Supporting Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment Skills: A Case Study of Five Companies

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Risk Management
• Workplace Safety Training

Background:

• Financial burdens from poor occupational safety practices persist despite OHS advancements.
• Effective risk assessment is crucial for improving OHS but often lacks workplace expertise.
• This study addresses the need to identify essential OHS risk assessment skills and support mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify critical occupational health and safety (OHS) risk assessment skills.
• To evaluate current workplace support systems for risk assessment.
• To determine effective strategies for enhancing OHS risk assessment capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Delphi survey with 13 OHS experts.
• Conducted interviews with 41 participants in case companies.
• Combined expert consensus with practical workplace insights.

Main Results:

• OHS experts identified key skills: hazard identification, risk minimization, supervisory influence, and deep understanding of risk assessment principles.
• Current support relies on on-the-job learning, training, and instructions, but many felt training was insufficient.
• Identified a gap between perceived training needs and actual support received.

Conclusions:

• Training, coaching, and clear instructions are the most effective ways to improve risk assessment skills.
• Development plans should incorporate expert-identified skills and address training gaps.
• Enhanced risk assessment skills are vital for reducing workplace financial burdens and improving safety outcomes.