bender, et. al, 2012).
Medical Issues- There are certain points when the team or the workers are exposed to the certain
environment for a very long time, thus they affect the worker's health internally for a very long
time thus degrading the health eventually. There have been the certain case in which the workers
suffer from severe respiratory issues and some faces severe issues in their bones and muscles.
Many industries have been facing issues cancerous problems faced by the people and resulting in
massive deaths. In a case, there was huge gas leakage in the industry that has resulted in the
severe blast and thus resulting in massive deaths in the whole town.
Social Issues- Due to work pressure and continuous work engagement there has been a new kind
of issue faced by the workers these days that is social issues. They are not able to spend time
with the friends and family and thus getting away from all the social issues and the relations
(Bender, et. al, 2012).
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6. Describe the risk controls already in place
The industry has been itself working upon many features to maintain and check the issues in the
system. There has been a team of professional individuals that have been working on the
potential risks that have been there in the industry and the most effective measures to deal with
them. There has been a technology in the industry to check the potential leakage in the
machinery; it checks the leakage of gas in the machines along with the chemical emission done
by the industry. Moreover, the waste management has also been done to check the toxic level in
the waste and there are certain measures taken to eliminate the toxins in the system. Waste
management gadgets have been installed in all the parts of the factory as per the guidelines of
HSQE (Schulte, et. al. 2012).
Apart from that, the team has been focussing upon the radiation and chemical exposures the
workers have always been into. These exposures have made it difficult for the workers to work
and have been resulting in serious health problems leading to physical deformity in some cases
(Schulte, et. al. 2012). The team has been putting filters to stop the radiations and treating the
chemical before using it. Moreover, the count of people has been kept limited to work there.
There is a limited access to people and not everyone is allowed to enter certain premises, only
professionals are allowed.
The company has been doing regular health and safety checks to see the current health of the
workers and to see any problem faced by them in future. These checkups consider full check-up
including the blood tests and the blood pressure of all. If there is any health issue found then the
root cause is studied to avoid the same with other workers and the worker is heavily
compensated and the company takes full responsibility of the whole medical treatment and the
worker’s family is also taken care of. But these cases are one in a million but still, the company
is ready to take protective as well as defensive measures to avoid such issues in future (Schulte,
et. al. 2012).
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7. Calculate a risk rating – using the IOSH 5 x 5 matrixes or an appropriate company-
specific system
Name of person
completing the risk
assessment:
XYZ Date and time
completed:
02/06/2018
Description of work area
being assessed:
Work Place Hazards
Description of the task
being assessed:
Handling the operations of risk management in order to minimize risk
and maximize profits.
What is
the
hazard?
Who
might be
harmed?
How
might
they be
harmed
?
Existing
risk
controls
measures
:
Current
risk rating
Additio
nal
control
measur
es:
New risk
rating
Action /
monitore
d by
whom?
Action /
monitore
d by
when?
L C R L C R
Safety
Hazard
All the
people
working
in the
company
–
Throug
h small
issues
like
water
spill,
Protectiv
e coating
on sharp
objects,
time to
time
2 2 4 The
team
has
been
made to
cross
1 1 3 By a
team of
professio
nals who
check
the day
Daily by
subordina
tes and
weekly
by the
upper
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houseke
eping,
labor,
driver,
officers,
manage
ment.
loose
electric
al
fittings,
workin
g at
heights,
small
wear
and tear
of the
furnitur
e.
cleaning
and
maintain
ing the
instrume
nts,
immedia
te
medical
response
to the
affected
person,
check
the
issues
in the
system
and
then
removi
ng the
same as
and
when
require
(Sherrat
t, F.S.,
2012)
today
furniture
, heavy
machiner
y,
maintena
nce of
the
system.
managem
ent.
Biologic
al
Hazard
All the
doctors
and
research
scientists
that are
working
in the
highly
exposed
areas
and
under
By
having
respirat
ory
proble
ms, by
giving
blood
pressur
e and
skin
issues.
Poisono
Filters to
check
the
emission
level of
the
poison
and heat
emission
. Time to
time
health
check-up
3 4 1
6
New
and
better
filter
equipm
ent
have
been
installe
d to
check
the
quality
2 3 1
5
By the
senior
doctors
and the
biologist
in the
system.
