A Trade Unionist View of

Risk Assessment Tim Briggs MA CFIOSH

University and Colleges Union Safety Representative

Chair Leeds Beckett University H&S Committee

My personal

belief

It is people that makes things unsafe

It is people that makes things safe

Perceptions of Hazards

In relation to hazards adults are

considered responsible for their actions

Are they always trustworthy or

sufficiently well informed?

After all it is only “Common Sense” !

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Changing Attitudes

Work as

imagined

Work as it

really is

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Assumptions

If we assume

Assumption will make an Ass U Me

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Naive Views are easily manipulated

Where weak opinion exists people

are at mercy of how information is

presented

Influence of the popular press

Are journalists able to distinguish all

manner of characteristics making the

risk?

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Learning The Lessons From The Past

Silvertown –Buncefield

Great Fire of London–

Grenfell Tower

Herald of Free Enterprise –

Costa Concordia

Texas City

Gulf of Mexico (Macondo Oil Rig)

The Response To Risk

Propensitity

to take risksREWARDS

Percieved

DangerAccidents

Balancing

Behaviour

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Degrees of danger

Sensible Risk Assessment

Why were conkers subject to ridicule?

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Consequences of Risk - Factors

Perceptions

When was road traffic at its most dangerous – 1937

or 2017

Different groups will have different perceptions of

hazards

Societal – will accept 10 deaths from 10 accidents will

not accept 10 deaths from one accident

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Despite the huge increase of road traffic the risk of an

accident has decreased by a factor of four

Will this argument alter the response of a mother whose

child has been killed in a road accident?

The Health & Safety Mantra’s

Health and Safety is part of the day job

Health and Safety is not a bolt on extra

Health and Safety is just plain common sense

Managers manage

Managing safety is just good management

No blame culture

Zero accidents

Employees are our most important asset

Etc, etc, etc----------

How big a part does culture play?

Mantra

‘An expression or idea that is repeated, often without thinking about it, and closely associated with something’

Reality? 11

Safety Culture and Management

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Human beings

are so

innovative are

they not?

Risk Assessment Contributes to Good Workplaces

Why do we need good work and workplaces?

Source Woodall and Burton 2006 See notes view

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is therapeutic;

helps to promote recovery and rehabilitation;

leads to better health outcomes;

minimises the harmful physical, mental and social effects of long-term sickness absence;

reduces the risk of long-term incapacity;

promotes full participation in society, independence and human rights;

reduces poverty;

improves quality of life and well-being.

Improves self esteem worth and value

Advantages

Becoming legally compliant

Know what is to be managed

Reduces cost of illness absence

Increases learning in the organisation

Can aid better communication

Can hep to develop trust

Improve productivity

Prevention of waste

Reduce damage to

equipment or goods

Improves quality issues

Can help increase trust

Contributes to continuous

improvement

Protects corporate

reputation

Can be prevention by

being proactive

A process all areas of

business can use

What seems to be the norm?

No employee involvement

Experts telling us what to do

Impractical controls

implemented

No systematic examination

Over estimating –

Underestimating risk

Out of date information used

Risk Assessments used to justify

decisions already taken

Does not encompass different

levels of knowledge

Failing to review risk

assessment

Failing to protect people

not included in workforce

Does not take account of

cognitive effects

RA being reactive

RA process being tick box

approach

Not considering

technology advancements

Creates division

Learning Lessons & Unseen Benefits“Someone Upstairs Cares Syndrome”

Management Involvement

Improved Communication

Improved Trust & Respect

Improved Teamworking

Gap filling (CI)

Employee & Organisational learning

Reduction of costs and efforts

Improves productivity - profitability - lessens waste

Protects Corporate and individual reputation

Least of all legal compliance

The Hawthorne studies of the 1920s

Elton Mayo Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Cicero, Illinois

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