How to Conduct a Thorough Workplace Hazard Assessment: A Step-by-Step Guide Aligned with Safe Work Australia

Workplace Hazard Assessment: A Step-by-Step Guide Aligned With Safe Work Australia

Globally, nearly three million workers die every year due to work-related accidents and diseases, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Workplace fatalities remain a major concern, and numbers from Safe Work Australia's reports indicate that Australia has been recording a steady number of work-related deaths in recent years.

In 2021, 169 workers died while performing their duties. The following year saw a rise in workplace fatalities, with 195 workers suffering traumatic injuries in 2022. By December 7, 2023, the death toll stood at 147, and preliminary data for 2024 already indicates that 173 employees have suffered fatal injuries. These statistics underscore a continuous need for enhanced safety measures across Australian workplaces. Hazard identification plays a pivotal role in reducing workplace fatalities and injuries by systematically identifying and assessing potential hazards, thereby enabling implementation of effective controls.

In short: workplace hazard assessment involves identifying dangers, evaluating associated risks, applying appropriate controls, and maintaining records that support ongoing WHS compliance. Below, we break the process into practical steps aligned with Safe Work Australia (SWA) guidance.

Step 1. Understanding Codes of Practice

Codes of practice offer practical guidance on complying with work health and safety (WHS) laws and regulations within a certain industry or for a specific hazard. They provide detailed steps and best practices to help businesses create safe workplaces. While not legally binding in themselves, following a code of practice demonstrates that reasonably practicable steps have been taken to fulfil safety obligations.

Examples of Codes of Practice

• Industry-specific: Construction Work Code of Practice, Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace Code of Practice, etc.
• Hazard-specific: Confined Spaces Code of Practice, Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice, etc.

The Role of Safe Work Australia's 'How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks' Code of Practice

This particular Code of Practice provides a broad, foundational framework for identifying and managing hazards across all types of workplaces. By following its guidance, businesses can:

• Establish a Systematic Approach: The Code helps break down complex safety issues into manageable steps, ensuring nothing gets overlooked.
• Tap into Best Practices: Its recommendations are based on proven safety practices from a range of industries.
• Demonstrate Compliance: Aligning with the Code shows commitment to due diligence in workplace safety.

What is Hazard Assessment

A hazard assessment involves identifying, evaluating, and managing safety and health hazards in the workplace to safeguard worker well-being. It starts with a crucial step to identify hazards, including recognising and understanding potential dangers through incident investigations, risk assessments, workplace surveys, and proactive inspection processes.

Identifying common workplace hazards and checking for obvious dangers using a hazard identification checklist is an important first step in the hazard identification process. Essentially, it's about figuring out what hazards exist at work, how serious their risks are, and what actions prevent them from occurring.

Simply put, a hazard assessment involves identifying potential hazards in the workplace, assessing risks associated with those hazards, implementing controls to mitigate danger, and maintaining records to track effectiveness of these measures. Part of this process includes prioritising hazards and determining which should be addressed first to reduce overall risk effectively.

Hazard Assessment vs Risk Assessment

Hazard and risk assessments form fundamental components of workplace safety and health management. Though closely related and often used interchangeably, they serve different purposes and focus on distinct aspects of safety management.

(1) Hazard Assessment

Hazard Assessment identifies potential hazards that could cause harm in a workplace. A hazard is anything with potential to cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working at height, or even an open drawer. Its main goal is to create a comprehensive list of dangers present in the workplace. This involves inspecting the site, reviewing records, and consulting safety standards to find physical, chemical, ergonomic, biological, or psychosocial hazards.

Key points about Hazard Assessment:

• Focuses on identifying hazardous conditions or substances.
• Generally the first step in a safety management process, since potential hazards must be known before assessing how risky they are.
• Hazard assessments are typically simpler than risk assessments and can be conducted through observations and inspections.

(2) Risk Assessment

Risk assessment builds on hazard assessment by asking: "How likely is something to go wrong, and how bad could it be?" It considers the likelihood of a hazard occurring, severity of potential injuries or illnesses, and effectiveness of existing controls.

