Occupational Risk Identification and Management

Evolution of the Risk Management System: From Formalism to a Working Tool

The transition of enterprises to international safety standards requires not just having occupational risk assessment documentation, but creating a truly working mechanism integrated into production processes. During the webinar, Mikhail Kobzev, Deputy Chief Engineer and Head of the HSE Department at Mikhailovsky GOK JSC, breaks down the practical experience of building such a system at a large mining enterprise.

A key problem with many risk management systems is the disconnect between the assessment and actual workplaces. To avoid this, the enterprise forms hazard identification working groups at the micro-level: in workshops, sections, and specific teams. This allows involving line personnel, who best know the specifics and hidden threats of their work areas.

Modified Risk Assessment Formula

The classic risk assessment matrix is usually based on two indicators: the severity of consequences and the probability of an event occurring. The speaker shows how, to increase objectivity, the enterprise introduced a third coefficient — the probability of risk detection.

This indicator (from 1 to 10) assesses how easy it is to notice an impending danger. If the factor is obvious and easily controlled, the coefficient is minimal. If the danger arises suddenly and cannot be visually or instrumentally controlled until the moment of the incident, the risk receives the maximum score. This approach allows focusing attention on hidden threats that often fall out of standard hazard maps.

Determining Acceptable Risk and Combating Manipulation

The level of acceptable risk in the presented methodology is calculated as the arithmetic mean of all assessed risks in a specific hazard map. All values exceeding this threshold require the mandatory development of corrective actions.

The presentation details the problem of possible manipulations: the mathematical model allows artificially lowering the average score by adding many insignificant risks to the map to avoid working on complex problems. The speaker notes that overcoming this tendency took time and a change in safety culture, when personnel realized that the assessment is conducted not to pass an audit, but to truly protect life and health.

Practical Cases: From Assessment to Engineering Solutions

The theoretical basis is supported by an analysis of specific situations from the practice of the mining workshop, where unacceptable risks were identified and effective management measures were implemented:

• Threat of rock mass collapse at transfer points. The risk was assessed at 90 units. Instead of increasing briefings, the enterprise took the path of removing people from the danger zone: video surveillance was introduced, allowing the process to be controlled remotely.
• Risk of explosion of a misfired charge. When working the face with an excavator, there is a probability of encountering uninitiated explosives (risk of 96 units). The solution was the introduction of mandatory duty of a blasting specialist directly in the excavator cabin when working in potentially dangerous zones.
• Injury when replacing the bucket bottom opening cable. The regular operation of cutting the cable led to burns due to the unbending of stressed metal. A simple but effective requirement was added to the technological map: before cutting, apply a bandage of binding wire to block the movement of the cable ends.

What You Will Learn from This Webinar:

• How to introduce the "probability of detection" coefficient into the standard risk assessment formula?
• How to calculate the level of acceptable risk for a specific section or workshop?
• What is the fundamental difference between hazard prevention measures and risk reduction activities?
• How to prevent a formal approach and manipulations when compiling hazard maps?
• How to integrate risk management performance indicators into managers' KPIs based on the LTIFR rate?