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Risk assessment

One of the requirements of the Working Environment Act and the Regulations relating to systematic HSE work (the Internal Control Regulations) is that the organisation’s risk shall be assessed. Risk means the likelihood that an adverse event will occur and the consequences that this will entail.

Why?

Working with some substances requires that a risk assessment be conducted. Otherwise, it is the general rules in the Working Environment Act, as well as the HSE regulations that point out the need for a risk assessment. Examples of risk assessments that the Safety and Occupational Health Service can assist with are:

  • for the use of chemicals
  • for biological factors
  • for noise
  • for mechanical vibrations
  • of heavy and monotonous work
  • of restructuring and reorganisation
  • of the psycho-social and organisational working environment
  • for the risk of threats and violence

How does this take place?

  • The unit manager is responsible for conducting the risk assessment.  In some cases, The occupational health service unit may be a member of a working group that processes data collected by others. In other cases, The occupational health service unit may collect health-related data and analyse the data.
  • After the manager of the unit places an order, a preparatory meeting will be held. Safety delegates and any other representatives of the employees should be invited. Here it will be clarified which risk factors are to be included in the risk assessment.
  • The local working environment committee should be involved before and after the risk assessment.
  • The risk assessment can be conducted in many ways, for example, an assessment will normally be made of the inherent hazards of the substance, patterns of use, quantities of use and the work premises, in addition to any exposure measurements for an occupational hygiene risk assessment, while in psycho-social and organisational working environment there may be talk of conducting a risk assessment by means of focus group interviews or a SWOT analysis.
  • The employer will receive a written report based on the data, and measures will be recommended as required. Each individual employee will receive feedback on their results, provided the nature of the risk assessment is such that this is natural.

Ordering

The manager of the unit places an order, preferably as part of the faculty’s annual action plan for use of the occupational health service unit (Norwegian).

Contact

Occupational Health Service Unit

See also

UiO’s risk assessment procedure

 

Published Oct. 21, 2021 3:12 PM - Last modified Nov. 10, 2021 1:55 PM