The aim of this chapter is to provide a systematic approach to the identification of hazards, evaluation of risks and prioritization of actions required in order to reduce potential risks of occupational accidents to tolerable levels. The Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No.29 of 1996) makes it mandatory for employers to ensure that they have identified hazards that can result in accidents, performed risk assessment which enables them to put controls in place to eliminate, minimize or control the risks.
There is no rigorous scientific method of identifying hazards and assessing risk (HIRA), thus professional judgment guided by personal experience are important attributes for an effective HIRA. This chapter will provide a generic guide from which end-users may evolve their own systems relevant to their circumstances. It is aimed at the small operator and the shop floor level supervisor, and is therefore written in simple terms and avoids as much as possible, the use of buzz words" in order to promote a better understanding of the HIRA process.
Glossary
Act: Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No.29 of 1996)
FMEGA:
Failure Modes Effects Criticality Analysis
Frequency:
A measure of the likely occurrence of an incident. Frequency may be expressed as a rate (for example, number of accidents per shift), or as a probability of an event happening in a given area within a given time limit is "X" %).
Harm:
human injury or illness, property or environmental damage, process loss or any combination of these.
Hazard Identification:
The process of identifying potential events that may result in accidents.
Hazard:
A source of exposure or danger
HAZOP:
Hazard and operability studies
HIRA:
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
OHS:
Occupational Health and Safety
PPE:
Personal Protective Equipment
Risk Assessment:
The process of determining the likelihood that hazard exposure will result in harm.
Risk characterization:
The estimation of the occurrence and severity of an accident from exposure to a hazard.
Risk rating:
Grading risk in some priority to indicate the significance of the risk compared to other identified risks.
Risk:
The likelihood that occupational injury or harm to persons will occur.
SAMRASS:
South African Mines Reportable Accident Statistical System.
Introduction
South African mining law has become "outcomes-based, (with only minimum standards prescribed)" as opposed to being prescriptive and providing clear directions or rules. Mine management is expected to demonstrate how the risks that exist in the workplace have been addressed and what action has been taken or is required in order to eliminate or reduce risk to tolerable levels. I order for this to happen, all persons on the mine need to understand the HIRA process to ensure that all hazards have been identified and appropriate controls have been put in place to militate all significant risks.
Many people already carry out risk assessment in the course of their daily work. They recognise unsafe working conditions and do something to make them safer. However, the law requires that this process be formalized and documented.
The law stipulates that risk assessment be done on a continual basis as the work environment changes, for example due to the introduction of new equipment, new work procedures or simply due to new ground conditions (in the case of the mining process).
Risk assessment must be seen s a tool used to guide management to allocate scarce resources to the areas that may result in more severe harm to people and property.
The Law
The Mine Health and Safety Act [Section 11 (1) (b) and (c) requires every employer to "assess the risk to health and safety to which employees may be exposed while they are at work" and to "record the significant hazards identified and the risks assessed".
The process of HIRA is continual, as required by Section 11 (4) (a), as every employer must "periodically review the hazards identified and risks assessed, to determine whether further elimination, minimization and control, of risk is possible".
It is important to note that the responsibility of the employer does not end with employees health and safety but addresses any person whose safety and health may be affected by anything resulting from the process of mining. Section 5 (2) (b) requires that:
As far as is reasonably practicable, every employer must:
Identify the relevant hazards and assess the related risks to which persons who are not employees may be exposed.
Ensure that persons who are not employees, but who may be directly affected by the activities at the mine, are not exposed to any hazards to their health and safety.
Thus, the responsibility placed on employers regarding HIRA looks both inwards at the workplace and outwards at persons who are not employees of the mine.
Forms of risk assessment
There are three primary sources forms of risk assessment which complement one another:
Baseline risk assessment
Issue-based risk assessment
Continuous risk assessment
These are explained in some detail in the paragraphs below. Once the assessment process has been defined, hazard identification, risk rating and risk prioritization follow.
Baseline risk assessment
This is a wide-ranging exercise that reviews all potential hazards caused by processes and activities within and area. It needs to be comprehensive in order to comply with the Act.
As depicted in figure 3.1, the starting point is to divide the business area into geographical areas. Once areas are established, the next stop is to list the activities in each area, then occupations (or trades) in each activity, then the tasks for each trade or occupation.
A risk profile will be compiled for each task, which can be consolidated to form an "occupation" risk profile, then an "activity" profile, followed by an "area" risk profile.
The following explanations may assist the readers understanding of areas, activities and task-based assessments.
Geographical or area-based: A specific site or area, such as a workshop, mining section or a stope, is reviewed.
Process or activity-based: Develop a clear understanding of the process being evaluated, which usually requires input from experts within that area, for example an engineer or shift boss, as the case may be.
Occupation and task-based: An occupation or trade (boilermaker, miner, drill operator) or an activity within an occupation (e.g. installing pipes in the shaft, charging a blast hole) is selected and studied to establish the inherent hazards and to determine ther particular risk levels.
The baseline risk assessment document should be reviewed periodically, perhaps once every two years, or at any other interval that best suits the individual mine.
Issue based risk assessment
Issue-based risk assessments are conducted to address particular and specific issues that have arisen in the workplace. These may include the following:
New machinery introduced to the workplace
Work process or system changes
Issues arising as a result of an accident investigation
New information or knowledge coming to light that may alter current perceptions of risk.
Whatever the nature of the change, a risk assessment must be done to ensure that any alteration to the risk profile as a result of the change is recorded and appropriate actions are put in place to address the reluctant risk.
Continuous risk assessment
The purpose of conducting continuous HIRA is to ensure that additional risks is introduced by changes in the system are captured and addressed. Most importantly, this form of HIRA is an integral part of day-to-day management. Principally, line supervisors will conduct it during the course of the daily duties. Examples of continuous HIRA are:
Audits
Pre-work assessments using checklists
General hazard awareness linked to a suggestion scheme, where individuals have made suggestions about areas or issues which they regard as potentially dangerous.
Inter-relationship of different risk assessment process
The three forms of risk assessment described above are not mutually exclusive. Figure 3.2 shows their inter-dependency.
What doe figure 3.2 mean?
1. Significant issues surfacing during the baseline risk assessment and requiring immediate attention are closely monitored through the continuous HIRA.
2. Data from the continuous HIRA process are used modify and update the baseline HIRA process.
3. Outcomes from the continuous HIRA may require detailed issue-based analysis through the issue-based HIRA.
4. Issue-based HIRA outcomes need to be monitored through the continuous HIRA process to ensure implementation and effectiveness.
5. Baseline outcomes can be used to scope and prioritize the issue-based HIRA.
6. As part of the continuous and issue-based HIRA, the integrity and effectiveness of the management system is evaluated.
7. the results of the complete risk management process have an effect on the baseline risk profiles.
For more information visit: Safety in Mine Research Advisory Committee- www.simrac.co.za
Department of Minerals and Energy- www.dme.gov.za
Chamber of Mines in South Africa- www.cominfo.org.za
