Risk Assessment Matrix Template

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Having a hard time understanding what a risk assessment matrix template is? Don’t worry you are not the only one confused, but getting a grip on the OHS risk assessment matrix is a central part of any health and safety program. All you need is an example of risk assessment matrix. This risk assessment matrix template is set up with the likelihood of a risk occurring on one side and the consequence involved on the other. The severity of each factor is given a number and when multiplied together, the value of the total risk involved is estimated. This isn’t to say that the safety risk assessment matrix is perfect. In fact it is considered to be overly broad in definition but that’s where a software solution may be helpful. In the meantime check out our matrix template below to get started.

How to improve your risk assessment & management

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According to How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks on Safe Work Australia there are 4 key factors involved in managing risks. The list of responsibilities to conduct proper risk management includes; management commitment, a step-by-step process, consulting your workers and consulting, co-operating and co-ordinating activities with other duty holders.

Management commitment is about demonstrating to your employees your investment in creating a safe working environment for high risk construction work. This task should be easy to fulfill when using SafeWorkPro as workers can easily access any procedures or documents you create as soon as you have published them. In doing this you are instantaneously able to  communicate new or changes of safety standards to your workers. Additionally, the dashboard of the application offers statistics to demonstrate key indicators of safety performance on your site.

As a site manager it is also your duty to create a step-by-step process for risk management. The risk assessment planning process of identifying, assessing, controlling and reviewing measures is easy with our software. You can create new workplace risk assessments for your particular job or worksite using our document builder or alternatively fill out a questionnaire to complete a safety document from one of our free SWMS templates.

The final responsibilities to manage involves ensuring effective communication lines between both you and your workers, as well as you and other duty holders. As workers create safety documents, they are sent directly to the database where all admin users may have access to them. Our application also has a push notification feature to alert admin users of workers completing safety documents with high risk ratings creating risk assessment hazards. Our key to improving your consulting, co-operating and communication lies in using technology to share data on work safety.

Safety Document Software Development

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Good ideas don’t just appear overnight. Like a massive red gum tree growing from a tiny seed in the ground, so too do good ideas evolve into useful tools. Risk assessment software exists in many different forms but they are all share the common aim of making Australian businesses compliant with OHS legislation Australia – specifically the WHS Act.

Why do we Need Risk Assessments?

Risk assessments are a way to monitor the proper risk assessment standards of Australian businesses and ensure workers are as safe as is reasonably practicable. It’s also a way for risks in construction to be managed based on the high standards set out in Safe Work Australia’s codes of practice. But the paperwork involved in construction risk assessments cost time and money – something we are keen to fix at SafeWorkPro.

How to Improve Productivity?

Construction safety software is the most effective way of getting rid of the paperwork problem but more often than not, compliance software is overly complicated and difficult to use. To ensure our software is the quickest, safest and most compliant, we listened to what construction contractors actually said. They wanted health and safety management software which was easy to use, complied with current OHS legislation Australia, combined all the different risk assessment forms into one place without needing a bunch a storage or filing.

What we developed is SafeWorkPro – a simple tool available to download on any smart phone or tablet device that does the entire risk assessment process twice as fast – giving you more time to get the job done.

The Types of Asbestos

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Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that comes in six different forms and is made up of fibres up to 200 times thinner than human hair. When it comes to asbestos in homes, not all types are as equally dangerous to humans but most can be found within any domestic building built before 1990. Each type of asbestos comes with certain precautionary measures that should be carefully considered. For the purpose of this article, only the types of asbestos commonly used in construction and therefore subject to an asbestos risk assessment, will be outlined.
Asbestos only becomes harmful to health when the fibres become disjointed from building material and are inhaled into the body (usually through the lungs). The best way to define asbestos is according to the specific level of danger it presents and the nature of its use.

Non-friable Asbestos

Non-friable Asbestos is found in both domestic and commercial/industrial buildings but is not considered dangerous if it remains in a stable condition. What makes it less dangerous than other forms of asbestos is that the fibres which cause disease, are actually bonded by cement, vinyl or other materials. Because the fibres are bonded, non-friable asbestos tends to be more solid and only represents a risk if the material is disturbed or damaged. Common materials containing non-friable asbestos include:
  • AC wall sheeting (other wise known as fibro or asbestos cement)
  • Artificial brick cladding
  • Gutters
  • Putty
  • Garages/sheds
  • Concrete formwork
  • Beams
  • Waterproofing materials
  • Telecommunication trenches
  • Fences
  • Plumbing
  • Switchboard backing boards
  • Building boards

 

Asbestos containing materials (ACM) like these usually consisted of between 5 – 20 per cent asbestos. However this is not the case for vinyl tiles where the asbestos was used in the layer between the floor and the tile itself. It is estimated that between 8 – 30 per cent of this layer contains asbestos therefore due diligence is required when dealing with it.

Note: If non-friable asbestos has degraded to the extent where minimal pressure reduces it to dust, then it should only be disposed of by someone with A Class asbestos training.

Friable Asbestos

Friable or loosely bound asbestos is generally considered to be the most dangerous form of asbestos. Primarily used in commercial and industrial buildings for fire proofing, sound proofing and insulation, friable asbestos can be reduced to dust and released into the surrounding air with very little physical effort. Friable asbestos is so dangerous because no other materials have been used to bond it together, meaning the asbestos fibres are released into the atmosphere more easily. Although mostly used in non-domestic buildings, friable asbestos is also found in old heaters, hot water systems, piping, fireplaces, vinyl floor coverings, insulation and stoves.

Low Density Board

This type of asbestos falls somewhere in between friable and non-friable but still carries the significant risk of asbestos poisoning. Similar in appearance to AC sheeting, low density board is a lightly compressed material that can contain up to 70 per cent asbestos. Used in both domestic and commercial/industrial buildings, low density board can be damaged, bent and dented with very little physical pressure. This in turn means that it has the potential to release airborne fibres far more easily.

For more information on asbestos related high risk work and the safest disposal methods, check out the SafeWorkPro Blog.

Why Are Risk Assessments Important?

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We know hazard and risk assessment procedures are vital in maintaining workplace standards that are complaint with OHS laws and regulations, but there is another reason as to why are risk assessments important.

It’s more than knowing how to write a risk assessment – it’s about improving productivity.

It may sound absurd but there are methods of risk assessment available that can actually improve productivity in construction businesses. The traditional method of writing risk assessments involves multiple pages of paper work, administrative overhead and considerable amounts storage or filing. But completing construction risk assessments doesn’t have to follow this inefficient process. Your business productivity can be greatly improved by moving away from a paper-based risk assessment process and embracing the clear advantage mobile technology offers. We call it risk assessment software.

But don’t take our word for it. Just ask Steve Cole from Cole Contracting. He recognised the flaws of risk assessment paperwork and decided to use technology to improve productivity.

You don’t need a construction risk assessment example to understand the benefit’s Steve Cole speaks of. Increased productivity, improved workflow practices and high standards of employee safety – all benefits from risk assessment software. These are benefits you can experience too. Sign up to SafeWorkPro to begin completing your construction risk assessments quicker, with more safety and in total compliance with OHS laws. Or if you like to find out more about SafeWorkPro’s risk assessment software, just click here.