Risk Management

Risk Management

Potential hazards exist in ALL work activities and can lead to harm if we did not manage the risks properly
 A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm (e.g. chemical)
 A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm to someone
 Harm is physical or mental damage (including damage to property and equipment)

 

Therefore, it is important we manage them proactively through proper risk management before we start any work activities.

The following flowchart explains the steps on how to manage risks effectively at the workplace. The whole process is known as risk management (part of which involved devising the risk assessment (RA)).

 

A RA is a LEGAL document in Singapore, and it is required for work activities with any foreseeable risks. RAs are also usually complemented by standard operating procedures (SOPs) or safe work procedures (SWPs), which are operating instructions on how to perform the work activity and additional safety precautions respectively. Certain work activities (e.g., using lifting equipment) will require SWPs as part of the risk management process.

In NTU, RAs are conducted online using the Workplace Risk Assessment System (WRAS), which is a system designed to help you complete your RA. A RA is valid for 3 years after which, it must be reviewed and approved again.

However, if any of these occurs before the due date, the RA must be reviewed:

  • Change in workflow/ process (including scaling up of experiments)
  • Accidents/ incidents/ near-misses
  • Change of Approver

There are online courses available at NTULearn or Workday which allow you to better understand what a RA is and how to do them effectively. These following modules must be completed if you are part of a RA team in your group:

  • Risk Management Core Module
  • Risk Management for Workplace

After going through the modules, you should be able to develop a RA for your work process effectively. However, some of the common misconceptions are listed below:

  • Having generic separate RAs (e.g., having “use of ultrasonicator”, “use of acids” as separate RAs) – if a work process (e.g., measurement of carbons in corals) involves the use ultrasonicator and acids, they should be listed in the same RA with the title ‘Measure of Carbons in Corals’)
  • Having severity and likelihood scores that do not match the hazards described in an effort to bring the risk prioritization number scores down
  • Incomplete RA (e.g., missing several steps of the work process or by referencing to other RAs)
  • Having control measures that are not reasonably practical

You can also download some generals RAs clicking here.

If you still have any further enquires on risk management or would like your RA to be reviewed by a 3rd party, please contact the Safety Officer, Wilson Rosete, at [email protected].