Describe the purpose of a preliminary hazard analysis.

Careful analysis of potential hazards can assist in the mitigation of future accidents. Two approaches to hazard analysis include the preliminary hazard analysis and the detailed hazard analysis. Both methods are used to help identify and prioritize the potential hazards at a job site that can end in the possibility of a severe accident. A preliminary hazard analysis is conducted to identify potential hazards and prioritize them according to (1) the likelihood of an accident or injury from a hazard and (2) the severity of an injury, illness or property damage that may result if the hazard had caused the accident (Goetsch, 2010). In contrast, a detailed hazard analysis involves the application of analytical, inductive, and deductive methods (Goetsch, 2010).

Expertise and reasoning can be two useful applications when performing a hazard analysis. Typically a preliminary hazard analysis along with previous expertise would be sufficient in determining possible job site hazards and developing methods to avoid them. If needed, more detailed methods can be used for conducting detailed analysis. They are:

 failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA),

 hazard and operability review (HAZOP),

 technic of operations review (TOR),

 human error analysis (HEA), and

 fault tree analysis (FTA).

Failure mode and effects analysis is a formal step-by-step analytical method used to analyze complex engineering systems. The hazard and operability review is an analysis method that allows problems to be identified even before a body of experience has been developed for a given process or system (Goetsch, 2010). The technique of operations review is a method that allows supervisors and employees to work together to analyze workplace accidents and incidents. The human error analysis basically predicts that accidents are caused by human errors while the fault tree analysis visually displays the hazard analysis in detail.

Hazard analysis is extremely important in the construction industry. It is very important to analyze the probability of any types of accidents on-site and also to

Reading Assignment

Chapter 8:

Job Safety and Hazard Analysis

Chapter 9:

Accident Investigation, Record Keeping, and Reporting

Learning Activities (Non-Graded)

See information below

Key Terms

1. Accident investigation

2. Accident report

3. Emergency procedures

4. Faultfinding

5. Frequency

6. Hazard analysis

7. Hazard and operability review

8. Human error analysis

9. Immediacy

10. Principal’s office syndrome

11. Probability

12. Risk analysis

13. Technic of operations review

14. Witnesses

Coordinate medical response in the event of an accident. In the case of an accident, the first thing management and supervisors need to do is implement their emergency plan. Each accident should be treated as if it were a larger accident. The main points to ultimately cover in an accident investigation are: who, what, when, where, why, and how. In coordinating the accident investigation, you should consider the following:

 isolate the accident scene,

 record all evidence,

 photograph and/or videotape the scene,

 identify and interview the witnesses,

 review the record keeping procedures leading up to the accident, and

 report all specific findings and any additional information necessary.

Thorough accident investigation is just as important as performing a careful hazard analysis. Accidents are investigated for the purpose of identifying causal factors that have the possibility to lead to other accidents. Facts need to be uncovered, recorded, and reviewed in order to assist in the future mitigation of potential hazards involving the same situations.

Reference

Goetsch, D. L. (2010). Construction safety and the OSHA standards. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.