External
auditors
are also
used to
see the
emission
It is
monitore
d every
month by
the team
of
medical
and
health
professio
nals.
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constant
emission
of the
radiation
. people
who
work
around
the
animals
and
plants
us
plants
and
animals
can
even
harm
them
of the
employe
es.
of the
material
used in
the
system
level and
improve
ment
What is
the
hazard?
Who
might be
harmed?
How
might
they be
harmed
?
Existing
risk
controls
measures
:
Current
risk rating
Additio
nal
control
measur
es:
New risk
rating
Action /
monitore
d by
whom?
Action /
monitore
d by
when?
L C R L C R
Physical
Hazard
All the
people
exposed
to
hazardou
s
radiation
By
touchin
g or
getting
in
contact
with the
Air
filtration
, medical
facility
immedia
te, and
water
1 5 2
3
Better
filtratio
n
techniq
ues,
monitor
ing the
1 4 2
0
By the
top
manager
s in the
company
and then
helping
Everyda
y
monitori
ng of the
work by
managin
g the
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s and
high-
density
poison
and
bacteria
same.
This
can also
happen
when
the
virus is
air
Bourne
or
travels
in the
air or
water in
the
compan
y
filtration
. Timely
health
and
safety
check-
ups
heat
and the
radiatio
n in the
buildin
g
/premis
es(Sher
ratt,
F.S.,
2012)
in
making
better
policies
for
future.
equality
of the
work
environ
ment in
the
company
.
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Ergono
mic
Hazard
All the
people
who are
either
sitting
for long
intervals
or
having
difficult
physical
postures
By
having
severe
muscle
issues
and
strong
cervical
issues
in the
body.
Timely
exercise
sessions
and
activities
for
physical
relaxatio
ns
1 1 2 Reduce
long
sitting
and
have
comfort
able
posture
s for
workin
g
1 1 1 By the
HR and
the
admin
team and
the
admin
team
Every
week by
the
senior
officials
and the
admin
team
members
8. Describe any additional controls needed
Apart from above-mentioned controls, the industry has been focussing on some small issues also
to make sure that the people working there are healthy and all the potential risks have been taken
care of efficiently-
 Control environment- This is to make sure that the air around in the industry is clean.
Here the environment means the overall working environment should be healthy, including the
heat controls, chemical controls, food controls, pest controls. Thus this has to be done by
minutely measuring all the things around (Kuempel, et, al. 2012).
 Risk Assessment- There are certain risk assessment techniques like qualitative and
quantitative assessments to know the quality of the work and the effect of the same on the people
working in that. Thus time to time feedbacks are also taken to check the feedback of the workers,
this might enlighten the issues faced by the people and the measures to resolve them can be
taken.
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 Monitoring – Close monitoring of the machinery and maintaining the issues to avoid any
future errors in the system. This process also includes timely checking workers health and safety
to maintain the quality of the health and this will eventually affect the production and revenue of
the company.
 Communication – Communication is very important as this will maintain the quality of
the workplace. The problems will be highlighted to the upper management and consecutively
the issue will be seen by the people. This will help in developing the performance and the
improvement of the company policies and the same can be helpful in making risk free
environment for all the employees (Kuempel, et, al. 2012).
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9. Calculate a risk rating for the new controls (Residual risk)
Residual risk is the danger or risk of a task, method or activity process that is still in the work
area after taking possible measures. It is that risk which is left after implemented required action
and step to reduce inherent and natural risk. Risk rating helps the organisation to improve the
level of profitability and productivity. It is a major responsibility of management to update risk
assessment process time to time after taking suitable action. The current rating for safety hazards
for the new controls is effective that help to improve working cultural (Dang, 2014). After taking
measures such as maintain advance machinery, time to time cleaning, protective coating and
medical facility safety hazards there no injury, very unlikely chance that hazards will occur in the
work area. To reduce safety hazards it is necessary for management to take action according to
eth timescale to achieve better outcomes.
