Crushing And Screening Equipment – Importance Of Risk Assessment
The crushing and screening operations are necessary in almost every construction project. The projects where crushing and screening is required are: building roads, bridges and buildings. People who operate with crushing and screening equipment usually work in environment which is highly dangerous for their health, and because of that, they are constantly exposed to risks of accidents and injuries. Most commonly, the operators of the crushing and screening machines suffer from dust-related lung diseases and hearing loss.
However, the accidents and injuries that are result of some dangerous operations can be prevented on time. There are many actions and steps that need to be taken in order to reduce the number of accidents on the construction job sites. The first and most essential step towards preventing accidents is preparing a risk assessment.
Risk assessment means understanding the nature of the work and the potential hazards that can be very dangerous. It includes detailed examination of the job site and the equipment that is used for the crushing and screening operations. When the nature of the working conditions is known, and when all possible outcomes can be predicted, it is easy to conduct an overall risk assessment.
The aim of the risk assessment is to focus on the possible situations that can be dangerous for the workers health. Moreover, when there is a complete risk assessment, concrete and effective actions can be taken in order to keep the workers protected and safe from any risks. The risk assessment involves several crucial steps:
Step 1: Identifying the hazardous factors – This step involves determining the assets and operations that can cause accidents and injuries on the job site.
Step 2: Identifying the group of workers who are exposed to certain risks – This step includes identifying the group of workers who use or work near the crushing and screening equipment.
Step 3: Evaluating the risks – The third step includes evaluation of the potential risks regarding the crushing and screening operations. When assessing the work conditions, the potential risks can be determined and with that precaution actions can be taken.
Step 4: Documenting the findings and their implementation – When all risks are clearly defined and the precaution actions are determined, the next step is to record and to implement them. In fact, this is the main goal of the whole process.
Step 5: Reviewing and updating the assessment – When the process of preparing the risk assessment is completed, you will need to review it from time to time in order to see whether there are some things that can be added or changed.
There is no doubt that the risk assessment for the crushing and screening operations is vital for preventing accidents and injuries. The risk assessment will provide an overall look at the possible negative outcome which can be dangerous for the workers health.