Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
GOAL
Hazard identifications and risk assessments are conducted, and maintained up to date, for all hazardous installations
All hazardous installations should be subject to hazard identification and risk assessments to identify uncontrolled events which could lead to fire, explosion or release of toxic substances, and to evaluate the potential consequences of an accident using appropriate techniques and data.
Safety management starts with the identification of the hazards and assessment of the risks at each hazardous installation; these provide the information needed for developing and implementing a prevention policy and a preparedness plan.
While authorities establish the requirements, and provide guidance, hazard identification and risk assessment are generally the responsibility of the enterprise. There are a number of different approaches to doing hazard identification and risk assessment and enterprises should choose approaches that are appropriate to their circumstances.
Suggested activities include:
- Require enterprises to prepare hazard identifications and risk assessments for hazardous installations, using procedures that are appropriate for the installation and take into account the range of potential consequences in the event of an accident
- Require that the hazard identifications and risk assessment are reviewed, and revised, periodically and any time there is a significant change at the installation
- Provide guidance on doing hazard identification and risk assessment
Relevant tools
- WHO - Human Health Risk Assessment Toolkit: Chemical Hazards, second edition [2021]
- UNEP: A Flexible Framework for addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness – A Guidance Document (2010)
- ILO: Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents (1991)
- OECD: Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention Preparedness and Response (2nd ed, 2003)
- OECD: Addendum to the Guiding Principles (2011)
- UNEP / INERIS: Assessing the Vulnerability of Local Communities to Disasters: An interactive guide and methodology (2008)
- WHO - Manual for the Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents [2009]
- UNEP: Hazard Identification and Evaluation in a Local Community (1992)