If you look through the posts in this blog you will find many posts describing what IOSH are looking for in their IOSH Managing Safely project.
One of the things that many people find difficult is part 4, where you are required to identify 3 activity hazards. That’s unfortunate because if you get this part wrong you would lose the associated points in parts 5 & 6.
I have been told by many people that they have found my previous posts on this subject very helpful. Others have still had problems with this part 4 so I figured that perhaps an example wouldn’t go amiss.
What follows is an example of what would amount to the identification of an activity hazard, a risk assessment and risk control information. I haven’t included and risk estimation as this hasn’t often caused any real problems.
If you have read any of my previous posts on activity hazards and you have found them of little help I hope that this goes further to helping you to find your own solutions.
Good luck:
Description of the work activity
Inputting training data to a desktop PC using a keyboard and mouse. The task requires high level of concentration and software knowledge.
Description of the hazard
There is no means of ensuring that staff take frequent breaks from their workstations. Due to work time pressures employees frequently sit at their terminals for long periods, forgoing formal breaks.
People affected
2 x administrators
Work activity
Data input
Hazard, hazardous event and expected consequence
Inputting data for prolonged periods and without breaks could cause fatigue and strain leading to WRULDs, repetitive strain injuries and eye conditions such as dry eye.
Existing controls
There are formal breaks available at 10:30a.m., 12:30p.m. and 14:00p.m.
Further risk controls
Enforce the taking of formal breaks.
Install a centralised printer and initiate a system of work requiring operators to check for print jobs at least once every half hour.
Install monitoring software to identify whether these controls are working adequately.
Description of monitoring
Office manager to audit print job collection at random intervals – daily
Senior manager to interrogate monitoring software – monthly
There is loads more help in this blog space to help with your project or you could follow this link for more help with your IOSH Managing Safely project and assessment.
