Hazards Identification, Risk
Assessment and Control
(HIRAC) Training
Objective:
Participants will be able to practice hazards
assessment, foresee possible consequences,
analyze risks and establish effective control
measures
What is HIRAC?
• Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC)
is the process for managing hazards in the work or
operational environment.
• It is the fundamental mechanism for ensuring a safe
workplace, and underlies the basis of modern health and
safety legislation.
[Link]
What is HIRAC?
• Analytic techniques assist in deciding what facts to gather,
determining probable causes and contributing factors, and
arranging orderly clear results.
• By locating those hazards that are the most probable or have the
severest consequences, hazard analyses provide information
needed to establish effective control measures.
Workplace is any physical location in which work
related activities are performed under the control of the
organization
HIRAC in Legal Laws
DO 198 Section 12 OSH Program
The company shall ensure that the core elements of OSH program
are integrated in the company OSH program such as management
commitment and employee involvement, workplace risk
assessment, hazard prevention and control, safety and health
training and education, and OSH program evaluation.
HIRAC in Legal Laws
Establishments shall be responsible in determining its own level of
classification whether low risk, medium risk, or high risk on the
Hazards Identification and Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC),
that will be the basis for determining the required minimum of safety
officers, OH personnel, and medical services in a particular
workplace.
What is SAFETY?
• Free from harm, accident or illnesses.
• Shall refer to the physical or environmental
conditions of work or employment which
substantially comply with the provision of this
standard.
What is Health?
• Shall connote a sound state of the body and mind, in a
state of well-being.
-OSHS-
Occupational health and safety (OHS) relates to health, safety, and
welfare issues in the workplace.
OHS includes the laws, standards, and programs that are aimed at
making the workplace better for workers, along with co-workers, family
members, customers, and other stakeholders.
Improving a company's occupational health and safety standards
ensures good business, a better brand image, and higher employee
morale.
[Link]
Based of Phil. Constitution of 1987
• OSH is a constitutional objective describe as “ just a
humane terms and conditions at work.
• OSH is a human and workers right; the neglect or denial
of OSH amounts to and infringement of workers right to
Decent Work
Focus of OSH
People
Environment Equipment
Materials
What is hazard?
Are unsafe practices or conditions, that if not
controlled may result into the occurrence of
an accident or an incident.
• Risk: A combination of the probability of
occurrence of a hazardous event and the
severity of injury or damage to the health of
people caused by this event.
What is accident?
Accident is defined as an
event that resulted to
injury to people, harm to
the environment, and
destruction of properties.
Accident is undesired,
unplanned and
unforeseen.
Safety is about preventing accident!
Common Reasons for Accidents
Layman’s version:
‘Oras na kasi niya, hayaan na siyang mamahinga!’
‘Ang malas naman niya!’
‘T**** kasi niya!’
‘Kasama sa trabaho yan!’
These are not real causes - - -
only
Why Accident
Happen?
Underlying Causes of Accident
Lack of Safety Awareness
Lack of Skill
Shortcut or Deviation from the Standard &
Procedures
Complacency or Over Confidence
Negligence
Accident Causation
PEOPLE
Workforce
Management of the workforce
Policies, Behavior
People
ENVIRONMENT
Physical surroundings, Natural environment
Community, social & legal influences Environment
Equipment
MATERIALS
Used, worked or made
EQUIPMENT
Tools and Machinery Materials
Accident causation refers to the factors that are the primary reasons behind an accident. For
occupational health and safety professionals, determining causation factors in any workplace injury
or accident is the key.
Accident Theory
People ACCIDENT
Environment Equipment
Materials
H. W. Heinrich, Domino Theory
Study of Accidents
98 – Preventable
88% - Unsafe Acts
10% - Unsafe
Conditions
2% - Non-Preventable
H. W. Heinrich, Domino
Theory
Domino Theory, “Accident” is one factor in a
sequence that may lead to injury.
COSTS OF ACCIDENTS
Represented by an ICEBERG
• Medical
DIRECT COST • Compensation
• Time lost from work by injured
• Loss time by fellow workers
Indirect and • Damage to tools and equipment
Hidden • Time damaged equipment is out of service
Costs of • Spoiled work
• Loss time by supervision
Accidents • Loss of Production
• Miscellaneous - 100 other items of cost
HAZARD IDENTIFICATION, RISK ASSESSMENT AND
CONTROL (HIRAC)
Introduction
• Workplace hazard identification, assessment and control is an on-going
process. It should be undertaken at various times, including:
– If it has not been done before
– When a hazard has been identified
– When a change to the workplace may introduce or change a hazard. Such as when
changes occur to the work equipment, practices, procedures or environment
– As part of responding to a workplace incident, even where an injury has not
occurred
– Where new information about a risk becomes available or concerns about a risk
are raised by workers
– At regularly scheduled times appropriate to the workplace
Introduction
• These procedures will assist in:
– Finding workplace hazards
– Assessing the risks that may
result from these hazards
– Determining control measures to
eliminate or minimize the level of
the risks
– Monitoring and reviewing the
effectiveness of control measures
The Four Questions
1. What could possibly go wrong?
– This is a brainstorming exercise through which we make a
list of potential risks and hazards in our situation
– Take the time to look beyond the obvious, and use your
common sense and experience
The Four Questions
2. What could be the severity of the consequences if
it did?
– Think through the severity of the result if the bad thing
happens… would it result in serious injury?
– On a scale of 1 through 5, rate the severity of the
potential consequences, with 1 being trivial, and 5 being
death
The Four Questions
3. What is the likelihood of it occurring?
– Rank the likelihood of the bad thing
happening.
The Four Questions
4. What can/should we do to mitigate or eliminate
the risk?
