Taking the risk out of risk assessment

Robyn Buck Marc De Glas

The problem

– Risk assessments being performed rarely or not at all

– Problems occurred with incidents at UQ• No risk assessments recorded• No compliance with Workplace Health and

Safety Act 1995 (QLD) which mandated risk assessment and management (S.22.1)

A High Risk• Incident - Student - head injury• Risk assessment – high risk• Controls• increase numbers • small dugongs• helmets• measurements• Risk assessment - moderate

Risk assessment at UQ prior to 2003

• Hit and miss

• Some places, mostly labs had paper-based or database systems

• Only done for chemical risks

• No University wide system

• Likely to be done after an incident

• No understanding of need for risk assessments

A Smaller Risk

• Crocodile escape?• Recapture• Even experts have

problems handling adventurous reptiles

What did UQ need?

• A risk management system that was accessible to and useful for all staff

• A system for non-specialist OH&S staff – The person doing the task should do the risk

assessment

• The system should be based on – Qld Risk Management Advisory Standard

2000– Australian Standard 4360: 1999

The criteria

• A web based system

• Based on Risk Management – Advisory Standard 2000– AS/NZ 4360:1999

• Simple

• Already in use

Findings

• Most existing systems built for OHS specialists– For companies who build 1 widget; not 1000s

of different widgets in 1000s of different ways

• Offer from company who was already providing us with software to build a system

• System built by NSCA staff using an access database

The chosen one

• The NSCA system– It was web ready– Simple– Based on AS 4360

Problems

• Not web ready• Not usable across all platforms and programs (Macs,

linux)– Many users use these systems

• Developers in Cairns and Brisbane• Not IT professionals

– That initially appealed to us – Developed by OHS professionals who designed simple, logical

system

• Could not understand scale of problem• Many implementation, training problems, crashes

Solutions

• New professional IT developer

• Initially tried to patch up existing system

• Then did complete rebuild

• System now across all platforms, most programs

• New modules being developed– Chemical safety to comply with Hazardous

Substances and Dangerous Goods Regs

Taking bytes of the elephant

• Wide range of tasks at UQ

• Best if the person who does the task does the risk assessment

• Training users major part of program

But will database be used?

The proof is in the ---------

Risk assessment trainingpre Millenium

Based on NSCA risk score calculator

Training sessions in place and well attended

Assessment program set for laboratories

Some progress but limited response

Number of problems with usage identified

Risk assessment using NSCA web database University wide system accessible all computer platformsFormat familiar and easy/attractive to access and useRecord of assessments to meet legislation

•Access to all University assessments; by author, workplace

or task. A ready record of hazards/risks across UQ campusesVersatile; author has full access to modify assessments others can read only, but copy facility availableAllows supervisor input to risk assessments submitted

Conclusion

• Database now functioning well• Continuing to improve it as needed• Problems were IT related and appear resolved• Next stage is improving quality of risk

assessments as quantity of risk assessments increases.

• We have over 1000 but should probably be at least 20000

Conclusion

Database gives needed impetus for doing risk assessments

Provides an across campus system easily accessible to all

Is a growing valuable shared resource for all to deal with risks

Satisfies legislative risk assessment obligations

Next stage of program – auditing risk assessments to ensure quality