Risk Assessment and Management

Risk, for the purposes of Work Health and Safety (WHS), can be defined as the possibility that harm, injury or loss may occur with exposure to a hazard.

Therefore safety is linked to the presence or absence of hazards, the degree of exposure to those hazards, the potential harm the hazards may cause and the relative effectiveness of available control measures.

Simply put, the better the control measures, the lower the risk.

Hazards are present in all workplaces and in the broader community setting.

Where possible, hazards should be eliminated and where this is not possible, hazards should be controlled effectively to minimise the risks to workers and other persons.

A hazard is defined as a situation or thing that has the potential to cause harm.

Risk management is the process of identifying, quantifying and ranking risks and their associated losses, and developing cost effective management strategies to eliminate or control the risks. By following basic risk management procedures, all UWS employees will be in a position to plan and carry out work in a safe manner.

Under NSW legislation, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) is legally obliged to manage risks in the workplace. UWS as a PCBU is required to manage workplace health and safety risks. This includes identifying the foreseeable hazards in the workplace and eliminating the hazards or applying effective control measures to minimise the risks from the hazards.

At UWS this is called conducting a risk assessment. This process is carried out in consultation with employees. WorkCover NSW website provides more detailed information regarding the nature and scope of risk assessments.

There are many ways that a risk assessment can be conducted. UWS has developed a procedure for conducting risk assessments.  This procedure was developed in consultation with workers.

The procedure ensures that:

• The assessments reflect the requirements of the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation (WHS Regulation) and the How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Code of Practice.
• Risks are assessed in a uniform way across the University.
• The process is driven by management in consultation with workers.
• Assessments can be thorough but not too time consuming.
• The completed risk assessment form is a record for future reference.
• Control measures are applied according to the 'Hierarchy of Control Principle' and are commensurate with the level of risk posed to employees and other persons.

In theory a risk assessment can be undertaken at anytime however this may not lead to the most effective use of time and resources.

The following list indicates situations that would warrant a risk assessment being undertaken or reviewed at UWS.

• When a job is first undertaken.
• Immediately prior to using premises for the first time as a place of work.
• When there are changes to work practices, work procedures or the work environment.
• When new or used equipment or new substances (including any hazardous substances and or dangerous goods) are introduced to the work environment.
• As part of responding to a workplace incident, even where there may have been no injury resulting from the incident.
• As part of responding to concerns raised by workers.
• When there is evidence to suggest that a current risk assessment is no longer valid.
• When new or relevant information regarding health and safety risks becomes available from an authoritative source e.g. WorkCover or industry groups.
• As part of the design and construction of a new facility.
• Prior to conducting an experiment.
• As part of developing and designing a new subject, unit or course outline.
  
• Prior to conducting a field trip - see Fieldwork Safety Guidelines (PDF, 383.29 KB) (opens in a new window).
  

If you are unsure of what you should do or whether a risk assessment is warranted you can contact WHS@uws.edu.au for advice and assistance.