Effective Risk Management and Prevention in the Workplace

Item 11 of Prevention Management

1. Risk Assessment

It is a process to detect and estimate the magnitude of all risks in the company, determining which can be removed and acting on those that have not been avoided.

To perform the risk assessment is a systematic analysis of all aspects of the workplace, taking into account:

• The nature of the company's activity.
• The nature and number of exposed workers.

1.1. Risk Analysis

1. Identify the hazard.
2. Describe the risk.
3. Estimate the Risk:
   • High probability: the damage will occur always or almost always.
   • Average probability: the damage will occur occasionally.
   • Low probability: the damage will occur rarely.

1.2. Risk Evaluation

Consists of issuing an opinion on the tolerability of risk, based on previous studies. When determining the existence of a risk, it should be examined first of all if the risk can be eliminated, if possible without causing danger.

1.3. When to Conduct Risk Assessment

It must be performed before initiation and periodically reviewed and updated. Also, with the incorporation of new technologies, when damage to health occurs, and when new employees join.

1.4. Who Conducts the Risk Assessment

It must be performed by qualified personnel and should involve all people in the workplace: the management, controls, and workers or their representatives.

2. Control and Risk Management

1. Analysis of intolerable risks.
2. Planned observations.
3. Identify and plan preventive and protective measures in time.
4. Communication and consultation.
5. Preventive manipulation.
6. Health monitoring.

3. Management of Prevention

Consists of defining the company's prevention policy and its organizational structure, determining duties, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and all resources needed for such activity. The occupational risk prevention management system includes: prevention policy, organization of prevention, educating and informing, consulting and encouraging worker participation, and planning to prevent and control occupational hazards.

4. Organization of Prevention

1. Employer takes personal preventive action.
2. Designating one or more workers.
3. Creating an in-house prevention service.
4. Hiring an external prevention service.
5. Through a joint prevention service.

5. Worker Representation in PRL

Safety representatives are elected by and from the workers' representatives.

The health and safety committee will be constituted in all workplaces with 50 or more workers.