Identifying and controlling risks in a worksite with hazardous conditions is critical to underpin the safety of operations. Using a risk assessment process is the recommended course of action since such assessment has a proven track record in many hazardous and high-pressure industries. The process normally consists of:
Not to be confused with threat assessment, this is a survey of the worksite noting any potential worksite conditions that may be hazardous.
IDENTIFYING RISKS
IDENTIFYING WHO IS AT RISK
This step identifies whether the hazard is applicable to the workforce and / or third parties such as the local community.
Analysing the probability and the consequences (impact) of the risk against a specified tolerance level. If the risk level is outside of tolerance, then mitigating actions to reduce it to a tolerable level should be applied. This will involve a hierarchy of actions, from avoiding or removing the risk, to reducing the risk with active control measures.
ANALYSING AND MITIGATING THE RISK
RECORDING AND BRIEFING
The findings and corresponding control measures.
REVIEWING ON A TIMELY BASIS
It is recommended that risk assessments are regularly reviewed, and personnel briefed on changes.
The MA sector has always faced a challenge in surveying and clearing EO from buildings in rural areas and populated urban centres, including those in Afghanistan, Palestine and the Balkan states. However, the increasing use of explosive weapons in population centres since the beginning of the 21st century has driven a change, especially when combined with the scale and speed in the movement of vulnerable people to and from heavily contaminated urban areas. This has reinforced an already established need for MA to ensure activities are conducted safely, efficiently and effectively to facilitate rehabilitation, and ultimately the safe return of communities.
MA organisations face several key problems when attempting to conduct clearance and survey in urban areas.
1.4.2. PROBLEM: CALCULATING WORKING / SEPARATION DISTANCES
Speculative range of blast effect
Speculative range of fragmentation effect
Image 12. Explosion occurring in a built-up area. The red crosses indicate the buildings directly affected by primary and secondary fragmentation and blast effects of the explosion. The concentric circles represent the predicted distance of blast and fragmentation effects if unhindered by buildings
Introduction
98
Powered by FlippingBook