Risk Assessment – Only for Work?

Nov 9, 2011 by Linda Sked

You’re at the beach.  Do you whip out a FLRA/FLHA form and start writing on it?  No, but you probably take a quick look at the beach, see the barnacle-covered rocks and go back for some kind of footwear.  You’ve just performed a Field Level Risk (Hazard) Assessment. 

Pot handles, beach, work bench, hot dog roasting stick, water, clutter, field, footing – Reminds me of the old Sesame Street song “One of These Things is Not Like the Other”, although I can almost hear someone remarking that none of these things are like the other. But, what do these items have in common?  The answer is – they’re all potential hazards, and most of us evaluate them as hazards, most every day!

So why can workplace FLRA/FLHA training seem so complicated?  Is it because we try to ‘get it right’, to memorize the steps as presented, instead of memorizing the idea behind how it’s presented?

FLRA 

• Stop & Think
• Identify Hazards
• Assess Risks
• Control Risks
• Resume Work

How about: 

• Stop, Look around. 
• See anything that could cause problem?  [Think, Identify Hazards]
• If the answer is yes, figure out how to get rid of the problem or reduce it. [Assess Risks]
• Now take care of the problem. [Control Risks]
• Take another look.  Everything good to go? 
• If the answer is yes, then ‘go’! [Resume Work]

There, that was simple!

 Safety – Every Time – Everywhere

Linda