Students are taught by way of the first factory visit in the Practicum Block how to do a hazard scan and occupational hygiene risk assessment using a hazard matrix methodology developed by Dr Greg Kew. .

This is composed of 3 elements:

• An estimate of the severity of the consequences of the hazard
• An estimate of the probability of these consequences occurring (how frequently) and how many workers are at risk
• An estimate of the intensity/duration of exposure to the hazard

• consequence severity X probability of occurrence
  (as a score out of 25 where scores of < 5 are considered Lo risk; scores between 5 and 15 are Medium risk and scores above 15 are high risk)



• or consequences X probability of occurrence X intensity of exposure (out of 125)

Useful documents to consult are:

1. An overview of the process of Occupational Hygiene Risk Assessment
2. a checklist for a walkthrough of a workplace assessing risk to ensure your attention to the range of hazards
3. a standard form for recording exposure by location or by work process in the workplace or by process
4. A risk matrix (view zoom to 200% for detail) where it is possible to calculate a risk from each hazard by multiplying scores in terms of its consequences, probability of occurrence and exposure probabilities. This allows the allocation of a hazard to a risk category and it then becomes possible to prioritise these hazards for attention.
5. a Format for tabling risk estimates (Low, Medium or High) for the hazards identified.