IOSH Managing Safely Project Work 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What common mistakes should be avoided when carrying out a workplace risk assessment project?
- Being too thorough
- Failing to identify all significant hazards, not consulting workers, using generic assessments without adaptation, and not prioritising recommendations (Correct answer)
- Using a risk matrix
- Consulting too many workers
Correct answer: Failing to identify all significant hazards, not consulting workers, using generic assessments without adaptation, and not prioritising recommendations
Common mistakes include: failing to identify all significant hazards (only looking at obvious ones), not consulting workers, copying generic assessments without tailoring to the actual workplace, underestimating risks, making impractical recommendations, and not setting clear timescales for action.
Question 2: How should existing control measures be evaluated during the project?
- Assume all existing controls are adequate
- By checking whether they are present, properly maintained, being used correctly, and actually effective at reducing the risk (Correct answer)
- By asking the safety manager if they are adequate
- By checking the date they were last purchased
Correct answer: By checking whether they are present, properly maintained, being used correctly, and actually effective at reducing the risk
Existing controls should be evaluated by checking: are they present and in place? Are they properly maintained? Are workers using them correctly? Are they actually reducing the risk as intended? Have conditions changed since they were implemented? This identifies gaps and areas for improvement.
Question 3: What is the importance of considering 'non-routine' activities in the risk assessment?
- Non-routine activities are too rare to assess
- Non-routine activities such as maintenance, cleaning, or emergency work often involve different or higher risks than normal operations (Correct answer)
- They should only be assessed after an incident occurs
- They are always lower risk than routine activities
Correct answer: Non-routine activities such as maintenance, cleaning, or emergency work often involve different or higher risks than normal operations
Non-routine activities (maintenance, repairs, cleaning, setting up, shutting down, emergencies) often involve different hazards or higher risks than normal operations. Workers may be less familiar with the tasks, normal safeguards may be removed, and time pressure may compromise safety.
Question 4: How should the risk assessment project address vulnerable groups?
- Vulnerable groups don't need special consideration
- By specifically identifying and considering the additional risks to young workers, pregnant workers, disabled workers, and those with language barriers (Correct answer)
- By excluding vulnerable groups from the workplace
- By assigning them only low-risk tasks
Correct answer: By specifically identifying and considering the additional risks to young workers, pregnant workers, disabled workers, and those with language barriers
The risk assessment must specifically consider vulnerable groups who may face additional risks: young workers (inexperience, immaturity), new or expectant mothers (physical changes, chemical exposure), disabled workers (mobility, sensory issues), workers with language barriers, and new starters.
Question 5: What role does workplace housekeeping play in the risk assessment project?
- Housekeeping is only relevant to cleaning staff
- Poor housekeeping is a common source of hazards such as slips, trips, falls, fire risks, and blocked access/egress (Correct answer)
- Housekeeping is too minor to include in a risk assessment
- Housekeeping should only be assessed annually
Correct answer: Poor housekeeping is a common source of hazards such as slips, trips, falls, fire risks, and blocked access/egress
Workplace housekeeping is fundamental to safety. Poor housekeeping creates hazards: spills causing slips, clutter causing trips, obstructed walkways and exits, materials stored unsafely, waste accumulation creating fire risks, and poor organisation leading to other hazards.
Question 6: How should the project demonstrate understanding of the hierarchy of control?
- By recommending PPE for every hazard
- By showing that higher-level controls (elimination, substitution, engineering) have been considered before lower-level ones (administrative, PPE) (Correct answer)
- By listing all possible controls without prioritising
- By only using engineering controls
Correct answer: By showing that higher-level controls (elimination, substitution, engineering) have been considered before lower-level ones (administrative, PPE)
The project should demonstrate that for each hazard, the assessor has considered controls in order of effectiveness: Can the hazard be eliminated? Can it be substituted? Can engineering controls reduce exposure? Only after these are considered should administrative controls and PPE be recommended.
IOSH Managing Safely Project Work 3
What common mistakes should be avoided when carrying out a workplace risk assessment project?