In simpler terms, hazard assessment resembles identifying a fire hazard in a house (e.g., frayed wires), while risk assessment evaluates how likely that hazard is to cause a fire (e.g., considering wire placement and flammability of nearby materials) and how severe the fire could be (e.g., potential damage and danger to occupants).

Key points about Risk Assessment:

• Involves analysing and evaluating danger associated with each identified hazard through a detailed risk analysis process.
• Helps determine which hazards require immediate attention or mitigation measures based on their risk level. Documentation of this process is often captured in a risk assessment form, forming an integral part of an organisation's health and safety management system.
• The process involves estimating both likelihood of harm occurring and potential severity of that harm.
• Risk Assessment prioritises dangers and supports appropriate risk management decisions to minimise or eliminate exposure.

Four Key Points for the Hazard Assessment Phase

1. Comprehensive Scope

Assess all workplace elements — tasks, equipment, materials, environment — for potential hazards.

• Work Tasks: Individual steps and processes involved in jobs. For example, a retail worker unboxing stock faces hazards like cuts from box cutters and back strain from lifting or tripping over boxes.
• Equipment & Plant: Consider both normal operation and potential malfunctions. A forklift, for instance, could strike a worker during operation or pose risks if its brakes or hydraulics fail.
• Materials: Refer to Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for hazardous chemicals. Even seemingly harmless materials like sawdust could become a fire or respiratory hazard in excess.
• Work Environment: Layout, lighting, ventilation, temperature, noise, etc. Poor ventilation in a chemical storage area could make employees dizzy or ill.

2. Worker Involvement

Insights from staff are crucial; interview, observe, and provide feedback channels.

• Interviews and Discussions: Seek their ideas on what could go wrong and how.
• Observations: Watch tasks being performed to spot potential issues.
• Feedback Channels: Maintain an open-door policy or a system allowing staff to report hazards at any time.

3. Utilise Diverse Resources

Combine walkthroughs, record reviews, and industry standards for thoroughness.

• Walkthroughs: Physical inspections give direct visual information.
• Reviewing Records: Analyse past incidents, maintenance reports, and safety audits for patterns.
• Consulting Standards and Guidelines: Industry-specific regulations and best practices provide a benchmark for comparison.
• Consider Your Supply Chain: Sometimes hazards are introduced by how suppliers package materials or deadlines set by those commissioning work. Engage in open communication throughout the supply chain to identify potential risks and ensure everyone prioritises safety.

4. Focus on the "How" and the "Why"

Understand how hazards cause harm and identify their root causes.

• How could someone be harmed? Be specific. Instead of just saying "slip hazard," think "worker could slip on a wet floor, breaking an arm." This aids prioritising and choosing the right controls.
• Why does this hazard exist? Understanding root causes helps select the best control measures.

Implementing Control Measures

Once hazards have been identified and their risk assessed, it's time to implement controls that protect workers. Remember the hierarchy of controls:

• Elimination: Can the hazard be removed completely? For example, replacing a highly toxic cleaning product with a safer alternative.
• Substitution: Replace the hazard with something less harmful. For example, quieter plant can reduce noise-related injury risk.
• Engineering Controls: Isolate the hazard. Install machine guards or redesign a workstation so employees avoid needing to overreach.
• Administrative Controls: Change work practices. This could include job rotation to reduce repetitive strain or providing more training for staff exposed to chemicals.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Last resort. Includes gloves, masks, ear protection, etc.

Understanding and documenting risk control is crucial for ensuring implemented measures effectively manage hazards and protect employees. This also supports continual improvement in workplace safety by providing a framework for monitoring and reviewing effectiveness of controls.

Balancing Risk vs. Cost: Businesses must make sound financial decisions. In a perfect world, every hazard would be eliminated instantly, but sometimes that's not possible. Legally, you must do what's "reasonably practicable" — meaning effort and cost invested in safety measures should match the level of risk. However, safety should always remain a top priority; never compromise it just to save a few dollars.

