HRA Awareness
Definition of Health Risk Assessment
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is a process of identifying, evaluating,
controlling and managing health risks associated with work to prevent acute
and chronic health effects.
Objectives of Health Risk Assessment
In other words:
Make sure that exposures to health risks are adequately controlled:
1. Identify relevant health hazards for the workplace
2. Review existing control and recovery measures
3. Ensure that legal and Company requirements are met
4. Ensure that exposures are reduced to As Low As Reasonably Practicable
HRA provides documented demonstration of ALARP for health hazards.
The overall objective is to manage the risk of harm to people by identifying and assessing health risks and by implementing control and recovery measures.
Benefits of Health Risk Assessment
• Protect the health of staff and contractors; pursue the goal of ‘No harm to people’
• Prevent health incidents and occupational illnesses, such as:
• Overexposure to noise and chemicals
• Food poisoning
• Noise induced hearing loss
And HRA also:
• Provides a systematic approach to identification and assessment of health hazards
• Focuses on control of health hazards
• Provides specific recommendations
Scope of Health Risk Assessment
1. All health hazards associated with work
• Biological health hazards
• Chemical health hazards
• Physical health hazards
• Ergonomic health hazards
• Psychological health hazards
2. All activities under operational control carried out by employees and contractors
• Existing operations
• Maintenance and turnaround activities
• New projects
• Acquisition, closure, divestment and abandonment of facilities
HSSE Management System
Leadership and Commitment
Policy and Strategic Obj.
Management Review
Corrective Action &Improvement
Assurance : Audit
Org., Resp., Resources Standards. & Doc.
Corrective Action &Improvement
Monitoring
Planning & Procedures
Hazard and Effects Management
Implementation/ Operation
CorrectiveAction
PDO has a systematic approach to HSSE management designed to ensure
compliance with the law and to achieve continuous performance
improvement. This HSSE management system requires the above elements
arranged to provide different feedback loops to achieve continuous
improvement in performance.
Managing Risk
HEMP
Leadership and Commitment
Policy and Strategic Obj.
Management Review
Corrective Action &Improvement
Audit
Org., Resp., Resources Standards. & Doc.
Corrective Action &
Improvement
Monitoring
Planning & Procedures
Hazard and Effects Management
Implementation
CorrectiveAction
HSSE Management SystemHazard and Effects Management Process
Health Risk Assessment
IDENTIFY ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
HEMP
Health Risk Assessment Accountabilities
Line Manager
Initiate HRA
Perform & Sign-
off
HRA
Implement
Remedial
Actions
HRA Competent Person
An individual assessed at the Skill Level in HRA, and approved by PDO Occupational Health to lead or update HRAs.
Managing Risk
Step 1: IDENTIFY
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ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
In the IDENTIFY step, health hazards and their potential effects are
identified.
Health Hazards
1. Physical
2. Chemical
3. Biological
4. Ergonomic
5. Psychological
A health hazard has the potential to cause harm to health.
There are five categories of hazards addressed in the Health Risk Assessment Process.
The HRA includes both acute and chronic health effects.
An acute health effect occurs immediately or in a short time (seconds to hours)
following exposure, such as heat stroke, chemical burns and asphyxiation.
A chronic health effect occurs gradually over a long period of time (months or years),
generally following repeated and prolonged exposure. Examples are noise induced
hearing loss, asbestosis and blood cancer.
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ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
Physical Health Hazards
Physical health hazards are hazards due to a physical agent (energy), such as noise and vibration, ionising and non-ionising radiation, extreme temperatures and pressures.
Examples include:
• Noise from compressors and air fans
• Hand-arm vibration from powered tools
• Whole-body vibration while operating moving machinery
• Ionising radiation from radiation sources (level gauges; non-destructive testing)
• Heat stress or cold stress from working in extreme climates
• Hyperbaric or hipobaric pressure
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ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
Chemical Health Hazards
Chemical health hazards are hazards due to a chemical agent which produces an inhalation risk, such as dusts, mists, gases, vapors and fumes, or a dermal risk, such as liquids and solids.
Examples include:
• Crude oil
• Condensate
• Catalyst
• Cleaning agent
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ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
Biological Health Hazards
Biological health hazards are hazards due to, or carried by, a biological agent (nature, living organism) such as insects and mites, moulds, yeasts, fungi, bacteria and viruses.
