• What law applies
• Understanding hazards and risks
• What is risk management
• The five steps
  • Preparing for the five steps
  • Step 1 - Look for the hazards
  • Step 2 - Decide who might be harmed and how
  • Step 3 - Decide on control measures
  • Step 4 - Put controls in place
  • Step 5 - Review the controls
• Occupational health and safety auditing
• Health and safety for telecommuters
• Injury prevention and management
  • Consultation
  • Safety climate survey tools

  Important: From 1 January 2012, information on this website is being reviewed and must be read in conjunction with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

  
  
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Step 2 - Decide who might be harmed and how

Look for the ways that people could be hurt or become ill and at the possible causes of injury or illness. This is also called a risk assessment.

For each hazard:

• estimate the likelihood of an incident occurring at your workplace, bearing in mind existing control measures
• estimate the consequences of an incident occurring at your workplace, bearing in mind existing control measures.

Consequences range from:

• extreme - death or permanent disablement
• major - serious bodily injury or serious work caused illness
• moderate - injury or illness requiring casualty treatment
• mild - requiring first aid only with no lost work time.

For more information about factors affecting consequences refer to Appendix B of Supplement 2 of the How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2011.

Likelihood ranges from:

• very likely - could happen frequently
• likely - could happen occasionally
• unlikely - could happen, but rarely
• very unlikely - could happen, but probably never will.

For more information about the factors affecting likelihood refer to Appendix A of Supplement 2 of the How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2011.

By combining your likelihood and consequence estimates you can rate the risk. There are many ways of rating risks of injury or illness, one of the most common ways is to use a:

• risk management form (PDF, 33 kB)

Using the ratings of each risk, develop a prioritised list of workplace risks requiring action.

You should involve workers in this assessment.

Don't forget:

• young workers, trainees, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding who may be at heightened risk
• cleaners, visitors, contractors, maintenance workers, contractors who may not be familiar with your workplace risks
• members of the public or people with whom you share your workplace who could be hurt by your workplace activities.

For more information on how to do a risk assessment refer to Supplement 2 of the How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2011.