Ergonomic Hazard is arisen in the work area due to long working hours which can influence
negatively on the productivity and profitability of the company. According to the current risk
rating of Ergonomic Hazard, it is necessary for management to stop the action and take
appropriate action to reduce the problem. This kind of hazard can be arises in the workplace if
employees get absent more than three days (Dang, 2014). It is essential for management to set
suitable working hours for the employees so that they can give their best to attain better
outcomes. The current rating of ergonomic hazard it good so management need to take no action
for the improvement.
The current rating of Physical Hazard is normal which can be controlled by the management by
satisfying needs and want of employees. This hazard arises in the work area if a high number of
employees get absent more than seven days that can increase workload. To reduce Physical
Hazard it is essential for management to improve the relationship with employees and resolve
their issues (Dang, 2014).
For the production of different products and services employees use several dangerous chemicals
and acid due to which Biological Hazard arises in the workplace. According to HSQE, it is
important for management to take urgent action if biological hazards occur in the work area for
the safety and security of the employees.
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10. State who will action or monitor any further controls
It is the duty of higher authority and control management system to take the right action to
reduce the different type of hazards. To control a different type of hazards it is necessary for
control management system to monitor activities of employees. HSQE state that manager and
higher authority take action to reduce the chance of risk from the work area to attain better
outcomes. To identify risk factors and hazards it is necessary for the manager to monitor the
performance of employees and works that help to control their operational and functional
activities (Farrow, 2014). There is various logic programs controller that help the organisation to
control the risk element by monitoring process. In the business, organisation employees perform
a different task, roles, and responsibilities to accomplish set goals and objectives. Senior
authority takes regular feedback from the manager and employer about the performance and
position of the employees that assist to determine the risk factors. By monitoring the
performance of employees, senior management and manager take control action to enhance
performance and productivity of the employees (Farrow, 2014). It is necessary for the manager
to provide great working cultural, suitable working hour, safe and secure environment to reduce
the entire hazards problem. Principles and legislation help manager and senior authority to
control operational and functional practices as employees executed task accordingly to them.
20

11. State when the actions or monitoring needs to take place
If different hazards occur such as safety, Biological, Physical and Ergonomic hazards
management needs to take action and monitor the performance of employee to attain high growth
and success in the tough marketplace. According to HSQE, it is the major duty of management to
take required action in this kind of situation monitor performance of employees to avoid the
chance of risk in the work area. If the employee's performance goes poor and decreases day by
day management needs to take action and monitor their performance to identify the reason
behind the worst performance. By monitoring the performance of employees a manager can
easily identify factors that affect negatively on employee’s productivity (Johns, et. al., 2012). By
identifying factor manager can take the right action to resolve the problem to achieve better
outcomes.
When Organisation adopts advance techniques and machinery for the production process
manager and higher authority to monitor the activities of employees to avoid unwanted activities
and risk factors in the work area. HSQE give high attention to monitoring process to attain short
term as well as long-term goals in the large competitive marketplace (Johns, et. al., 2012).
Higher authority and manager need to take the required action to enhance productivity and
profitability of the organisation. Monitoring is a great process which is used by the business
organisation for taking the right decision and action to improve performance and accomplish set
outcomes in a more effective manner (Sexton, 2012). HSQE give high attention to the process of
employees during the operational and functional activities that help in taking right action
according to the different situation to attain set goals and objectives.
21

Conclusion
By examining this assignment it has been evaluated that there is a different type of hazards arises
in the work areas such as Biological Hazards, Safety hazards, Ergonomic hazards and Physical
hazards. These hazards that influence performance and productivity of the company if
management does not take required measure to overcome. HSQC provide risk assessment
process through which any company can examine and identify risk factors that impact negatively
on the level of profitability and productivity. It is necessary for management to provide safe and
secure working environment for their employees so that they can perform work effectively
according to their roles and responsibility to achieve set target. To reduce hazard from work area
it is necessary for management to monitor and control the different situation in more effective
manner. It is a major responsibility of higher authority of the company to give high attention to
the working environment to avoid different types of hazards. HSQE develop different
community, environment quality and health and safety policies to reduce hazards problem from
the workplace to enhance productivity and profitability of the company.
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