Field Level Hazard Assessment

What is field level hazard assessment

A field-level hazard assessment (FLHA) is a safety evaluation that should be completed before any work begins at a job site. It is meant to pinpoint hazards and risks so proper control measures can be set to allow for a safer means to accomplish the required tasks. The overarching goal is to increase worker protection by reducing exposure and setting precautions for all preventable risks.

WHY CONDUCTING HAZARD ASSESSMENTS IS IMPORTANT

The International Labour Organization indicates that more than 2.78 million work-related deaths happen annually. On top of this, 374 million people suffer from non-fatal occupational injuries that result in more than four days of work absence. The costs of these statistics are clear: it can result in loss of income to the affected individual and detrimental liabilities for a company.

Occupational safety should be prioritized for business operations, and the FLHA is a tool that can help you do this. Because a field level hazard assessment card requires a comprehensive list of all hazards, their corresponding risk levels, and the appropriate control measures to prevent them, it can significantly help improve workplace safety practices and secure the health of your employees.

In this article, the following points are explained:

1. How to perform the FLHA effectively in your workplace

2. When you should update the FLHA

3. A digital checklist to streamline your field level hazard assessment

How to perform the FLHA effectively in your workplace

You can implement the FLHA using these five steps before the start of every shift.

1. Identify all hazards

Knowing which hazards to prevent can help mitigate potential dangers on the job. Optimal preparation requires you to spot possible risks before they even happen. In order to do that, you need to conduct a thorough check of all the places and tasks that hazards might be present in:

• Think through all aspects and processes of the work
• Consider non-routine tasks like repairs, maintenance, and cleaning
• Inspect the area where the work needs to be done
• Plan through possible unforeseeable conditions
• Evaluate risks to other workers and the public

2. Determine the risk levels

After listing all the obvious hazards, the next step is knowing which risk should be controlled first. Priority can be determined using the amount of employee exposure and degree of potential injury or illness. Evaluating the risk levels can help you make more informed judgments when it comes to employee work assignments.

3. Develop safe work practices and controls

Once you already have a complete understanding of the hazards and their safety implications, it’s time to implement control measures to ensure utmost worker security. Here are four types of controls you can set in place:

• Elimination: This is done by removing the hazard altogether.
• Engineering controls: These include implementing changes to equipment, ventilation systems, or processes to minimize the source of exposure.
• Administrative controls: These measures are done by altering the way the task is executed. This can include adjustments in time, policies, and practices.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE): This refers to the safety equipment worn by workers to reduce risks of hazards like sharp objects, chemicals, and even noise.

4. Educate your workers and communicate safety guidelines

A critical element to safe workplace culture is awareness. Drafting an FLHA is just half the job. What’s more essential is educating your workers, so they know how to use it. So, make it a point to regularly educate them on which hazards they might potentially encounter, what equipment they should wear for a specific task, and what steps they should take to control the risks. These efforts should be adequately carried out and documented.

5. Implement continuously

Once your FLHA and people are ready, you can begin your operations. Just keep in mind that these practices should be consistently and regularly observed to ensure the highest standards of safety measures are followed.

When should you update the FLHA?

At a job site, even small changes in work procedures should be properly monitored as these can lead to possible problems when overlooked. As part of educating your workers, they should be able to identify when the FLHA should be updated. Here are some of the key instances the assessment should be revisited:

• When there are alterations in task requirements such as change of work plans and additional machine configurations.
• When new tasks are communicated during the actual shift and not before.
• When new workers are on site.
• When there are changes in the job conditions like weather and material availability.

Use a digital checklist to streamline your field level hazard assessment

Companies looking to implement FLHA in their workplace can create a field level hazard assessment form and use it as a checklist to ensure your company has thoroughly reviewed potential hazards and met all safety compliance requirements.

With Lumiform, a powerful inspection and corrective action solution, creating the safety culture you need has never been easier. You can digitize your FLHA checklist so all your workers and managers can have 24/7 access to important safety guidelines and make sure nothing gets overlooked.

Apart from making safety more accessible, here are other benefits you can enjoy when you download the inspection app:

• Create your own FLHA checklist using our flexible form builder and easily update as needed.
• Use our intuitive mobile app to perform on-site assessments efficiently without compromising safety.
• Consolidate necessary photo and data documentations all in one place.
• Generate in-depth reports with a click of a button and solve issues collectively before they escalate.
• Provides a simplified process to perform field level hazard assessments which your workers can easily use and understand.