Area Risk Assessment

Many methods can be used to identify hazards, such as HAZOP studies and task analysis. A simple method can be used to initiate identification, which allows rapid progress to be made. This would not replace analysis of critical tasks, nor HAZOP of critical processes, but would rather identify those tasks and processes needing the more detailed techniques. This paper does not cover the established risk assessment processes, which are used within fields such as the nuclear and petro-chemical industries to determine the controls required for certain specific hazards, but concentrates upon the identification and ranking of other hazards across the site.

This simple approach can be called "Area Risk Assessment". It involves splitting a site or working area into discrete areas with common activities and conditions, making sure that no area is missed. Then for each area a knowledgeable team identifies hazards by inspection and review of equipment, materials and activities that take place in the area. This approach has been found to be most effective where the team has been briefed to consider all the hazards within the area and the adequacy of the passive controls e.g. bunding around storage tanks. In addition consideration should be given to the existing instructional signs, general or specialised work rules, procedures, permits etc. applicable to the area.

The resulting list of hazards and details of the existing controls can then be passed on to the risk evaluation process. This process should identify hazardous conditions, hazardous practices, hazardous equipment and hazardous materials in each area, whether permanently present or not. Checklists can be used to assist the team, but nothing is so effective as physical check of the area by a trained and experienced hazard spotting team.