Developing A Risk Register And Risk Map For A Mining Company
Risk Register
A business requires its activities to be mapped and aspects of contingencies to be covered (Howes et al, 2015). In every organisation, especially in mining companies, all possible workplace risks need to be covered. In the current discussion a risk register for a mining company has been developed. The risk register encompasses various possibilities of workplace risks occurring along with their possibilities of occurrence and ways to deal with them (Loosemore, Raftery, Reilly & Higgon, 2012). Taking into consideration the varied types of risks a comprehensive risk map has been constructed to understand their possible impacts against likelihood of occurrence.
A risk register for variety of risks occurring at the mining company has been included below along with ways to manage them (Kable, Guest & McLeod, 2011).
|
Outline of risks |
Document Control Information |
Risk Identifier |
Risk Category |
Likelihood of risk |
Impact of risk |
Risk Response Category |
Owner of the Risk |
Risk Response Action |
Due Date of Completing Action |
Monitoring & Review |
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|
Details of Monitoring Activity |
Frequency of Monitoring |
Responsible Manager for monitoring |
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|
1. Noise |
ISO 9001 |
Noise level exceeding 90dB (Bahn, 2013) |
Employee related. Employees who are working at mining sites are prone to be exposed to high levels of noises |
High, employees working at mining sites is exposed to high sound and noise levels |
High, employees might end up losing hearing capability and turn deaf |
Mitigate by installing sound regulators on machines |
Mining site Engineer & Manager Mr. X. Sohrab |
Reduce Risk |
6 months from date of action |
Initiate installation of sound, especially noise control regulators |
Twice in a month |
Senior Engineer at Mining Site Mr. Y. Chu |
|
2.Coal Dust |
ISO 9001 |
10 mg/m3/ % SiO(2)+2, which contains respirable quartz, which is greater than 5% (Lerman et al, 2012) |
Employees working at mining sites |
Low to Medium. Employees might face vision challenges or skin irritations |
Medium. Employees might suffer from loss of eye sight or skin allergies |
Mitigate by installing coal dust absorber |
Senior Manager at Mining Mr. L. Williams |
Reduce risk Impact |
1 Year |
Start installing coal dust absorber |
Monthly |
Manager of Operations Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
|
3.Whole body Vibration |
ISO 14001 |
Exposure limit should not exceed 1.15 m/s2 A(8) |
Employees drilling mining holes |
Medium. Employees at mining sites might face impairment of normal working of muscles |
Medium. Loss of job, dexterity or incapability in working |
Reduce Exposure to individual employees |
Driller-in-charge Mr. K. Samiu |
Mitigate Risks |
3 months from detection of risks |
Regulation of timing exposure to individual employees |
Quarterly |
Driller-in-charge Mr. K. Samiu |
|
4.UV Exposure |
ISO 9001 |
Maximum of 8 hour period |
Employees in mining sites using UV exposing machineries |
Medium. Employees who are working near to UV exposure might be exposed |
High, skin irritation, skin rashes to skin cancers |
Reduce Exposure to individual employees (Johnstone, Quinlan and McNamara, 2011) |
Operations-Manager-in-charge Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
Mitigate |
3 months from detection of risks |
Regulation of timing exposure to individual employees |
Quarterly |
Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
|
5.Musculoskeletal disorders |
ISO 14001 |
Limited Mobility, Early retirement, reduced dexterity |
Employees working on-site at mining sites |
Medium, employee handling complex machineries might face such challenges |
Medium. Loss of job, dexterity or incapability in working |
Conduct employee health check-ups and then providing work schedules |
Driller-in-charge Mr. K. Samiu |
Mitigate |
3 months from detection of risks |
Regulation of timing exposure to individual employees |
Quarterly |
Driller-in-charge Mr. K. Samiu |
|
6.Thermal stress |
ISO 14001 |
Thermal work limit (TWL) at an underground mining site is the sustainable metabolic rate. Safe body temperature is less than 38.20 degree Celsius and sweat rate of less than 1.2 kg/hr (-1) (Gander et al., 2011) |
Employees working at underground mining sites |
Medium. employee exposed to high temperatures only |
Medium. Lack of coordination and appropriate functioning of daily activities |
Control temperatures at deep mining sites by introducing air coolers and allowing working in shifts to help regulate employee body temperature |
Operations-Manager-in-charge Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
Mitigate |
Immediate |
Installing air coolers and air conditioners at mining sites for regulating temperatures |
6 monthly |
Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
|
7.Chemical Stress |
ISO 14001 |
Exposure to harmful chemicals |
