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How often are people exposed to the hazard? A hazard may exist all of the time or it may only exist occasionally. The more often a hazard is present, the greater the likelihood it will result in harm. For example: Meshing gears in an enclosed gearbox can cause crushing only if the gearbox is open during maintenance, and therefore the potential for harm will not occur very often. Continuously lifting heavy boxes has the potential to cause harm whenever the work is done. How long might people be exposed to the hazard? The longer that someone is exposed to a hazard, the greater the likelihood that harm may result. For example: The longer a person is exposed to noisy work, the more likely it is that they will suffer hearing loss. How effective are current controls in reducing risk? In most cases the risks being assessed will already be subject to some control measures. The likelihood of harm resulting from the risk will depend upon how adequate and effective the current measures are. For example: Traffic management controls have been implemented in a warehouse to separate moving forklifts from pedestrians by using signs and painted lines on the floor. These controls may need to be upgraded to include physical barriers. Could any changes in your organisation increase the likelihood? The demand for goods or services in many organisations varies throughout the year. Changes in demand may be seasonal, depend on environmental conditions or be affected by market fluctuations that are driven by a range of events. Meeting increased demand may cause unusual loads on people, plant and equipment and systems of work. Failures may be more likely. For example: Inner city restaurants and bistros are very busy in the period prior to Christmas, placing extra demands on kitchen and serving staff. The increase in volume of food to be prepared and serving a larger number of patrons increases the potential for human error and the likelihood of harm. Are hazards more likely to cause harm because of the working environment? Examples of situations where the risk of injury or illness may become more likely: Environmental conditions change. For example, work performed in high temperatures in a small space increases the potential for mistakes because workers become fatigued more quickly; wet conditions make walkways and other things slippery. People are required to work quickly. The rate at which work is done (e.g. number of repetitions) can over-stress a person’s body or make it more likely that mistakes will be made. There is insufficient light or poor ventilation. Could the way people act and behave affect the likelihood of a hazard causing harm? The possibility that people may make mistakes, misuse items, become distracted or panic in particular situations needs to be taken into account. The effects of fatigue or stress may make it more likely that harm will occur. Do the differences between individuals in the workplace make it more likely for harm to occur? Workers are not all the same and individual variability should be considered, for example: People respond to stress at work in different ways, which means some workers are more susceptible to harm. People with disabilities may be more likely to suffer harm if the workplace or process is not designed for their needs. New or young workers may be more likely to suffer harm because of inexperience. People who do not normally work at the workplace will have less knowledge than employees who normally work there, and may be more likely to suffer harm. These people include contractors, visitors or members of the public. Step 3—How to control risks The most important step in managing risks involves eliminating them so far as is reasonably practicable, or if that is not reasonably practicable, minimising the risks so far as is reasonably practicable. In deciding how to control risks, as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must consult your workers and their representatives who will be directly affected by this decision. Their experience will help you choose appropriate control measures and their involvement will increase the level of acceptance of any changes that may be needed to the way they do their job. There are many ways to control risks. Some control measures are more effective than others. You must consider various control options and choose the control that most effectively eliminates the hazard or minimises the risk in the circumstances. This may involve a single control measure or a combination of different controls that together provide the highest level of protection that is reasonably practicable. Some problems can be fixed easily and should be done straight away, while others will need more effort and planning to resolve. Of those requiring more effort, you should prioritise areas for action, focusing first on those hazards with the highest level of risk. The hierarchy of control measures The ways of controlling risks are ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest as shown below. This ranking is known as the hierarchy of control measures. The hierarchy of control measures can be applied in relation to any risk. The WHS Regulations make it mandatory for duty holders to work through this hierarchy when managing certain risks.