Identifying risks and assessing hazards in a factory tool shop : a case study in risk assessment

Abstract

This work deals with risk assessment, as this program assures safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women. The project confirms that the fundamental principle of risk assessment is to save lives, prevent workplace injury and illness, and protect the health of the workers - a philosophy which is still not clear to many people, because despite considerable progress, the rates of workplace injuries and work-related illnesses are still considerably high. The project explains that risk analysis is a necessary and appropriate tool for linking sound policy decisions with sensible science, thus avoid needless waste of human resources. Much of the risk assessment debate in this study was focused on the tool-shop Department at Methode Electronics Malta Limited. Potential risks that posed evident nuisances, together with other hazards that were not so obvious were assessed. Implicitly the work shows that the concept of a risk assessment is to be pro-active and try to identify potential accident causes and deal with them before the accident occur, rather than deal with its consequences. To avoid this, specific data sources have been consulted. Finally this work succeeds to show that risk assessments are a feasible and cost effective tool in accomplishing business goals and objectives.