– Identify and select actions that will reduce or eliminate
the hazard, which would move it toward or into the green
• These may take the form of operational or equipment changes
to eliminate the risk completely
– They may also involve actions to help avoid bad
consequences
The Four Questions
– Once the four questions have been asked and answered,
it is essential to run through the cycle again, with a
particular focus on making sure that the mitigation
actions taken have not created new risks or unforeseen
consequences
– We are done when we have implemented the identified
changes, and all of the identified risks fall within an
acceptable zone
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 01: Identify Hazards
• Workers identify all potentially hazardous things or
situations that may cause harm
• Generally, hazards are likely to be found in the following:
– Physical work environment
– Equipment, materials or substances used
– Work tasks and how they are performed
• Work design and management
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 01: Identify Hazards
In order to identify hazards the following are recommended:
• Past incidents/accidents are examined to see what happened
and whether the incident/accident could occur again
• Employees be consulted to find out what they consider are
safety issues – i.e. ask workers about hazards near misses they
have encountered as part of their work.
– Sometimes a survey or questionnaire can assist workers to provide
information about workplace hazards
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 01: Identify Hazards
In order to identify hazards the following are
recommended:
• Work areas or work sites be inspected or examined to
find out what is happening now
– Identified hazards should be documented to allow further action
– Work environment, tool and equipment as well as tasks and
procedures should be examined for risks
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 01: Identify Hazards
In order to identify hazards the following are
recommended:
• Information about equipment and Safety Data Sheets be
reviewed to determine relevant safety precautions
• Welcome creative thinking about what could go wrong
takes place, i.e. what hazardous event could take place
here?
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 02: Assess Risks
• Risk assessment involves considering the
possible results of someone being exposed to
a hazard and the likelihood of this occurring.
A risk assessment assists in determining:
– How severe a risk is
– Whether existing control measures are effective
– What action should be taken to control a risk
– How urgently action needs to be taken
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 02: Assess Risks
A risk assessment should include:
• Identify factors that may be contributing to the risk
• Review health and safety information that is
reasonably available
• Evaluation of how severe the harm could be
• Evaluation of how a hazard may cause harm
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 02: Assess Risks
A risk assessment should include:
• Determining the likelihood of harm occurring
• Identify the actions necessary to eliminate or
control the risk
• Identify records that it is necessary to keep to
ensure that the risks are eliminated or controlled
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 02: Assess Risks
Other risk factors should also be identified as they may contribute
to the risk – including:
• The work premises and the working environment, including their
layout and condition
• The capability, skill, experience and age of people ordinarily
undertaking work
• The systems of work being used
• The range of reasonably foreseeable conditions
Evaluation of Risk
Risk = Probability (event) x Severity (harm)
How are risks ranked or prioritized?
Probability ratings in this example represent:
• High: likely to be experienced once or twice a
year by an individual
• Medium: may be experienced once every five
years by an individual
• Low: may occur once during a working
lifetime
Severity ratings in this example represent:
• High: major fracture, poisoning, significant loss of blood, serious head injury, or fatal
disease
• Medium: sprain, strain, localized burn, dermatitis, asthma, injury requiring days off
work
• Low: an injury that requires first aid only; short-term pain, irritation, or dizziness
How are risks ranked or prioritized? (cont.)
Canadian Center for Occupational Safety and Health
http:/[Link]/
How are risks ranked or prioritized? (cont.)
These risk ratings correspond to recommended actions such as:
▪Immediately dangerous: stop the process and implement controls
▪High risk: investigate the process and implement controls immediately
▪Medium risk: keep the process going; however, a control plan must be
developed
and should be implemented as soon as possible
▪Low risk: keep the process going, but monitor regularly. A control plan
should also be investigated
▪Very low risk: keep monitoring the process
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 03: Controlling Risks
• Once a risk rating is determined, each hazard must
have its existing risk control measures evaluated
using the Evaluation of Control Effectiveness Table
• This allows for determination of any additional
requirement necessary
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 04: Implement Additional Risk Controls
• The management of risks in the workplace requires eliminating risks so far
as reasonably practicable in the first instance. Where elimination is not
possible, then risks should be minimized, so far as reasonably practicable
• All hazards that have been assessed should be dealt with in order of
priority. The most effective control option/s should be selected to
eliminate or minimize risks
• The Hierarchy of Controls – ranks control options from highest level of
protection and reliability to lowest. This should be used to determine the
most effective control/s
Hierarchy of Controls
Hierarchy of Controls
• Eliminate or control all serious hazards (hazards that are
causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm)
immediately.
• Use interim controls while you develop and implement longer-
term solutions.
• Select controls according to a hierarchy that emphasizes
engineering solutions (including elimination or substitution)
first, followed by safe work practices, administrative controls,
and finally personal protective equipment.
Hierarchy of Controls
• Avoid selecting controls that may directly or indirectly
introduce new hazards. Example, using hearing
protection that makes it difficult to hear backup
alarms.
• Review and discuss control options with workers to
ensure that controls are feasible and effective.
• Use a combination of control options when no single
method fully protects workers
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 05: Monitor and Review
• Regularly review the effectiveness of your
hazard assessment and control measures
at least every 3 years
– Make sure that you undertake a hazard and risk
assessment when there is a change to the
workplace including when work systems, tools,
machinery or equipment change
– The effectiveness of control measures can be
checked through regular reviews as well as
consultation with workers
Risk Assessment Procedure
Step 05: Monitor and Review
• Maintaining records of the risk
management process assists when
undertaking subsequent reviews or
risk assessments as it demonstrates
decision making processes and
informs how controls were intended
to be implemented
HIRAC Group
Workshop
