Risk Assessment Before Starting Work

Continuing our series of practical tips, today I would like to share another tool that can be useful in practice for industrial enterprises.

Everyone knows what risk assessment is, but very often, risk management at an enterprise ends with a global assessment of the current state, the development of measures based on the results, and that's it. Many forget that there are non-standard situations that are sometimes difficult to assess or predict, requiring an individual approach. I would like to talk about this specific type of risk assessment below.

PWRA – Pre-Work Risk Assessment, which is conducted in the following cases:

• Before performing high-risk work, i.e., work that requires a work permit;
• Before performing work that is NOT part of an employee's standard duties;
• Before performing work for which no HSE instructions or standard operating procedures have been developed.

PWRA is conducted by the immediate supervisor with the employees involved in the work. First, hazards that may arise during the work process are identified, and protective measures against them are determined. Also, according to the developed form, a section is filled out describing the necessary steps to perform the work, indicating safety measures for each step. After the risk assessment is conducted, an HSE representative approves the form and grants permission to proceed with the work. Upon completion of the work, the corresponding section is also filled out: the implementation of the specified measures is verified.

This format may partially duplicate some sections of work permits, but we believe it is more detailed and understandable, accounting for many risks that are not covered in standard work permits.

We actively use this form at our enterprise, so I can confidently recommend using a similar format. At the same time, of course, it can be modified as needed for your own requirements, perhaps simplified or supplemented with specific risks.