"Risk assessment" is very important in operating machines and systems. Risk assessment refers to exploring, clarifying and evaluating potential risks in the workplace. Looking at the cases of troubles occurring in many companies, we can see that there are many companies with insufficient risk assessment.
According to the materials of the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, there are three types of risk assessment related to occupational safety and health.
A. Risk assessment of workplaces and operations
B. Risk assessment at the time of designing and manufacturing machines and equipment
C. Risk assessment before introduction of chemical substances
Therefore, this time, in addition to specific procedures and points to note in risk assessment of the workplace and work, we will introduce the risk assessment of "valves", which have particularly low awareness of danger. Understand risk assessment and implement appropriate safety management.
What is risk assessment?
As mentioned above, risk assessment refers to a series of steps from clarifying the "risks" that can cause troubles that may occur on-site to considering measures to prevent troubles. Taking action based on the results of the risk assessment is called “risk management”.
Need for risk assessment
In the past, it was common to research the cause after a problem occurred and take thorough measures to prevent the same problem from reoccurring. This is called “crisis management”. However, it cannot be truly safe unless potential risks are eliminated. In order to ensure the safety of the site, it is important to create an environment where accidents do not occur through appropriate risk assessment.
How to proceed with risk assessment
In the risk assessment, we assess each part of the machine and explore the dangerous parts in operating it. Let's focus on each part and think about possible troubles and frequency. Depending on whether it occurs once a year or frequently, there is a big difference in the efficiency of work and the cost of operating machines and systems. In order to create a safe and smooth environment, we quantify elements such as "magnitude of risk," "high risk of trouble," and "frequency of trouble occurrence," and take appropriate countermeasures from the most serious risks. is important.
Notes on risk assessment
Points to keep in mind when conducting risk assessment are: ``when quantifying, it should be done by multiple people''; In such cases, assume a specific injury or illness.” Multiple people with different genders, ages, experiences, and knowledge can exchange opinions and quantify them as concretely as possible to make the risk assessment more meaningful.
Very dangerous! About Control Valve Risk Assessment
Among machines and systems, the most important thing for safety is the "valve" that is responsible for the final control. Problems that can occur with valves include, for example, "foreign matter, dust, and rust entering the valve", which may cause the valve to malfunction. It is important to focus on points such as whether the inside of the pipe is dirty or whether the sealing tape is clogged, and to proceed with appropriate risk assessment.
In some cases, the valve may leak. A leaking pneumatic valve can cause serious injury. In this case, it is necessary to check the structure of the valve and take countermeasures such as replacing it with a valve with higher control reliability.
In order to aim for a truly safe workplace, it is necessary to conduct risk assessment based on a large amount of knowledge and the latest information. It is extremely important for each and every one of us at the site to take it personally and work on it sincerely. Another important point for risk assessment is to use machines with high control reliability. Machines with high control reliability can maintain sufficient safety functions even if one part is damaged.
We are happy to help you with any questions you may have regarding safety on site.