Element IA5: Risk Control

Summary
Common Risk Management Strategies
We identified and discussed:
Avoidance or elimination.
Reduction.
Transfer.
Retention with/without knowledge.

Factors to be Taken Into Account When Selecting Risk Controls

Control measures can be considered using the following principles:
Avoid risks.
Evaluate.
Combat at source.
Adapt work to the individual - ergonomics.
Adapt to technical progress.
Control measures may be classified as being technical, procedural or behavioural.
The choice of control measures adopted should take account of:
Use in the long or short term.
Applicability.
Practicability.
Cost.
Effectiveness.
Legal requirements.
Competence/training needs.
Cost-benefit analysis involves ensuring that the cost of risk management is not disproportionate to the savings by
reduction of losses.
Costs of controlling risks include: organisational, design, planning, and operational costs.

Safe Systems of Work and Permit-to-Work Systems

We considered the following in terms of safe systems of work:
A safe system of work is one where the work is organised to remove hazards and minimise risks.
It should proceed logically from identification to elimination of risks.
A safe system of work is needed where hazards cannot be physically eliminated.
Four steps to identifying a safe system of work:
Analyse the task - identifying hazards and assessing risks.
Introduce controls and formulate procedures.
Instruct and train people in the operation of the system.
Monitor and review.
A permit to work is a formal written document of authority to undertake a specific procedure and is designed to protect
personnel working in hazardous areas or activities.
Permit-to-work systems do not replace safe systems of work; they try to ensure that formal action is taken to eliminate
human error.

Unit IA Element IA5 | 5-20 RRC Training

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