Health and safety risk management is a process where we do what we can to minimise the risks associated with health and safety hazards at our workplace. The aim is to ensure that no one is injured or hurt by a hazard at work.
Risk management is a systematic process that involves the following 4 steps:
- identify the hazards
- assess the risk*
- control the risks
- monitor and review the safety measures.
*The department's revised health, safety and wellbeing risk assessment template expands this step in the process to help the user consider, assess and document risks.
There are many instances when a risk assessment should be done. For example, whenever:
- a new hazard has been introduced (e.g. commissioning new equipment item)
- an incident (including a near miss) has occurred
- when a new activity involving significant risk is planned.
The department has several specific procedures and risk assessment tools that detail how risk management is to be undertaken for specific activities involving risk. These include: undertaking high risk curriculum activities, going on school excursions, using hazardous chemicals and doing hazardous manual tasks. The
risk assessment tools index guides staff through these procedures and tools and can be found on the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management System (HSWMS) OnePortal page (departmental employees only) under the risk management element.
For more guidance on how to complete a risk assessment, refer to:
Departmental procedures and guidelines
Managing risks in school curriculum activities
School excursions
International school study tours
Workplace health, safety and wellbeing procedures
Resources
Managing health and safety risk guideline
Health, safety and wellbeing risk assessment template
Legislation and other links
Work Health and Safety Act
2011 (Qld)
How to manage work health and safety risks: Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 669KB)
Refer to the
enterprise risk management procedure for more information.