IOSH Managing Safely project hazards

Outside of the IOSH project I have never come across a risk assessment that requires you to differentiate between location, equipment, substance or location hazards. It is understandable why IOSH do this though.

There seems to be a popular misconception that the project is a risk assessment of your workplace, it isn't, it is simply based upon a risk assessment of your workplace. There's a difference.

The project confirms your understanding of the process and differentiating between hazard types enables you to demonstrate that you understand the source of the hazard.

The difference between equipment and location hazards, for example, may seem obvious on first acquaintance but not always, it can get confusing.

If we need to assess the risk of a construction worker doing work (of a short duration) at a height of 3 meters does it present a location hazard, an equipment hazard or an activity hazard?

All of the above (possibly)

If the ground is uneven or too soft to support the ladder and our concern is that the ladder might tip causing the worker to fall the this would be a location hazard. It is the nature of the ground in this location that gives rise to the problem.

If our worker uses a ladder, which is not subject to regular inspection, and our concern is that the ladder might come into a state of disrepair causing our worker to fall then this would be an equipment hazard. It is the condition of the ladder that would cause the fall.

Maybe we are simply concerned that if our worker fell from the height of 3 meters he might be seriously injured. We don't describe the condition of the ground on which he might land (location) nor the nature of what he might fall off (equipment), just the fall, then this would be an activity hazard. Specifically a work at height activity hazard.

It's all in the hazard description.

How about inhaling solvent fumes from a cleaning fluid, a substance hazard right?

Maybe.

Substance hazard seems most obvious and perhaps the easiest way to deal with it but what if we use this solvent containing product in lots of different areas of the workplace. In most areas it does not give rise to any concern but one of our cleaning operations is carried out in a particular room. This room is quite small, it doesn't have any extraction system nor does it have any opening windows. If what we describe is a problem caused by the lack of ventilation and dissipation of the fumes due to the nature of the space this would be a location hazard.

Here's some more help with your IOSH Managing Safely project (follow the link).