By Joanna Weekes

Last week, the OH&S Bulletin started to look at risk control measures – when the cost is a factor in deciding which controls to use, and how to determine which risk controls to implement.

Today we will look at the next step in the process – implementing the risk control measure you have chosen.

There are a few things you should do before you put the controls into place though.

5 things to do before implementing risk controls

• Assess the risk controls for any hazards that may result from their implementation and conduct a risk assessment. If necessary, rethink or rework the control to prevent it from creating other hazards in your workplace.
• Advise affected workers of the control and train them in the procedures surrounding the control.
• Amend checking, reporting and auditing documents to reflect the new control (e.g. maintenance records).
• Review the control regularly to determine whether it is working to eliminate or reduce the original risk.
• Provide adequate supervision to ensure controls are being implemented correctly.

The reason that this part of the process is so important is that you need to make sure that a new control does not create a problem in your workplace in the process of trying to fix the original problem.

On Friday we will look at monitoring and reviewing the risk control measures that are in place in your workplace.