Risk assessment as part of occupational safety

The main objective of risk assessment is to 

Identifying Dangers and Harms: Identify any factors that may cause damage to an employee's health or safety. 

Exposure assessment: Determine how and to what extent employees are exposed to identified hazards (methods, instructions and protective equipment). 

Determining the importance of risk: Assess the magnitude and significance of the risk to the health and safety of the employee (probability and consequence).

Prevention: Identify and implement measures to eliminate or reduce risks. The goal is to eliminate the risk. If this is not possible, it will be reduced as much as possible.

Risk assessment is a document that helps you evaluate the risks involved in your experimental, laboratory or workshop work. It is also the process of considering and evaluating risks involved in any laboratory instrument or setup or work machines. Risk assessment is mandatory before any new or changed work, and it should be a natural part of your work planning. Risk assessment can be needed also for instruments and devices, and familiarizing yourself with it can be part of the instrument training protocol.

You will need to consider all the possible risks involved: chemicals, biological, pressure, gas, physical impacts, noise, temperatures, waste, etc. You will need to consider what kind of risk level does your experiment or work have for human injury, environmental damage and material damages.

The supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the risk assessment is appropriately completed. New personnel must familiarise themselves with the relevant risk assessments and material safety datasheets before they start their experimental work.

Implementation and follow-up: 

At Aalto University, the risk assessment is carried out at the same time with workplace surveys through an electronic tool (Granite Partners). Occupational safety and health coordinates this and the work area carries out a risk assessment. ID for login for the electronic tool are requested through Occupational Safety and Health. Targeted risk assessment (laboratories, research, workshops) is done by work area and is regular. The work areas are responsible for implementation and documentation. 

Psychosocial stress factors (academic and services) are regularly surveyed (e.g. workplace survey, well-being survey, MyDialogue). Actions are directed on the basis of phenomena, either at the university level or on a unit-by-unit basis.

More information/The Centre for Occupational Safety, Checklist descriptions

https://ttk.fi/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Checklist-descriptions.docx