Practical Examples

• Office Setting: A cluttered walkway with boxes is a tripping hazard. Elimination or substitution isn't always possible, but engineering controls (better storage solutions) or administrative controls (policies about keeping walkways clear) would reduce risk.
• Warehouse: Forklifts and other vehicles pose hazards. Administrative controls (speed limits, designated traffic paths) matter, as do engineering controls (backup alarms, proximity sensors).
• Construction Site: Fall hazards are serious. Ideally, work is redesigned (elimination) to be done at ground level. If not, guardrails (engineering) become necessary. Harnesses (PPE) would only be used if other controls cannot be implemented. See our guide on writing a Safe Work Method Statement for related documentation practices.

Implementing controls effectively often entails significant changes in the workplace, including adapting to new plant, processes, chemicals, or PPE. To ensure successful integration and maintain high safety levels, consider these supporting actions:

• Develop safe work procedures to assist employees in performing tasks and changes.
• Provide adequate training and information on hazards, controls, and procedures.
• Conduct regular inspections and maintenance of plant to ensure proper functioning.
• Supervise work processes to identify potential problems or areas for improvement.
• Encourage open communication between management and employees to address occupational safety concerns promptly.

Review and Update

Controls can become less effective over time or due to changes in the workplace. Reviewing and updating risk assessments regularly through a structured process is crucial when conditions and tasks change. The risk assessment form remains vital here, aiding regular review of controls to ensure they stay effective and relevant.

Situations that necessitate a review of controls include:

• When new workplace hazards are discovered
• When an incident or near-miss happens
• When changes are made to work processes, plant, or materials
• When there are changes in legal requirements or industry standards
• When new information on existing hazards becomes available
• When workforce dynamics change
• When workplace accidents and illness rates increase
• When workers raise feedback or concerns
• When controls become outdated or ineffective

Review at Regular Intervals

Regularly reviewing controls forms a key component of an effective safety management system. This ensures controls evolve alongside changes in the workplace environment, workforce, and legal requirements, maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. Here are ways to evaluate effectiveness of controls:

• Inspections and Observations: Regularly check the workplace and observe work performance.
• Feedback from Workers: Gain insights from staff on what is working and what isn't.
• Incident Records: Review records of near-misses and accidents to identify trends.

Step 5: Maintain Records

Recordkeeping proves essential for maintaining a safe workplace. It provides a detailed history of all risk assessment processes, controls, and reviews undertaken. This information can demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and identify areas for improvement within the safety management system.

For instance, reviewing past health and safety risks and controls can help identify potential hazards and develop appropriate measures when planning a new project. Records should be kept in a secure, centralised location accessible to all relevant personnel, and should be organised and easily retrievable.

Keep records of:

• Hazard identification records
• Risk assessment reports
• Control implementation records
• Reviews and updates made
• Workplace inspections and observations
• Employee training and information records
• Incident records and investigation reports
• Feedback and suggestions from workers

Reinforce Hazard Assessment With the Right Resources

Understanding steps in assessing workplace hazards includes choosing appropriate resources and tools to support a safety management system. SafetyDocs by SafetyCulture, Australia's most trusted provider of occupational safety documentation, enables teams to perform hazard assessments with ease. We offer customisable templates for risk management processes, control forms, checklists, and more.

Simplify your safety management process to keep operations safe and compliant. Start with these documents:

• Risk Management Plan
• Risk Assessment Templates
• Safety Management Systems
• Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) Templates

It's never too late to improve workplace safety by conducting a hazard assessment. Stay compliant, stay vigilant, and stay safe. Remember, a safe workplace tends to be a productive workplace — so prioritise safety at all times! For related tasks, review our Manual Handling SWMS or our LPG Cylinders SWMS for hazard-specific documentation. Contact us today at SafetyDocs to learn more about our safety solutions.

Our team of experts remains dedicated to providing accurate and informative content. Craig Cruickshank, our senior HSEQ advisor at SafetyDocs by SafetyCulture, has reviewed this blog post to ensure the highest level of quality. Learn more about Craig's work on LinkedIn for further industry insights.

Available for instant download and supplied in fully editable MS Word format for use in your business.

Please note that the above information is provided as a comment only and should not be relied on as professional, legal or financial advice.