Risk Assessment Plan
Introduction
In our everyday lives, we are all at risk of any potential dangers. Anything can happen while we are working in the office. Hazards may also occur even if we are just home relaxing or doing household chores. However, we may reduce the possible danger and damages that potential hazards could give. Risk assessment plan could be our best defense against any risk that would occur either at home or in the office. Preparing such would able us to foresee estimate impacts, risks, identify responses to issues. This writing will identify three possible risks that might occur in our workplace as well as in our home along with the risk assessment on how we could prepare for such danger to reduce the impact.
Possible Risk that Exists in an Office
Finishing the job in the office would require an extensive diligence especially when it needs to be done before the deadline. Even though this task would not require the employee of his or her full physical strength to finish the job, it may require him or her to sit down on his office chair for a little more time. The description of the task covers long hours of sitting while working on papers and sitting in front of the computer sometimes, in an extended time. Another task would be lifting up filed documents for retention purposes. It can be a simple task. However, it would require a good posture so as not cause any back damage. Both of these tasks may have an impact to lower back spine, which can be damaging.
The risk may occur in the office, where an employee might be at risk of damaging his or her spine due to ergonomic problem. Karen Danna and Ricky Griffin (1999) assert that the employee’s well-being and health should be an important concern due to increasing awareness that there may have other elements in the workplace that may provide risks for employees (Danna & Griffin, 1999).
Basic ergonomics issues may have negative effects to employees. In summary, the consequences of an employee who might suffer from ergonomic issue may have a domino effect. He or she may have a lower back pain that may lead to spinal problems, which would lessen their ability to be more productive. Possible hospitalization might happen to an employee with lower back problem, which will decrease the man-power productivity. Once this hazard occurred, the person must stand up straight on the proper posture and approach the company nurse and if possible, consult a doctor for further assessment. If symptoms occurred while working, the office must have a wheelchair ready for the patient to be taken to the clinic and an ambulance if hospital attention is needed for a major case.
Possible Food Contamination Risk at Home
Even if we are at home doing our households, we may not be aware of possible hazards that we may face. We may assure our appliances are safe and will not harm us from being electric shocked as they may be well-organized and maintained. Roofs are well-built; floors and carpets are hazard-free, and everything seems to be all good. However, there may be one thing that we cannot see by our naked eyes, and that is food contamination.
As for the description, the task being performed when this risk might occur is when we are washing our dishes. Infectious agents such as salmonella and other pathogens may be transferred from the sponge we use. It can stay there for a period of time even on room temperature. Apparently, the same sponge will be used to transfer these microorganisms to our steel utensils and to the food we eat (Kusumaningrum, Riboldi, Hazeleger & Beumer, 2003).
The location of the hazard will most likely to happen in the kitchen as it is where we store and prepare our foods. Food will be contaminated by microorganism that will make the food unsafe for human consumption.
On the other hand, there are many consequences that a food contamination could bring. Primarily, it will affect the human’s health once contaminated food was consumed unknowingly. This may cause lose bowel movement, which can lead to dehydration or much worse, fatality.
Another consequence is the possible contamination of another food being stored and prepared along with contaminated one. Once the contaminated food intake occurred, immediate health assistance is needed. Seek a health professional’s help and dispose of contaminated food right away to avoid additional occurrences.
There may not be a tangible item that must be ready for this event. However, being prepared would help such knowing what the person ate as the cause of food poisoning. Have the information ready such as the food eaten, the time it was eaten and make sure that person’s airway is clear.
Risk of Fire in Warehouse
Warehouse can be a very big place where people store items needed for producing the company’s products. This place is very susceptible for many dangers and risks. One of the most common risks that may occur in warehouse is fire or chemical explosion. There are many tasks that can be connected to a fire incident inside a warehouse. One of which is when the electrical system is not well maintained, the risk of fire is very high (gov.uk).
As such, a sudden death of an employee may happen in addition to the properties that could be damaged after the incident happened. Additionally, the costs of this occurrence could affect the entire financial status of the business as properties, production equipment, and even employees could directly be affected by this event. Eventually, additional risks may occur against the business as there may have a possible lost of profit after the event. Suspension of a license to operate may be imposed as a sanction against the company, which could lead to the total closure of the business. This possibility could lose the employees’ current job.
Once the hazard occurred an immediate action is required such as the removal of the source of ignition if possible (gov.uk). This act would reduce, if not stop the damages caused by the incident. It is also advisable to reduce the source of fuel within the area where the fire occurred.
Tools that should be ready in case of fire occurrence are fire hydrants, which must be placed in a critical part of the area. A working fire hose with enough water supplies must also be in place in case of bigger fire explosion arises in the warehouse and an alarm system that works three hundred sixty five days a year to ensure that proper attention will be given once the event occurs.
Conclusion
Preparing a risk assessment plan can be our defense in any occurrence of any possible risk. We cannot say that we are safe all the time wherever we are, either in our workplace or inside our house. No matter what hazardous risk it can be, its damages can be reduced as long as we are all ready. Based on the assessment above, there are many risks that can be unimaginable to happen, but can be prevented using through risk assessment planning.
References
Danna, K., & Griffin, R. W. (1999). Health and Well-Being in the Workplace: A Review and Synthesis of Literature. Journal of Management, 25, 357-381.
Great Britain (2006). Fire safety risk assessment: Small and medium places of assembly. London: Department for Communities and Local Government Publications.
Kusumaningrum, H. D., Riboldi, G., Hazeleger, W. C., & Beumer, R. R. (2003). Survival of Food Borne Pathogens on Stainless Steel Surfaces and Cross-Contamination to Foods. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 85, 227-236.
Pope, M. H., Goh, K. L., & Magnusson, M. L. (2002). Spine Ergonomics. Liberty Safework Research Centre, 4, 49-68.
