Health Safety and Risk Assessment Approach to health

Health & Safety and Risk Assessment

Approach to health & safety • We believe that good health and safety is an essential part of what we do. • Our aim is to integrate health & safety into every aspect of our work to protect everyone who could be affected by our activities.

Approach to health & Safety Policy It is the responsibility of the employer to develop a positive health and safety culture throughout the company, high health and safety standards are a pre-requisite in the pursuit of artistic excellence.

Approach to Health & Safety Policy The Safety Policy places responsibility for safety on all members of staff and makes specific commitments to safe working, the safety of those who may be affected by their work activity and meeting of all relevant legal requirements.

Approach to Health & Safety Policy We consider these issues are the responsibility of the overall Production and Company Management and rank equally with that of finance, marketing, human resources and commercial issues.

Approach to Health & Safety Policy • The Safety Policy includes an overall statement by the Leader of the organisation. • It will detail the arrangements to manage H&S and how the responsibility for H&S areas are delegated down through the organisation.

Approach to Health & Safety Policy • The Production Manager accepts overall responsibility for implementation the policy for their production. • In turn, all levels of management and all supervisors are responsible for carrying out those health and safety duties placed on them.

Approach to Health & Safety Policy To deliver on this commitment to Health and Safety a number of tools are used; • Induction & Training • Risk Assessments & Method Statements • Briefings • Reporting

Risk assessment • Risk Assessment is the basic 'toolkit' by which we can evaluate the extent of a given risk and therefore identify suitable risk control measures.

Risk Assessment • Risk Assessment is not an end in itself, as we do not assess risk simply to comply with the law. It is the method by which we can understand the nature of the problems that are faced; so suitable risk control measures can be implemented.

Risk Assessment • It is important that risk assessors can demonstrate appropriate competence both in the technical area under consideration and also in the skill of risk assessment itself.

Risk Assessment • It is the responsibility of the Production Manager to use their teams to assist them to identify and assess the reasonably foreseeable significant risks that arise from their work activities

Risk Assessment • Adequate and appropriate risk control measures must be implemented and maintained.

Risk Assessment • Risk assessment is not a new concept, the health and safety at work act 1974 extended into statute the common law duty of care; where the duty of the employer (and others) is qualified by the words “ So far as is reasonably practicable”

What is a risk assessment ? • A risk assessment is a vital part of everyday life. We all assess risks from the moment we get up in the morning. All that changes in our professional lives is that we have to start writing it down.

Reviewing the risk • As we cross the road, we tend to keep an eye out for that extra ‘unknown’ factor. The motorbike we didn’t spot, the large patch of diesel oil in front of us……. . All the time we are ‘re-assessing’ the risk. In our professional capacity, we must regularly reassess the risks, and update our original documentation.

Documenting the risk There are three main stages to any risk assessment • Identification • Assessment • Control

• This means balancing the degree of risk against the cost of control measures • The higher the risk the greater the effort is required to combat it • It also implied that knowledge of the risks faced by the organisation and measure of the extent of these was needed

Key Definitions • For the purpose of discussing risk assessment , the following definitions apply; •

A Risk Assessment • A risk assessment is a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm

A Hazard • A Hazard is something with the potential to cause harm. Death, injury or ill-health. This can be articles, substances, plant or machines, method of work, the working environment and other aspects of work organisation

A Risk • A risk is the likelihood of potential harm from that hazard being realised. The extent of the risk will depend on the likelihood of that harm occurring, the potential severity of that harm and the population which might be affected by the hazard.

Identifying the risks Health and safety legislation has been split into specific areas……

Workplace environment • This area covers the basic fabric of the work environment. It doesn’t have to be a building. It covers things like the state of the floor, lighting, temperature, weather, working at heights.

Manual handling • Manual handling covers all elements of the non-mechanically assisted (i. e. people) maneuvering and lifting things. Be it carrying a box of photocopier paper, or unloading a truck, you must identify every risk. Even the pushing of a flight case is covered by these regulations.

Electricity • Electricity is covered by the Electricity at Work Regulations and can be summarised in one sweeping statement • “ all electrical equipment must be safe, used safely, and maintained as safe throughout its life. ”

COSHH • Any chemical substance (and that includes water) has an associated risk. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations covers all aspects of the use, handling, absorption, respirationand ingestion of these chemicals.

PUWER • The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 came into force at the same time as LOLER. It covers all aspects of the ‘tools’ we use to perform our jobs from chisels to forklifts, from power tools to power presses.

PPE • The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 cover the provision, use and maintenance of all equipment provided to employees to help protect them from hazard.

Fire and First Aid • Fire risks are everywhere. • Fire safety is all about prevention and evacuation.

Noise • Noise is not just the risk to the public, but also to our own staff. At a venue, the sound crew chief and/or sound engineer has the potential to produce an immense amount of Sound Pressure level. • Irresponsable use of that power could cause partial deafness in someone unfortunate enough to be working out front.

Review and revision • Risk assessments need to be reviewed and, if necessary, modified to take into account changes • Adverse events such as an accident, ill health or dangerous occurrences may take place even if a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been made and appropriate preventative and protective measures taken. Such events should be the trigger for reviewing the original risk assessment

Risk Assessment • Risk assessment is a function of a judgment made on two independent variables. These variables are the nature and extent of the consequential harm were a given hazard to be realised, and the likelihood of that harm occurring.

Risk Assessment • The judgment is not a random decision; it is made through an assessment of data about the hazard and likelihood measured against common criteria.