Topic 2 – Hazards and Risks:

Explain the Requirements in terms of the Employer’s Responsibility to assess and respond to Hazards?

We at Evander Gold Mine undertakes to:

• Identify the relevant Hazards and assess the related Risks to which persons may be exposed
• Supply all the necessary Health and Safety Equipment and Health and Safety facilities to each Employee
• Maintain as far as is reasonably practical that Equipment and those facilities in a serviceable and hygienic condition.

What is a Hazard?

• A hazard is something with the potential of causing harm.
• Hazards that impact occupational safety; physical, mechanical, electrical and chemical.
• Consequence; contact, impact, shock, burns.
• Hazards that impact Occupational Health; Biological, Ergonomically, Chemical, Physiological, Psychological.
• Consequence; Ingestion, Inhalation, Absorption, Stress and strains.

HAZARDS AND RISKS

Explain the Legal Requirements in terms of the Employer’s Responsibility to assess and respond to RISK?

What is a Risk?

RISK is the chance of loss or harm occurring.

Explain the meaning of Tolerable Risk?

It is the acceptable level of a Risk

What is an Incident?

An incident is an unplanned event that could or does result in harm or loss.

What Is Reasonably Practical?

Means practicable with regard to:

• Severity and scope of the hazard or risk concerned.
• State of knowledge reasonably available concerning that hazard or risk and of any means of removing or mitigating that hazard or risk.
• Availability & suitability of means to remove or mitigate that hazard or risk.
• Costs and the benefits of removing or mitigating that hazard or risk.

What is occupational health?

• Occupational health includes occupational hygiene and occupational medicine.
• Occupational hygiene means the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of conditions at the mine, which may cause illness or adverse health effects to persons.
• Occupational medicine means the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, injury and adverse health effects associated with a particular type of work.

What is safety?

• Safety means the freedom from harm or loss.

HAZARDS & RISKS

When will you do the following risk assessment ?

• Baseline – Identifying major risks.
• Issue Based – Accident, near miss or if any changes have occurred.
• Continuous – Audits, P.T.O’s and Checklists.

Explain how you will control a Risk:

• Control at the SOURCE
• Try to eliminate the Risk (e.g. bar down)
• Minimize the Risk (e.g. install support) by using P.P.E

What do you understand under the wording:

Risk severity and likelihood?

Risk Severity = Is the magnitude of the loss occurring (level 1 – low, level 2 – minor, level 3 – moderate, level 4 – major, level 5 – critical)

Likelihood = Is how regular does the loss occur (rare – once every 10 years, unlikely – once a year, possible – once in 3 months, likely – once a month, certain – every day

Baseline Risk Assessment

• A Baseline Risk Assessment is an overall (Helicopter) view of the Company to determine the current status of Occupational Health and Safety Risks associated with the company.
• Identify hazards, associated risks and develop controls to mitigate, minimise or control the associated risks.
• Introduction of a New Act, you assess where you are in terms of risk, identifying major risks, prioritise them and establishing a programme for future risk control.
• A baseline risk assessment needs to be comprehensive and may well lead to further, separate, more in-depth risk assessment studies.
• Baseline risk assessment is periodically reviewed, to ensure that it is still relevant and accurate.

Issue-based Risk Assessment

• An Issue Base Risk Assessment deals with specific Issues or Circumstances (need) and a separate risk assessment studies will need to be conducted e.g. standards, equipment or working methods.
• An Issue Base Risk Assessment will need to be carried out when, for example:

–  A new machine is introduced into the mine.

–  A system of work is changed or operations are altered.

–  After an accident or a ‘near-miss’ has occurred.

–  New knowledge comes to light and information is received which may influence the level of risk to employees at the mine.

Issue-based Risk Assessment

• Identify hazards, associated risks and develop controls to mitigate, minimise or control the associated risks.
• An Issue Base Risk Assessment will normally be associated with a Change Management System
• During this process specific hazard identification techniques are used to identify all possible hazards related to a specific issue.
• The results of an issue based risk assessment are used for developing training programmes, standards, procedures, codes of practice and management systems.

