Why are risk assessments important?

The first photo shows an evolution of Heinrich’s Accident Triangle which was developed in 1931 as a theoretical tool of accident prevention. It showed that if the number of near misses or unsafe working practices are reduced, there will be a corresponding fall in the number of both minor and serious accidents.

The second photo shows the hierarchy of controls. This is the system by which exposure to hazards can be minimised or eliminated.

Using both these tools it is obvious that the elimination of unsafe working practices is the overall goal.

In order to eliminate an unsafe working practice it first needs to be identified.

Having an overall risk assessment is key to understanding where unsafe conditions can arise. Risk assessments are fluid documents and continuously changing.

Why is it important to monitor near misses as well as accidents and record these too?

Unsafe conditions can develop over time, so regular reviews are needed to keep up as businesses evolve.

Monitoring near misses and recording these either using the accident book or by other means is crucial to ensuring the risk assessments stay current, and that trends in unsafe conditions can be identified, assessed and reduced. This continuous monitoring should be documented.

Having an eye to be able to see the potential outcome of an event rather than what actually happened is infinitely valuable.

When did you last update your risk assessment or record a near miss?

#hierarchyofcontrols #heinrichtriangle #riskassessment #accidentprevention