Many tasks performed by workers who operate or maintain industrial machines present high levels of risk. When building, retrofitting or interlinking machines, a systematic technical Risk Assessment provides a structured method to identify hazards and defi ne protective measures that reduce the degree of possible harm.
Risk assessment is a documented physical verification and inspection of a machine, process or activity performed in accordance with international and national standards, including the following stages:
- Determining the limits of the machine, which include the intended use and any reasonably foreseeable misuse thereof
- Identification of hazards, that can be generated by the machinery and the associated hazardous situations
- Risk estimation (quantitative or qualitative), taking into account the severity of the possible injury or damage to health and the probability of its occurrence
- Risk evaluation, deciding on the need for risk reduction that can be implemented in accordance with applicable legislation, standards and good engineering practice
- eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks associated with these hazards by application of suitable protective measures.
Risk assessment is an iterative process that continues as long as there is unacceptable risk
