What is a critical risk and why is it so important?

All risks are not created equal.

A critical risk is a risk that either has a high likelihood or high severity and definitely one that has both. This would be established through your risk assessment and by your incident & near miss statistics. To be fair, if we asked you what your top (critical) risks are, you would probably be able to identify them easily based on your experience, however risk assessment does help quantify and rank these choices.

Breaking it Down

• Identification = Do you understand what your critical risks are? If not identify them ASAP!! Use your risk matrix to understand your initial risk (before controls) and residual risk (after controls are implemented). Initial and Residual risk sets up critical risk but understand that high consequence and low likelihood and conversely lower consequence and high likelihood can both be critical risks. Understanding what risk is, is really important. Confused? We don’t blame you but don’t get to wrapped up in it. Just use the common-sense rule to start with, if people are getting hurt (or are nearly getting hurt = near miss) and its regularly occurring then it’s probably a critical risk and you need to get your shit sorted ASAP!!
• Control = Do you have a lot of controls wrapped around these critical risks (engineering & design, SOPS, induction, training & assessments, etc.)? If not, then wrap a lot of stuff around them ASAP!! The higher the level of risk the higher the number of controls that should be in place (as a rule of thumb). Understand that all controls are not created equal. To eliminate the risk is ideal and normally (but not always) relies on designing the risk out. For example, for manual handling risks the use of mechanical handling devices (trolleys etc) can eliminate the need to manually handle goods.
• Training = Do you provide training and competency assessments for high-risk processes/risks and equipment? If not, then do so ASAP!! Training is critical to control these critical risks effectively and make sure you test competency, i.e., what has been trained has been understood and applied as you expect. Here is a good article on this. https://lnkd.in/g8JR62JS
• Monitoring = Do you specifically monitor critical risks to ensure what has been communicated, trained and assessed is actually occurring in the workplace? If not, then start formal monitoring ASAP and measure performance!! If you are not monitoring the workplace application of your controls, then how do you know they are being followed and are effective? There will be various levels of monitoring, the more levels there are the more likely you are to detect non-conformances and safe observations. Workers, supervisors, managers and directors should all be involved at layered frequencies. Also, if you complete shift work, do you do night checks?
• Measuring = Always measure how effective your critical risk program is. How many hazards, near miss and incidents have occurred (LAGGING INDICATORS – the bad stuff)? How many safe observations, inspections, inductions and training have been done (LEADING INDICATORS = the good stuff)? Where you see good things happening in the critical risk space, acknowledge and reward it. Focusing on the positive is something we need to do a lot more of instead of the traditionally focusing on the bad stuff = positive reinforcement is a powerful tool. Don’t be shy providing a token gift and a certificate as a reward.
• Incidents = Are you experiencing repeat hazards, near misses and incidents in the same critical risk area (does the same stuff keep happening!!)? If so, your investigation process is inadequate, and repeats are going to keep occurring and at an increasing severity level (i.e., it’s only a matter of time until some real serious shit happens!!). Reset, go back and look for commonality in causal and root cause factors and going forward complete good root causal investigations ASAP!! Ensure you have trained investigators in your organisation so investigations can be completed properly.
• Leadership = Leadership is critical for any business process and safety is no exception. However, if you are going to focus effort on safety then focus on critical risk, don’t spread yourself thin, monitor and measure what’s important and if you are not doing this then reset ASAP!!. Interrogate the data, be visible and get out in the workplace and talk to the workers who do the mahi to understand what they do and how they do it (work as completed and not as imagined). Ask the hard questions when they need to be asked, be inquisitive and curious and don’t accept the status quo. Also, and most importantly, make sure you comply with the critical risk rules/SOPs, nothing worse than a leader who doesn’t follow the rules, very, very bad and guaranteed to lead to an ineffective safety system! Leaders lead the critical risk effort and workers see this and respond positively to it. Be a leader and not a follower.

Summary

Because we are not into safety clutter this is the end. However, in summary, all risks are not created equal, so do make sure you identify, control, train, monitor and measure your critical risks. And remember, if you don’t control your critical risks, they may end up controlling you!! Become a critical risk focused company if you haven’t already, it really is better than the alternate which could be a visit to the judge!!

Fletcher Building – the journey to improve culture and critical risk controls » Business Leaders Health & Safety Forum

Be SunSmart – how to be safe in the sun this summer at work and at home.

Did you know? The shorter the shadow, the stronger the UV Rays!

With summer approaching, now is a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of being safe in the sun. Being SunSmart means remembering to use the sun protection system:

• SLIP on a long-sleeved shirt and slip into shade. No sunscreen can filter out all UV radiation so cover up as much skin as practical and plan outdoor activities for early or late in the day with the sun’s UV levels are lower.
• SLOP on a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of at least SPF30. Aim to use at least seven teaspoons if you’re doing your whole body. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out so it can bind to your skin and form a protective layer. Reapply every two hours and after sweating and swimming.
• SLAP on a wide-brimmed hat or a cap with flaps – a cap without flaps doesn’t protect your ears, neck, cheeks or chin.
• WRAP on a pair of close-fitting, wrap-around sunglasses.

Did you know? It is estimated that 15% of the workforce in New Zealand work outdoors!

The level of UV radiation that New Zealand experiences is 40% higher than in countries at a similar latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. It is thought that episodes of sunburn, and a lot of exposure over time, cause 90% of skin cancers.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) businesses have a primary duty of care to provide and maintain a work environment that is without risks to the health and safety of workers. This means that businesses should consider UV exposure from sun as a workplace hazard.

