Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace 2.2: 2.2 Assess plant risks by severity, likelihood and exposure where needed

A risk assessment helps decide how severe a risk is, whether existing controls work, what action is needed and how urgently. Where hazards and controls are well known a formal assessment is not required and the controls can be implemented directly. When assessing, consider the potential impact (how severe an injury could be and the worst possible harm, such as crane overturn or collapse), and how likely harm is, including the duration, frequency and severity of exposure, the condition of the plant and its environment, nearby people and plant, access during installation, operation, maintenance and emergencies, work practices such as isolation, information, training and supervision provided, whether safety depends on operator competence, and work organisation such as line speed and whether workers can alter it, traffic, repetitive tasks, shiftwork and production incentives that may affect safety. Plant can both create and reduce psychosocial risk.