Examples in the workplace include:
• Food poisoning
• Malaria
• Legionella
• Poisoning animals
HEMP
ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
Ergonomic Health Hazards
Ergonomic health hazards are hazards due to the interaction betweenhuman tasks, equipment and the environment. It is typically associated withmanual handling, sustained repetitive movements of the upper limbs, andsustained or extreme postures where tasks require application offorce. Ergonomic health hazards also include lighting where it is unsuitablefor the task.
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ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
Examples include:
• Manual lifting of equipment
• Repetitive movements
• Non-optimal postures (mechanical posture for example for valve operation)
Psychological Health Hazards
Psychological health hazards are shortcomings of work design, organization or management which, depending on the social and environmental context, may impact on a person’s sense of stress. Stress is the adverse reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them.
Examples include
• Heavy workload
• Conflicting or uncertain job expectations
• Frequent change
• Lack of participation in decision making
• Poor communication
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ASSESS
CONTROL RECOVER
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IDENTIFY
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IDENTIFY
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ASSESS
The ASSESS step is performed using the Risk Assessment Matrix
(RAM). This step serves to determine for which health risks a detailed
assessment is required.
Managing Risk
Step 2: ASSESS
Risk Assessment Matrix
Moderate
impact
Moderate
effect
Moderate
damage
Major injury
or health
effect3
Major
impact
Major
effect
Major
damage
PTD or up
to 3
fatalities4
No
impact
No effectNo
damage
No injury or
health
effect0
EDCBA
Massive
impact
Massive
effect
Massive
damage
More than
3 fatalities5
Minor
impact
Minor
effect
Minor
damage
Minor injury
or health
effect2
Slight
impact
Slight
effect
Slight
damage
Slight injury
or health
effect1
Has
happened
more than
once per
year at the
Location
Has
happened at
the Location
or more than
once per
year in the
Organisation
Has
happened in
the
Organisation
or more than
once per
year in the
Industry
Heard of in
the Industry
Never
heard of in
the Industry
INCREASING LIKELIHOODCONSEQUENCES
Moderate
impact
Moderate
effect
Moderate
damage
Major injury
or health
effect3
Major
impact
Major
effect
Major
damage
PTD or up
to 3
fatalities4
No
impact
No effectNo
damage
No injury or
health
effect0
EDCBA
Massive
impact
Massive
effect
Massive
damage
More than
3 fatalities5
Minor
impact
Minor
effect
Minor
damage
Minor injury
or health
effect2
Slight
impact
Slight
effect
Slight
damage
Slight injury
or health
effect1
Has
happened
more than
once per
year at the
Location
Has
happened at
the Location
or more than
once per
year in the
Organisation
Has
happened in
the
Organisation
or more than
once per
year in the
Industry
Heard of in
the Industry
Never
heard of in
the Industry
Pe
op
le
SE
VE
RIT
Y
As
se
ts
En
vir
on
me
nt
Re
pu
tati
on
HEMPCONTROL RECOVER
IDENTIFY
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ASSESS
HEMPRECOVER
IDENTIFY ASSESS
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CONTROL
The CONTROL step reviews the conditions at the workplace:
The way people can be exposed to the health hazards, frequency and duration of
exposure, the controls currently in place and how effective these controls are.
Managing Risk
Step 3: CONTROL
Identify Exposure Scenarios
Contact with a hazard is called exposure.
Examples of exposure are:
• Inhalation of fumes when welding
• Skin contact with cleaning chemicals
• Exposure to noise in pump room
• Exposure to dust when taking off contaminated work clothing
Exposure is a combination of:
• Magnitude (how much)
• Frequency (how often)
• Duration (how long)
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
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CONTROL
Exposure and Health Risk
A health risk is the likelihood that a health hazard will cause harm to an exposed individual.
Hazard in isolation ≠ Health risk
Health risk = Hazard x Exposure
A hazard needs to come into contact with a person to constitute a health risk.
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
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CONTROL
Identify Existing Controls
• Engineering controls
Plant and equipment; hardware items
• Procedural controls
Training requirements
Work instructions
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
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CONTROL
The next step after identifying exposure scenarios, is to determine
which risk management controls have been put in place at the
workplace. There are different types of existing controls:
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
CONTROL
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RECOVER
In the RECOVER step, it is identified what can be done to regain control of
the situation if controls fail.
Managing Risk
Step 4: RECOVER
Identify Existing Recovery Measures
Recovery measures are required to mitigate the health effects shouldexposure control measures fail, and to prevent the escalation of healthrisks.
Examples of recovery measures include:
• Emergency respirators
• Emergency showers & eye wash
• First aiders and First aid materials
• Decontamination of workplace
• Local medical facilities
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
CONTROL
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RECOVER
As Low as Reasonably Practicable
(ALARP)
The control and recovery measures should reduce risks to a level whichis As Low As Reasonably Practicable.
In the first place, the risk should meet tolerability criteria and existingcontrol and recovery measures need to meet legal and Companyrequirements.
If the above can be confirmed, then the next question is whether additionalcontrol or recovery measures can be put in place to obtain further riskreduction and if yes, to decide on the practicality of these options forimprovement.
ALARP is not a scientific formula – it is a judgment where options forimprovement are considered and accepted or rejected. Rejection can takeplace if further risk reduction is impracticable or the costs are grosslydisproportionate to the improvements gained.
HEMP
IDENTIFY ASSESS
HEMP
RECOVERCONTROL
As Low as Reasonably Practicable
(ALARP)
The ALARP concept is displayed below:
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
HEMP
RECOVERCONTROL
Hierarchy of Control
A Hierarchy of Control should be used to reduce risks to ALARP.
The different types of control in preferential order are:
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IDENTIFY ASSESS
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CONTROL
Elimination
Substitution (alternatives)
Engineering (plant and equipment)
Procedural
Personal protective equipment
Elimination of the hazard is always the preferred control. When this is not
possible, a control at a lower level in the hierarchy can be considered. This
process is repeated until the proper control (or combination of controls) is
selected for each health risk.
HRA Report & Remedial Action Plan
The HRA report is generated by the HRA Competent Person.
The Line Manager reviews the recommendations from the HRA report withthe HRA Competent Person to agree a Remedial Action Plan. For eachaction, this plan should list a responsible person and target date.
The Line Manager then:
• Implements the Remedial Action Plan to completion
• Maintains the controls and recovery measures specified in the HRA
• Arranges exposure monitoring and medical surveillance wherenecessary
HRA Report & Remedial Action
Plan
Routine Exposure Monitoring
Medical Surveillance Programs
Routine Exposure Monitoring
HRA Report & Remedial Action
Plan
Routine Exposure Monitoring
Medical Surveillance Programs
Based on the outcomes of the HRA as well as legal requirements,
measurements may need to be repeated on a periodic basis and a
routine exposure monitoring program is set up.
These measurements can serve different purposes:
• Confirm compliance with Company or
national exposure limits
• Verify exposure measurement results
previously obtained
• Confirm the continuing effectiveness of
control measures and give early warning of
changes in patterns of exposure
The monitoring program must be designed by a HRA Competent Person.
Medical Surveillance Programmes
Medical surveillance is a periodic assessment of an employee’s exposureand/or health condition, in order to detect adverse effects and prevent anillness from developing.
Medical surveillance is carried out for specific occupational health risks suchas:
• Noise
• Benzene
• Lead
• Cr VI, PAHs, Mercury
Medical surveillance methods include: audiometry, urine/blood analyses,questionnaires and focused physical examinations.
The HRA identifies which Medical Surveillance Programme is required.
HRA Report & Remedial Action
Plan
Routine Exposure Monitoring
Medical Surveillance Programs
Accountabilities and Responsibilities for HRA
1. Have the HRA process carried out, covering all Locations or Activities
2. Review the HRA recommendations with the HRA Competent Person and agree a Remedial Action Plan
3. Communicate relevant HRA risks and controls to impacted staff
4. Review the HRA when changes to operations or organisations are proposed as described in the Management of Change manual section of the CMF
1. Lead the HRA process
2. Update existing HRAs with new hazard information
Accountable: Line Manager
Responsible: HRA Competent Person