Employees exposed to cleaning of mining minerals |
Medium. Employee exposed to high chemicals only |
High. Lack of coordination and appropriate functioning of daily activities. Severe diseases |
Wearing suitable protection that provides protection against chemicals |
Operations-Manager-in-charge Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
Transfer |
3 months from detection of risks |
Ordering suitable employee suits for protecting against harmful use of chemicals |
Quarterly |
Mr. E. Ernstwhile |
|
8. Slips & Falls |
ISO 9001 |
Injury & accidents in falling and slips at workplace |
Employees at workplace |
Low |
Medium. Lack of coordination and appropriate functioning of daily activities. |
Having suitable OHS and workplace policies (Reason, 2016). |
Manager Mr. W. Jones |
Avoid |
1 month |
Regulation of timing exposure to individual employees |
Annually |
Manager Mr. W. Jones |
|
9.Poor Body Positioning |
ISO 14001 |
Inappropriate body position (Zapf et al, 2012). |
Employees at mining and office sites. |
Low |
Medium. Lack of coordination and appropriate functioning of daily activities. |
OHS and workplace policies |
Manager Mr. W. Jones |
Avoid |
3 months |
Regulation of timing exposure to individual employees |
Annually |
Manager Mr. W. Jones |
|
10.Reduced Wellbeing |
ISO 14001 |
Reduce wellbeing of employees due to physical or psychological stress (McLennan & Handmer, 2012) |
Employees at mining and office sites. |
Low |
Medium. Lack of coordination and appropriate functioning of daily activities. |
OHS and workplace policies |
Manager Mr. W. Jones |
Avoid |
3 months from detection of risks |
Regulation of timing exposure to individual employees |
Quarterly |
Manager Mr. W. Jones |
While the risk register provides details of the ten possible risks occurring at the mining site, a risk map helps plot the risks on the basis of their levels of impact and likelihood of occurrence. While most of the risks discussed have high probability of occurrence, their impact varies from medium to high levels. The below risk, map details the risks on the map.
|
High |
1. Noise 2. Coal Dust 3. Whole Body vibration 4. UV Exposure 5. Musculoskeletal disorder 6. Thermal stress 7. Chemical Stress 8. Slips & Falls 9. Poor Body Positioning 10 Reduced Wellbeing |
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|
Medium |
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|
Impact |
Low |
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|
Very Low |
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|
High |
Medium |
Low |
Very Low |
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|
Likelihood |
Conclusion
Every organisation faces workplace related hazards and risks. It becomes pertinent to treat those risks in an effective manner such that they can be handled. Risks which have medium to high impact needs to be analysed as to whether they can be avoided, mitigated or transferred. According to suitability of treatment a risk has to be managed such that the potential impact on the organisation can be reduced.
References
Bahn, S., 2013. Workplace hazard identification and management: The case of an underground mining operation. Safety science, 57, pp.129-137.
Gander, P., Hartley, L., Powell, D., Cabon, P., Hitchcock, E., Mills, A. and Popkin, S., 2011. Fatigue risk management: Organizational factors at the regulatory and industry/company level. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 43(2), pp.573-590.
Howes, M., Tangney, P., Reis, K., Grant-Smith, D., Heazle, M., Bosomworth, K. and Burton, P., 2015. Towards networked governance: Improving interagency communication and collaboration for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in Australia. Journal of environmental planning and management, 58(5), pp.757-776.
Johnstone, R., Quinlan, M. and McNamara, M., 2011. OHS inspectors and psychosocial risk factors: Evidence from Australia. Safety Science, 49(4), pp.547-557.
Kable, A.K., Guest, M. and McLeod, M., 2011. Organizational risk management and nurses’ perceptions of workplace risk associated with sharps including needlestick injuries in nurses in New South Wales, Australia. Nursing & health sciences, 13(3), pp.246-254.
Lerman, S.E., Eskin, E., Flower, D.J., George, E.C., Gerson, B., Hartenbaum, N., Hursh, S.R. and Moore-Ede, M., 2012. Fatigue risk management in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 54(2), pp.231-258.
Loosemore, M., Raftery, J., Reilly, C. and Higgon, D., 2012. Risk management in projects. Routledge.
McLennan, B.J. and Handmer, J., 2012. Reframing responsibility-sharing for bushfire risk management in Australia after Black Saturday. Environmental Hazards, 11(1), pp.1-15.
Reason, J., 2016. Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Routledge.
Zapf, D., Escartín, J., Einarsen, S., Hoel, H. and Vartia, M., 2011. Empirical findings on prevalence and risk groups of bullying in the workplace. Bullying and harassment in the workplace: Developments in theory, research, and practice, 2, pp.75-106.