HAZARDS AND RISKS

How do we prioritise our hazards ?

From the highest risk rating to the lowest and according to the level of authority

Why is Teamwork so important when conducting Risk  Assessments?

It will encourage teamwork. It will make all aware of hazards and risks.

You will need all the experience you can get from lowest to highest.

Hazards are Identified and Risks are Assessed.

Hazard identification and Risk Assessment within a workplace

• Promote Positive Interpersonal Interaction
• Communication with persons must be friendly, but firm and clear in terms of understanding.
• Willingness to perform tasks must be evident.
• No delays are caused as a result of negative interaction.
• Promote Effective Teamwork.
• Assist other persons where required.
• Encourage team members to work together.
• Avoid dysfunctional conflict.
• Do not aggravate conflict situations.

HAZARDS & RISKS

• Proven method of hazard identification
• Go through the hazard check in a planned way, follow these steps:

–  Start by identifying the hazards.

–  Assess the risks that could come out of those hazards, taking into account what controls are already in place, evaluating the likelihood and consequence of any event happening and respond accordingly.

–  Look at what actually happens in the workplace and, in particular include things that do not happen often.

–  Include all employees, visitors and contractors.

–  Always keep a written record of the assessment, including all actions you take and recommendations you make.

Hazards and Risks – Examples:

PRE-WORK RISK ASSESSMENT

Remember:  Stop, Look, Assess & Manage!!!

Before commencing any work employees must always adhere to the Stop, Look, Assess and Manage (SLAM) process so as to prevent injuries, ill health and other types of losses.

• Firstly stop and look around by using your senses.
• Always know what is going around you and be alert for potential hazards.

PRE-WORK RISK ASSESSMENT

Ask Yourself the Following 9 Questions Before Starting any Job:

• Am I trained to do the job?
• Do I know the procedure/standard for the job?
• Do I have the correct PPE for the job?
• Do I have the right tools for the job?
• Are the tools safe and in good working condition?
• Has anything changed since I last did this job?
• Is there anything around me that can injure me?
• Is there anything or anyone working around me?
• Is a serious accident possible if I continue with the job?

When to perform  Pre-Job Risk Assessment:

• The Pre-Job Risk Assessment must be performed prior to performing any tasks that is not preceded by any form of continuous risk assessment.
• These continuous risk assessments include the following:

–  Safe Declaration by the “Team Leader” (TL).

–  Any Pre-Use Inspection Checklists conducted i.e. Pre-Use Inspection Checklist, Battery Loco, Front End Loader (LHD) Car Operator’s Pre-Use Inspection Checklist etc.

• The Pre-Job Risk Assessment must further be performed:

–  If the task about to be performed has been changed, modified, altered or amended.

–  Prior to performing a non-routine task (task that is non-repetitive, not regular or performed every day).

–  After an incident has occurred.

Who to perform Pre-Job Risk Assessment?

• The Responsible Line Supervisor is responsible to conduct a Pre-Job Risk Assessment where required. Line Supervisors include:

–  Team Leader, Artisan etc.

–  Miner, Artisan etc.

–  Shift Boss, Foreman, Safety Officer etc.

–  Mine Manager, Engineer, Safety Officer.

Check and ensure adequate to perform the task:

• The responsible Line Supervisor must ensure that employees are trained on intended tasks and have relevant knowledge of applicable standards and procedures to perform the intended tasks.

Escalation Process:

• When the Responsible Line Supervisor who is conducting a Pre-Job Risk Assessment are in doubt regarding the control measures or additional control measures required to eliminate, minimize or control the risk, or cannot conduct the Pre-Job Risk Assessment due to illiteracy, he/she must stop the intended work and request assistance from his/her line supervisor level i.e. to report to the mine and the mines to report to the Shift Boss etc.

Health and Safety Representatives

• Report all incidents to them
• Investigate complaints
• Represent employees on all health and safety aspects

General duties of the employee

• Protect own Health & Safety and other persons’
• Use and take care of PPE
• Report Health & Safety risks
• Right to leave dangerous area of work
• Participate in decision making of Health & Safety