Work related deaths
EVERY three-and-a-half minutes, somebody in the EU dies from work-related causes. This means almost 167,000 deaths a year as a result of either work-related accidents (7,500) or occupational diseases (159,500).
Every four-and-a-half seconds, a worker in the EU is involved in an accident that forces him/her to stay at home for at least three working days. The number of accidents at work causing three or more days of absence is huge, with over seven million every year.
Accidents and illness at work are costly, not only the human cost for workers and their families, but also additional costs for organisations. When things go wrong at work, it affects business productivity and costs arise from occupational accidents and illnesses, increased rates of sick leave and turnover, and a less motivated workforce.
One of the ways of addressing these accidents and illnesses is to ensure that your business has implemented a proper risk assessment process.
Proper risk assessment has a number of business benefits, including creation of safe working conditions, reduce rates of sick leave, lower insurance costs from fewer claims and a more highly motivated workforce. This all helps businesses become more competitive.
To recognise this fact, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has designated this week as the European Week for the campaign on Risk Assessment. They have developed a range of reliable guidance, information and resources to help European companies to develop this good practice approach.
Enterprise Europe Scotland wish to contribute to this campaign by highlighting the following:-
What is risk assessment?
Risk assessment is the process of evaluating health and safety risks arising from hazards in the workplace.
A hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, machinery and equipment, an open drawer, aspects of work organisation, etc.
The risk is the chance or probability, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards.
A risk assessment is therefore a careful and systematic examination of all aspects of the work undertaken to consider what could cause injury or harm, whether the hazards could be eliminated and, if not, what preventive or protective measures are, or should be, in place to control the risks.
First eliminate the hazards and if it is not possible control the risks
For further information, consult the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA) Factsheet on "Risk assessment — the key to healthy workplaces”
Purpose of risk assessment
Employers in each workplace have a moral duty and a legal responsibility to ensure the safety and health of workers in every aspect related to work. A risk assessment enables effective measures to be taken to protect the safety and health of workers by:-
identifying the hazards in the workplace and those at risk,
evaluating the risks associated with those hazards,
determining what measures should be taken to protect the safety and health of employees and others, having due regard to current legislation,
to put in place the preventive and protective measures,
to monitor and review whether the measures in place are working or being implemented.
Role and Responsibility
The employer has a duty to:
ensure the safety and health of workers in every aspect related to work;
organise the risk assessment;
select the person(s) to carry out the assessment and ensure they are competent;
assess the risks and implement protective measures;
consult the employees or their representatives about the organisation of the risk assessment, and the persons carrying out the assessment and implementing the preventive measures;
be in possession of an assessment of the risks;
draw up assessment records having consulted with the workers and/or their representatives, or even involved them in the work, and make the records available to them;
ensure all persons affected are informed of any hazard, of any harm to which they may be at risk and of all the protective measures taken to prevent such harm.
For more information see the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA) Factsheet on "Risk assessment — roles and responsibilities"
Good Practice Awards
Healthy Workplaces includes the European Good Practice Awards to recognise companies and organisations that have made outstanding and innovative contributions to promote an integrated management approach to risk assessment in the workplace.
Among the enterprises and organisations that enter the Award competition, national winners will be selected, and their Good practice example will be submitted to a European selection committee.
For information on how to enter the Good Practice Awards Competition, visit the campaign website: http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/hw2008/awards
