Tom Cecich, CSP, CIH NC Chapter ASSE March 12, 2015.

All About Risk

Tom Cecich, CSP, CIH

NC Chapter ASSEMarch 12, 2015

The Need to Manage RiskA key to preventing and controlling safety and health losses is by identifying, analyzing, reducing, and managing workplace related risk.

Risk

A estimate of the probability of a hazard-related incident or exposure occurring and the severity of harm or damage that could result.

Risk = Probability X Severity

Is this a hazard?

What is the risk?

TrainedOperato

r

Proper Separatio

n

Proper

Tools

Workplace Risk PrinciplesRisk can be assessed (measured)Actions can be implemented to mitigate

(minimize, control or eliminate) riskHazards (the potential to do harm) with the

greatest associated risk should be given the highest mitigation priority

Resources should be allocated to mitigate the hazards presenting the highest risk

Risk will never be zero

ASSEValue of Safety Profession

Strategic Initiative

Fatal work injury rate(per 100,000 full-time equivalent

workers)

Rate of US Fatal Work Injuries 2006–2012

Serious Injury and Fatality Data

Recent injury data clearly shows that the rate of reduction of all injuries (frequency) does not necessarily produce equivalent reduction in the rate of fatal and serious injuries (severity)

Rate

Year

Total injuries

Serious injuriesAnd fatalities

Occupational Fatality Risks in the United States and the United Kingdom

ASSE Foundation funded studyConducted by Rand Corporation, August 2012Findings:

Fatality rates in US are 2-4X greater than comparable sectors in the UK

Possible Reasons:Legislative mandate for workplace risk

assessmentsWide implementation of workplace risk

assessment methodologies

US versus UK Construction Fatalities

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14 UK Construction

US Construction

Fata

lity

Rate

per

100,0

00 W

orke

rs

ASSE: Key ConclusionsTraditional approaches to reducing

workplace injuries that focused on injury rate reduction and/or regulatory compliance are necessary but not sufficient to eliminate incidents

Safety Through DesignAddressing occupational safety and health needs in the design and redesign stage to minimize the work related hazards and risks associated with the construction, manufacturing, use, maintenance, retrofitting and disposal of facilities, processes, materials and equipment.

Source: ANSI/ASSE Z590.3-2011Prevention through Design Guidelines forAddressing Occupational Hazards and RisksIn Design and Redesign Processes

ASSE: Key ConclusionsTraditional approaches to reducing

workplace injuries that focused on injury rate reduction and/or regulatory compliance are necessary but not sufficient to eliminate incidents

Global leaders in safety performance have already built their safety processes around the identification, assessment and management of risk

Exxon/Mobil: A Case of Leadership

CEO Rex Tillerson’s Vision

“Nobody Gets Hurt”

“Our responsibility is to recognize, understand and assess the elements of risk to effectively mitigate or eliminate significant risk”

ASSE: Key ConclusionsTraditional approaches to reducing

workplace injuries that focused on injury rate reduction and/or regulatory compliance are necessary but not sufficient to eliminate incidents

Global leaders in safety performance have already built their safety processes around the identification, assessment and management of risk

Senior business managers focus on managing the various risks that face their organizations

ASSE: Key ConclusionsTraditional approaches to reducing workplace

injuries that focused on injury rate reduction and/or regulatory compliance are necessary but not sufficient to eliminate incidents

Global leaders in safety performance have already built their safety processes around the identification, assessment and management of risk

Senior business managers focus on managing the various risks that face their organizations

Safety Professionals should be viewed as being uniquely qualified to identify, assess and propose mitigations to control unacceptable risks

Value Strategy

Value Ceiling

Compliance

Senior Management Recognition

$Business of

Safety$Su

stain

ab

ilit

y

Risk

Assessm

ent

2/16/13

At the 2013 PDC the ASSE Risk Assessment Institute

was launched

The Institute was organized to address the number of troubling trends that have

been observed regarding workplace injuries

Goals of ASSE RA InstituteEducate executives and business

community on the role and value of safety professionals in their risk management processes

Improve the risk-related training and education of safety professionals

Provide the leadership for the development of new evidence-based workplace risk related policies, processes and solutions

For further information:

Tom [email protected]

919-601-5224