How to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Plant Risk Assessments
What is a plant risk assessment (PRA)?
A plant risk assessment involves a comprehensive inspection of a piece of plant or equipment to ensure it is safe for use.
How do I conduct a plant risk assessment?
Traditionally PRAs are conducted using a 4 step process, as seen in the diagram on the right. If an error or oversight is made in Steps 1 to 3, this is likely to lead to fundamental flaws in the PRA.
What are the pitfalls when conducting plant risk assessments?
• Poor knowledge of the plant being assessed & its functions
• Poor understanding of hazards present
• Poor understanding of the risk analysis/evaluation process
• Poor understanding of the controls required on particular types of plant
• Inconsistently identifying hazards, assessing risks and specifying controls
• Failure to implement controls required by the PRA
• PRAs incomprehensible, misunderstood and unusable in the field
How to avoid the pitfalls of plant risk assessment?
The Show Stopper: Plant Safety Knowledge
The most fundamental knowledge requirement is knowledge of the plant itself. In simple terms, if an assessor does not have a comprehensive knowledge of the plant and how it works, there is no way they will be able to competently undertake a Plant Risk Assessment.
There is no way around this requirement. If you don’t know the plant, you should not attempt to conduct a Plant Risk Assessment.
Manageable Pitfalls: Systemising the Plant Risk Assessment Process
The balance of the pitfalls can be managed by following a systematic approach to the Plant Risk Assessment process. A systematic approach must aim to institutionalise the knowledge required to consistently and thoroughly follow the risk assessment process for plant.
This is achieved by providing a structured process which includes sufficient guidance to assessors to reduce subjectivity, inconsistency and incompleteness. Further information on the critical elements of a structured Plant Risk Assessment process is included in the table below “Addressing the Pitfalls”.
Conducting your PRA
Suppliers and owners of plant can develop their own structured risk assessment process and integrate it into their preventive maintenance strategy, however the cost of doing so is often prohibitive for all except the largest of organisations. AME assisted by our partners and software Plant Assessor provide this systemisation and spread the cost over many users. The main aim of Plant Assessor is to allow users to conduct speedy, thorough and consistent PRAs, without the need for extensive knowledge of legislation, risk assessment and general safety principles.
Plant Assessor contains the results of comprehensive analysis of tens of thousands of different types, makes and models of plant & equipment. These assessments are then de-constructed into comprehensive & specific control questionnaires. It also empowers the assessor with over 70,000 make and model specific plant safety inspection questionnaires, which focus on checking controls rather than the difficult four stage risk assessment process.
AME can help with risk assessment services ranging from third party crane inspection to pressure vessel testing and inspection of all classified plant.
To enquire about our plant risk assessments contact Steve Stedman at AME on 08 9466 7444 or email info@asseteng.com.au