Risk Assessment

The mission of risk assessment is accident prevention. Risk assessment can be described as measures taken to stop accidents that may occur during daily workplace operations before they happen. Risk assessment is especially crucial on surface mine sites due to the abundance of hazards that exist.

It is important to note these two definitions in order to understand and implement risk assessment:

• A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm.
• Risk is the likelihood of a hazard to cause actual harm.

The steps to successful risk assessment include the following:

• Identify the hazard. Consider how an accident might occur before an activity is carried out.
• Distinguish who is at risk. Identify the individuals involved in the activity as well as others, such as nearby workers, who might be at risk.
• Eliminate the hazard. Consider other ways of accomplishing the activity that remove the hazard.
• Evaluate the risk. Think about the likelihood of the accident actually happening and how serious the resulting injury would be.
• Determine control measures. Examine measures already in place to prevent an accident, and decide if anything else needs to be added to insure against disaster.
• Record the assessment. Ensure that the risk assessment is recorded.
• Review the assessment. Reevaluate the risk assessment every time there is a change in the workplace to ensure that the assessment is still relevant.

To learn more about MSHA Part 48 training requirements visit our MSHA Part 48 Subpart B Surface Mining Online Training web page.