Activity 30: Hazard identification, risk assessment and control

Choose a work activity that you have completed during your placement or that you have observed. Identify the potential hazards associated with the activity - i.e. the things that could go wrong and how people could get hurt or ill, then assess the likelihood of these things happening and how severe the consequences might be. After identifying and assessing the risk, evaluate if the current controls are effective and being used, or whether additional measures could be used to minimise or eradicate the risk of harm.

Access the organisation's policies and procedures related to risk assessment and control to help with this activity and use the template that follows to record your findings.

WHS risk assessment and control form

Step 1: Identify the activity

Description work activity:

Choking on food

Describe the location:

Dining Table

Who may be at risk by the activity?

Participant

Step 2: Identify the hazards, risk and rate the risks

An activity may be divided into tasks. For each task identify the hazards and associated risks. List existing risk controls and determine a risk rating using the organisation's procedures related to risk assessment and control. Note: the risk rating codes, Improbable (I), Possible (P) and Probable (P) are included in the table that follows. Change the codes as required to align with rating codes in the organisation's procedures. Additional risk controls may be required to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Re-rate the risk if additional risk controls used. Add additional lines if required.

Tasks

Hazards

Associated risks

Risk rating with existing controls

Existing risk controls

Evaluation of existing control effectiveness

Additional risk controls

Risk rating with additional controls

I

P

P

I

P

P

Food not cut up into small pieces

Choking

choking

Drinking too fast

Choking

choking

Water not thickened properly

choking

choking

Walking around after eating

inhibits digestion

choking

Eating and standing

Choking, trip hazard, bad digestion

Choking, trip and falls

Drinking too fast

Choking and becoming dizzy

Dizziness, choking

Food not gluten and dairy free

Choking, hospitalization, reaction to gluten and diarrhea

Choking, allergic reaction

Activity 31:Workplace consultation

Consult with two staff regarding the outcomes of your workplace risk assessment. Ideally the staff should be familiar with the work activity you assessed in Activity 30 and be staff you have worked closely and built a rapport with during your placement.

Check with your Workplace Supervisor that your choice of staff members is okay and work out a suitable time where you could meet to talk about the risk assessment process you have undertaken, the current controls and any additional risk controls you think should be put in place.

Take notes during the meeting, then create a set of minutes in the template below.

Ask the meeting participants to sign the minutes as a record of their attendance.

Minutes of WHS consultative meeting
Date:
Time:
Venue:
Names and positions of each participant
Explanation of the risk assessment process
Findings on effectiveness of the current risk control methods
Recommendations for additional/ revised risk controls and how these relate to WHS policy and procedures, and legislative requirements/ codes of practice.
Recommendations	Relationship to WHS policy/ procedures and legislative requirements/ code of practice etc.
Discussion and feedback on findings
Specialist WHS advice required (if any). Who will this be obtained from?
Discussion and feedback on findings
Will there be any barriers to implementing risk controls?
Action/s to be taken
Which controls are to be put in place? How will these be implemented?
How will the findings of the risk assessment and control process be communicated to staff? Who will do this and when?
Is there any other action that needs to be taken?
How will the implementation plan be monitored and reviewed?
Staff member 1 name:
Staff member 1 signature:
Date:
Staff member 2 name:
Staff member 2 signature:
Date: