Dangerous Job Risk Management Methods

Unfortunately, injuries and fatalities at the workplace are part of our lives. Some jobs are more dangerous than others, and the danger and risk level they contain is much greater than regular office jobs. Having a dangerous job naturally means being exposed to risks. But that doesn't mean that those risks can't be managed, and correct dangerous job risk management can greatly improve job safety and keep injuries and fatalities at a minimum.

Here is an example of a simple, 5 step process to dangerous job risk management:

1. Identifying and ranking the major workplace injury and fatality causes: First things first - why are workers being injured or killed? This basic step will help to focus on the main risks of the profession (Causes can be highway and road side accidents, falls, injuries by equipment, etc....).

2. Root cause analysis of the major injury and fatality causes: The main goal of this step is to pinpoint the major reason or reasons as to why these causes create so many injuries and fatalities - so that all the time and energy spent on preventing future injuries and fatalities is spent on the right factors, and not wasted on non relevant issues (for example - most highway and roadside accidents occur mainly due to driver fatigue, so preventing drives from driving when they are tired will be the objective).

3. Creating proper safety precautions and procedures: Creating safety procedures which will minimize or delete the risk from each root cause. These safety procedures can be aimed at the root cause itself (preferably), or at minimizing the risk once a certain event has happened. Also, a procedure to manage and control the safety procedure should be planned.

4. Implementation of new safety procedures:This step includes training, installing new safety equipment and the start of a safety culture at the work place.

5. Safety procedures management and control: This step is continuous and never ends, but it's purpose is to verify that the safety procedure is being used, and to improve if necessary.

Another aspect of dangerous job risk management is insurance. Once the main causes for injury and fatality have been identified, make sure that the insurance policy covers them properly. The right insurance policy can be worth it's weight in gold, because when something happens, at least there will be the money to pay for whatever is needed. This may not stop future injuries or deaths, but it will at least take care of all expenses.

A good example of proper risk management and use of life saving equipment is the construction of the Seattle Golden Gate Bridge. Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer and project manager for the bridges construction pioneered the use of safety nets beneath the construction site, to catch workers who fell of the bridge. During the 4 years of construction, the nets saved the lives of 19 workers. This example illustrates that proper identification of dangers, simple solutions to dangerous situations and devotion to safety can save lives.

The risks and dangers of dangerous jobs can be managed, and it is the responsibility of all those working, supervising and instructing dangerous jobs to always keep their eyes and ears open, and to think several steps ahead.


Article Source: Steve G King