SECTION 1 ~ GENERAL

1.1 Risk Assessment

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1.1 RISK ASSESSMENT

THIS IS A MANDATORY SAFETY REQUIREMENT AND MUST BE COMPLIED WITH

INTRODUCTION

Š What is a Risk Assessment?

A risk assessment is nothing more than a thorough examination of what, in the working environment or more
specifically in the task you are going to perform, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up
whether there have been enough precautions taken or you should do more to prevent harm.

More Simply:

THINK ABOUT WHAT COULD GO WRONG AND DECIDE IF ENOUGH HAS BEEN DONE TO PREVENT IT.

Risk assessment forms a vital part of our proactive health and safety management systems and culture.
So, remember: STOP!
PLAN!
CHECK!
DO!
LEARN!

The risk assessment process consists essentially of an identification of all hazards present in any operation and
an estimate of the risks involved, taking into account whatever precautions are already being undertaken.
The risk assessment process should have three primary goals:

1. To define the parameters of any task to be performed.

2. To identify hazards & risks associated with the task.
3. To identify suitable control measures to be put in place.

Please refer to Risk Assessment example WT EQ 002 which was completed for a Flare Boom Installation –
please note that this is an uncontrolled copy for reference purposes only. This example clearly identifies the
three primary goals. As you can see in this example a total of fifteen required control measures have been
identified for this task.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Base Managers are responsible for risk assessments being carried out to cover the areas they control.

Supervisors/Shift Supervisors or Senior crew members are responsible for carrying out all risk assessments
undertaken on an offshore or land operational installation.

All crew members must comply fully with all findings of the Risk assessment. All control measures put in place
must be strictly adhered to.

Expro’s policy is 2 or more persons must be involved in all Risk Assessments.

DEFINITIONS

Š Hazard
A Hazard is something with the potential to cause harm. (e.g. substances, machines, methods of work and
other aspects of work organisation).

Š Risk
Risk is the likelihood that the harm from a particular hazard is realised. The extent of the risk covers the
number of people affected and the consequences for them.

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1.1 Risk Assessment
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Š Harm
− Injury to personnel however slight
− Adverse affects on health short or long term.
− Anything which has an environmental impact.
− Equipment damage, delay, loss of productivity.

Š Accident
An unplanned and undesired event that has led to injury, damage or other loss.

Š Near Miss
Unplanned and undesired event that could have led to injury, damage or other loss.

Š Safe
− A condition where risks have been controlled to the level required by specific regulations as far as is
reasonably practicable.
− Free from danger.
− Secure from risk.
− Unable to do harm.

PROCEDURE

The Expro Group PLC have identified a need to “risk assess” all tasks that have the potential to cause harm to
individuals, have a potential environmental impact or a financial impact to the company or third party organisation.

The Key steps in all risk assessments are laid out below and must be considered when carrying out assessments
in the workplace. They are:

− Consider all tasks, activities and situations.

− Identify the hazards that are or may be involved
− Identify all personnel who, may be exposed to the hazard
− Analyse the risk of loss i.e. Severity x Likelihood
− Determine the adequacy of existing controls
− Evaluate the risk versus the controls

Š Hazards
There area myriad of Workplace hazards to consider when considering all tasks in a risk assessment. Some
examples are laid out below.

− Slipping & Tripping

− Falls/Falling objects
− Noise
− Hot/Cold surfaces or working environment
− Fumes/Dusts/Gases
− Chemicals
− Sharp edges/tools/objects

Š Risk
There are two elements associated with risk:

− Chance or likelihood
− Consequence or severity

The likelihood of the harm from a hazard effecting us x the severity resulting from the exposure to the hazard.

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1.1 Risk Assessment
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Š Definition of ALARP
If the cost in terms of time, effort, money or inconvenience, associated with the workplace precaution
outweighs the BENEFIT of the risk reduction, then it is not reasonably practicable to use that workplace
precaution. Basically the cost must be weighed up against the benefit.
A.L.A.R.P – As Low As Reasonably Practicable.

Š People at RISK
− Consider all personnel that may be at risk from a hazardous activity – not just the people performing the
task!
− When considering / including others in a risk assessment you must consider how different groups of
people face different levels of risk.
− When considering others be imaginative but realistic.
− Pay particular attention to those persons more at risk.

Š Risk Rating
Expro use a risk rating that is simply the quantified total sum of the likelihood ranking number x severity
Rating number. Please refer to the Risk Assessment/Incident Potential Matrix contained in this section.

− Risk Ratings are used to prioritise risk.

− Following the Risk Rating. The risk can be evaluated to determine whether or not the task or operation is
safe.

Some Useful Tips When Risk Assessing:

− Identify hazards, not unsafe conditions
− Consider any secondary hazards and associated risks
− Do not get bogged down with numbers or colours – The risk rating system is simply a tool to allow the
assessor to compare risk levels.
− Be consistent with your evaluations.
− Severity will only change if the potential of the hazard to cause harm is physically reduced, or if the number
of people exposed is reduced.
− The control measures you prescribe should be viewed as reducing your exposure to the hazard.

Documenting your risk assessments:

− Document all Risk assessments on the correct form (HSE_GRP_FRM_007.2). A copy of the completed
form must be submitted to your supervisor back in your Regional operations base as soon as possible
after completion. All Risk assessments should be kept on file for a minimum of two years.

Implementing and Communicating:

− Could/should more be done to reduce the risk to ALARP?
− Implement the required risk control measures.
− Communicate the risk assessment and the risk control measures to the crew and all other personnel who
may be affected by the task.
− Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the controls set in place.
− If the work scope changes, then STOP and do another assessment.

GTR – Issue 2, Rev O

Sept 2002