Can a WHS Risk lead to an opportunity for process improvement

If WH&S systems really wants to adopt a risk management approach (or become a component of integrated risk management) then opportunity needs to be a consideration.

Currently the process of  WH&S risk assessment and  the development of  subsequent risk controls do not consider the aspect of opportunity.

How can something considered to be a risk to peoples health and safety be considered an opportunity?

As mentioned in a previous blog (Is OHS blanketing  process risk managements -19/6/11) concentrating solely on WHS risk may lead to being blind to process risk. If, when WHS risk factors are reviewed during the assessment phase, consideration is given to the context of the risk an opportunity for process improvement may be identified. The resulting risk controls or risk treatments will then benefit both people safety and process efficiency.

Another way of looking at it may be: can this WHS risk control (or aspects of it) be applied to other areas of operation?

WRS has a client who invested a lot of effort in consultation to ensure a workable WHS system for Event Management, Property Management & Contractor Management. One aspect was introducing an assessment tool for Events and Contractor Management that could be performed on a mobile device (phone or ipad). It was quickly discovered that the mobile tool provided an opportunity to  benefit other areas of operations and more assessments (non WHS) were added to the mobile system leading to improved efficiencies and record keeping.

Remembering to incorporate opportunity as a component of WH&S risk management will lead to improved safety and efficiency. It will also assist in keeping people engaged in the risk management process whether it be WH&S or Process Systems.

Anyone seen Jonah?

So many topics to pick from this fortnight. The risk of not winning gold. The risk of watching the olympics and ending up with Eddie commentating (maybe it's Channel 9s version of Roy & HG).
But I have chosen the "biggest" story of last week; taking apart a decomposing whale.

Imagine showing up for work in National Parks. Gosh it's a lovely day for a walk around my bit of the park. Biggest risk? ".. avoiding arrows of National Park feral animal controllers" (see todays August 6, Herald pg 5 story of a Joey injured by an arrow). As you're getting ready a call comes through " look Bob it's a great day for the beach so could you grab your chainsaw and head out to Newport Beach?"
You beaut a day at the beach. Pulling up you notice a few more rangers and a back hoe on the beach. Stepping out of your ute the stench of rotting flesh hits you. My god whose had a curry and beer night! No one, you're here to cut up the dead decomposing carcass of a whale!

Where do you start with the site and job risk assessment?
1. Job is sited right on the high tide mark.
 - risk of drowning or just you swimming out to sea to get away from the smell. (Hoping the sharks sense of smell has failed them).
- The hazard of the beast rolling around as each wave washes up to it provides the enticing risk of being squashed by the smelly slimy thing.

2. Positioning yourself inside the belly of the beast. Beautiful! congealed blood, other whale body fluids dripping down. Standing on a rib or liver is rather slippery with the added risk of a few chainsaws being waved around by others in the same boat. Others who are gagging, trying not to look at what it is they are cutting up and generally thinking cleaning the sewage works would be better.

3. Being frightened to death as Jonah steps out of the whales' stomach and asks what has taken so long to rescue him.

And so it goes.

Controlling such risks needs some creativity.
Eliminate: Just leave the thing there. I suppose the locals would complain but you know we have to take a stand against this ever increasing NIMBYism. This is where the blanket statement of last weeks blog comes in handy: For health and safety reasons we can't let our workers near the whale. It's a natural event and we think we should let nature take its course.
Transfer the risk: Ask the Japanese whale scientific testers if they would like a free whale - to be removed at their cost.
Reduce the number of people handling the whale: Leave it until the swell drops and tow it out to sea. There is a possibility that every shark within a 100km radius will drop in for the feeding frenzy. When the frenzy is over what are those sharks going to eat next? Ocean swim anyone.

Ultimitely it comes down to turning the operation into a reality TV show - the Northern Beaches version of the Shire maybe.

We are looking for more identifiable whale risks and the associated management of such risks. So please forward them. We may even turn this into a competition! Include a name for the reality TV show - must be more inspiring than the pathetic Hobbitish name "The Shire".

"Blinded by the Light" - Health & Safety Muffle the Boss and Sir Paul

The sound was unplugged toward the end of a London Bruce Springsteen concert last week. Just as Bruce and his surprise guest Paul McCartney were about to close the sound was unplugged and the reason given?
The blanket statement of "...for health and safety."
The first question is what health & safety risks existed:

• At 70 odd years old it was past Sir Paul's bedtime or just protecting his vocal chords.
• The sound was so loud that nearby residents risked hearing loss.
• The audience (probably mostly over 50) were at risk of over excitement and its consequence (being happy, heart rate up and loving being in a crowd enjoying itself.)
• The sight of two of R&R's great stars was too bright and the audience would be "blinded by the light" (sorry couldn't resist that one)

It is such a common blanket statement that tells you absolutely nothing. It also gives those trying to promote Work Health & Safety a bad name.
There were no health & safety issues, the organisers or council authorities decided a curfew had been broken and the concert shut down. Instead of showing some courage or even independent thought they hid behind the blanket statement of "..for health & safety reasons". A rubbish statement joining "..in commercial confidence" as a great irritant of an excuse.

Using the term Health & Safety as blanket excuse in everyday activities (without giving any indications of  what the risks are) is an insult to the ability of people being able to make their own judgements.
 In the Australian workplace it is a requirement to identify workplace hazards and risks, assess and either eliminate them or control them. This risk management process also requires consultation with the people who may be at risk. A sensible and reasonable approach. An employee or an employer cannot make a "health & safety" call without it going through an assessment process. Blanket statements detract from the good work, health safety achieves in the workplace.

PCBU means what?

Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (under the WHS Act 2011) known as PCBU, is posing interesting dilemma's for some organisations.

We asked a few Work Risk Solutions clients what the term  PCBU means for them. Here are the 3 most common interpretations they came up with:
1. It's no different to being an employer under the old legislation.
2. I have more means to insist on higher OHS standards from contractors (who are now considered  PCBU's).
3. My managers who operate at different sites will be considered a PCBU. Thus I can expect a higher standard from them.

PCBU may sound like a new analgesic but it is causing some pain as organisations try to figure out if it is so different to being an employer under the old legislation.
It may take the first few prosecution cases to gain a full understanding of what PCBU means.

In the mean time review and where possible improve your risk management approach to managing work health & safety. Including monitoring and holding all people accountable for the efficient management of WHS.

This is the first in a series of looking at the new legislation, now that it has been in operation for a few months. As Work Risk Solutions assists its clients working through the legislation we will post blogs on the various interpretations and strategies used to meet legislative requirements.

2012 the year of electronic OHS Systems

With 2012 just around the corner it may be a good time to have a quick think about making your OHS Systems more efficient. The introduction of the new Work Health & Safety Act is an ideal opportunity for a systems review.
OHS efficiency can be greatly improved by moving from paper based to electronic/web based systems.
Electronic systems are also great for quickly measuring the use of the system and promoting positive performance indicators.
Negative indicators need not be at the front line of  measuring an organisations OHS performance.
As technology expands at a rapid rate (just look at the impact of the I Pad) it provides more opportunities for improving the management of an OHS System.
Using an ipad or any mobile platform for conducting site risk assessments, audits or any type of review means that the results can be viewed instantly by anyone you choose.
So when you unwrap that ipad and become engrossed in any of the thousands of applications just imagine how it would help make your life easier at work.
Work Risk Solutions wishes everyone a great xmas break even in the gloom of the current east coast rain. 

Reasonably Practicable

Two words that create such a mouthful. Just don't try to say it quickly at the end of the xmas party!

Reasonably Practicable is the most visible phrase of the Work Health & Safety Act 2011.

Risk Management principles form the basis for determining Reasonably Practicable (see Section 18) :

• Assessing the likelihood & the degree of harm of the hazard/risk .
• Evaluating what the employee knows or ought to know about the risk and ways to elimante or minimise the risk.
• Availability & suitability of methods to eliminate or minimise the risk
• Assessing if the cost of risk elimination or control is proportionate to the risk.

The assessment of elimination of risk before assessing other forms of risk control is strongly emphasised.

Now is the time to evaluate the appropriateness of an organisation's OHS risk matrix to ensure it takes into account the above points. A structured and recordable method for deciding what is Reasonably Practicable will be a vital component of any OHS Management System.

The new legislation rightly removes the "reverse onus of proof" and replaces it with what is basically "innocent until proven guilty". If an organisations OHS system isn't able to demonstrate a process for assessing Reasonably Practicable it may find itself exposed.

Managing the risk of theft when travelling

Unfortunately this is an incident investigation rather than a pre-activity risk assessment.
Scenario:
2 adults & 2 children disembark at Madrid after an overnight train trip from Paris. To get to Toledo the family have to get from Chamartin station to Putra Atocha station.

The information officer says it's only a 20 minute walk or if we must we can catch a bus from over there (with a general wave of the hand that could indicate anywhere within 270 degrees). He then terminates the conversation by having one with another person.
Out the family trudge to a bus waiting area. Are there signs indicating which bus to catch or what part of the waiting area to catch one from? No.
Male returns inside the station area to find a better informed information officer. Wo and behold we can catch the metro from station 2!
Containing his temper admirably he returns to the family. To find them in a great state of distress. A bag had been snatched.
Three men had walked close to the mother and children (who were the only people waiting for a bus). One man drops a bunch of cards, another encourages the young girl to help pick up the cards. During the distraction the third man pushed the young boy out of the way and snatched a handbag.
The incident is distressing on a number of levels: 3 men against a woman and two children, pushing one of the children to get to the bag. The loneliness of the event no one around to help or witness.

 What risk factors can we control in some way to reduce our risk exposure again:

• Travelling in unfamiliar places would eliminate the risk. Hardly an acceptable or even reasonably practical action (from this families point of view anyway)
• Being isolated - this risk is usually avoidable - the thieves obviously had the family under some sort of surveillance. While not palatable at the time due to fatigue and some fraying at the edges, it is a reasonably practicable risk control for the whole family to move back inside so no one is isolated.
• If for some reason one parent has to make an enquiry etc it may be better if the male stays with the children and luggage. Not meaning to be sexist the thieves may have had second thoughts if a male was present.
• Hand luggage put on the ground. It may seem tiring to hang on to hand luggage but putting hand luggage down makes it easier to thieve.
• Not being fully informed or fully planned. The Family had an idea there was a bus to the other station but didn't know the stations had a metro connection. Being better informed would have avoided the isolation scenario.
• Electronic aids not fully functional. The itinerary with street map overlays had been programmed into the iphone. But the roaming sim was not data activated and all the info wasn't available.

So future risk controls will be:

• Avoid isolating situations (though there is also the risk of the hit and run bag snatcher in crowded situations.
• Avoid leaving all the luggage and children with one parent esp the mother.
• Being a bit better organised about connections etc.
• Trial the electronics before leaving. This would have helped greatly as so much detail is easily stored and accessed when done properly.
• Put it behind you as quick as you can. Do something fun.
• The holiday had been a spectacular success up till then and is continuing to be so. Keep a perspective.
• Have a partner who is good at doing the last two points is also a great risk control and no you can't have mine.