Actions we can take to reduce this risk:

• PROVIDE – make sunscreen available, i.e. in the office, in vehicles, etc. Provide uniforms that are SunSmart, i.e. long sleeved shirts, hats and wrap-around sunglasses. If working outside for long periods, provide shade.
• COMMUNICATE – provide information on the ways to be SunSmart. This could be in a toolbox meeting, posters on a noticeboard, posting the Sun Protection Alert on your intranet, or encourage them to download the uv2day app. Let your staff know what you are providing and where they can find it. Encourage staff to check their skin and go to their doctor if they are concerned. You might also consider providing skins checks as part of your wellness programme.
• LEAD – Ensure management are good role models in being SunSmart!

There are many great resources online with more information, which can help you communicate the SunSmart message in your business:

• SunSmart NZ
• Wellplace NZ
• Cancer Society NZ
• SunSmart Australia

And finally, here’s a great video to share with your team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhuOEfbEi-Q

Written by Clare Radbourne

As Workplace Safety Partners, we are fortunate to be able to work in different businesses each day and interact with many leaders and workers in the process. We can see their safety maturity at different stages and partner with them on their journey to develop, implement and sustain effective Health and Safety management solutions.

When we look at a business risk profile, many aspects of the business share some common risks. One of these, of course, is the risk of harm to its workers.

Whether they are employees, contractors, volunteers or in other work arrangements such as a shared workplace, people are fundamental to any business success. Our collective objective as business leaders is to ensure we understand the businesses risks and ensure there are effective controls in place to manage risks as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).

To achieve this level of effective risk management, as leaders, we need to self-check ourselves and ask the right questions.

Ask yourself:

• Do I understand the potential risks in the business – particularly the ones that could cause major harm to workers?
• Are the controls I have in place effective?  How am I sure of this?
• What do my frontline workers think of the effectiveness of these controls?
• Are workers involved in developing and reviewing controls such as procedures, training programmes, etc?
• Do we manage the risk impacts from change in the business?
• As a leader, am I visible, do I demonstrate I care about my workers and do I engage with my workers frequently enough?

There has been plenty of advice floated over the last few years about how to lead workplace safety. Some of this is based on scare tactics and must be confusing for leaders when trying to find their way.

Whether you follow the Safety 1, Safety 2, Safety differently, or the next wave of Safety process, it’s important to ensure you bring your focus to what matters most – your people.

Make sure you are constantly:

• engaging with them
• creating an environment where they can participate in Health and Safety
• being a leader of the Health and Safety systems – make it the way you do business
• staying aware of the risks your workers are exposed to – if you’re not sure what these are, find out
• ensuring your workplace safety risk controls are effective – check and monitor them regularly
• recognising the safe practices your workers routinely follow
• visible and present for your workers

We understand that managing and leading workplace safety can appear to be difficult. As your partner, our mission is to support you with workable solutions, coach your leaders and ensure effective management systems.

What’s Next?

We support your leaders and H&S professionals to become true ‘Safety Champions’ with our Workplace Health & Safety Management Leadership Mentoring and Coaching.

Find out more and enquire about this service here.

The bowtie risk analysis model is used to help simplify risk assessment and support business understanding of risk. Much like the name suggests, this style of risk assessment uses a format that looks like a bowtie.

It enables users to conceptualise the interaction of causes, controls and consequences of a business risk. The bowtie risk analysis model can also provide a systematic examination of the business, identifying all circumstances which may give rise to risks.

Essentially, it provides a detailed study of the cause and recovery mechanisms for the principal risks within an organisation.

Key Steps for a Bowtie Risk Analysis

1. Define the top event (define what the unwanted event is that you are actually assessing)
2. Then identify the various threats which could cause the top event to be realised
3. Detail the existing protection barriers (controls) for each threat identified
4. Then for each barrier, define their escalation factors (these are factors that could make the barrier fail)
5. Identify for each barrier their escalation factor controls – i.e. Controls that prevent or minimise the possibility of the barrier or the recovery measures becoming ineffective
6. Then identify the consequences of the top event occurring – noting the top event could have several consequence outcomes
7. Identify the recovery measures to the top event – these are the factors that control that risk issues
8. Identify for each recovery measure their escalation factors and escalation factor controls
9. For each barrier, recovery measure and escalation factor controls, identify further safety actions that will prevent them from being realised
10. Ensure these actions are then assigned for review and follow up to the responsible staff member

This process may sound complex but worked through logically, it can deliver key outcomes and understanding of business risks. A vast amount of detail is generated from this process – it’s important to capture it all to enable full understanding.

In its basic form, the bowtie process can look like this following diagram:

Bowtie Risk Analysis

A bowtie can also provide an excellent tool to demonstrate the principal risks and controls to workers and senior executives. It enables the reader to work through the different stages of how an event could occur through outlining the potential precursor events and recovery mechanisms.

One of the many benefits of the InControl HSQE software is that its risk assessment technique is based on the bowtie risk analysis process. This enables users to very simply bring this complex risk management technique into their standard operational HSQE Management processes.

As well as being able to complete and store the bowtie process within the InControl software, these assessments can be linked to events (i.e. incidents, near misses, hazards etc.). As these are reported into the same system, this can prompt a review of existing threats/controls and provide detailed risk analysis of the reported event data against the business risks.

This functionality brings detailed risk analysis alive within the business.

Below is an example of the bowtie within InControl:

What next?

As the NZ partner for INX InControl software solution, Intesafety can assist you by providing a comprehensive software package to manage and centralise all your HSQE functions. We can also assist with facilitation of your bowtie risk assessments – ensuring they are fully detailed within the system, actions are assigned and risks regularly reviewed.

Get your business fully understanding its risk profile. Call us today for a free demonstration of the InControl software and our specialist Health and Safety Management Services.