Using risk cards to assess and handle risks

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Using risk cards to assess and handle risks
27 April 2009, Prague

• European Good Practices Competition 2009
• Corus Tubes, Cold Formed Products, Maastricht
  Works, Netherlands
• Willie van Loo, Health and Safety Manager

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Corus Tubes - Cold Formed Products

• Tata Group Corus Corus Tubes

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Corus Tubes - Cold Formed Products
Corus Tubes, Works Maastricht, Manufacturing
site for cold formed structural hollow sections

• Applications
• Greenhouses constructions and heating systems
• Constructions for Machines, Agriculture,
  Trailers, Buildings
• Scaffolding
• Fencing and guarding
• Road furniture and crash barriers

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To Assess RisksHow should we do it, and why?

• Already as a child you are faced with risks and
  did your parents, brother, sister or teacher make
  remarks about this.
• Everyone has learned to assess the risks for
  crossing a street. Watching to the left, to the
  right and again to the left.
• Do we still know why?
• Because there are risks !

It is an art to recognize all the other risks we
never told about (or unknown) and take the right
actions to reduce them.
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What is a risk ?The Fine and Kinney method

• The Fine and Kinney method is an excellent tool
  to assess risks and is usable in all possible
  situations.
• Both at home and at work there are risks.
• It is very important to recognize and assess them.

Fine and Kinney method A risk index that
ascribes particular values to the probability of
a risk, the length of exposure and the extent of
possible damage.
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To Assess RisksHow should we do it, and why?

• The Fine and Kinney method is very suitable to
  draw up risk assessments or assessing an (un)safe
  situation.
• In pratice, the extensive Fine and Kinney method
  is not used during the daily activities.
• At Corus Tubes Maastricht this problem is solved
  by handing out the so-called risk cards and
  introduce and explain it in several toolbox
  meetings to every employee.
• At these cards the Fine and Kinney method is
  represented in a very practical way.

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Example

• Someones attention is drawn to a not fixed grate
  at the mill.

Is that a risk? And how do I assess it ?
In this case the grate is not located at the
footpath. In spite of this there is still a
possibility that someone steps on the grid.
The injury, if that happens and someone falls in
that hole, could be a medical treatment. The risk
factor is specified as a RISK. The card shows
the required action.
The risk level depends on the situation. First
you have to watch if the situation is safe or
not. You should ask yourself Could I or someone
else be injured (risk) in that situation or
during the work?. If thats the matter the risk
needs to be assessed. The risk card is an
excellent tool to use now.
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The Risk Card
What could be the possible injury ?
Possibility of the risk ?
Required action ?
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The results achieved

• The benefits are difficult to express in a
  figures, but in human and social terms the
  company has made a great leap forward.

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Assessing RisksThis is the way we do it

• There will be existing always risks in our
  everyday life. It is the art to recognize all
  these risks and assess them.
• Particular at activities we take to less time to
  see and assess the potential risks. Preferable we
  want to finish the job as soon as possible. That
  is not acceptable.
• Risks should be recognized, assessed and reduced
  !!
• At Corus Tubes Maastricht the slogan is

Eerst Denken en dan Doen !
First Think then Act !