Hazard identification: regulations, prevention and 5-point methodology

1- Introduction :

Identifying hazards is an essential step in the prevention process.
It consists in identifying existing hazards, then assessing the risks they present, in order to adopt the necessary measures to protect workers.

Independently of the legal obligation imposed on the employer, hazard identification helps to improve the company’s image and performance.

In fact, this preventive approach makes it possible to meet the human, social and financial challenges facing every company.

• It helps to improve working conditions and thus reduce absenteeism by preserving the physical and mental integrity of employees.
• It also helps to avoid the costs associated with an accident or occupational illness, thus preserving the company’s production capacity.
• Consequently, employee health and safety must never be dissociated from company operations.

2 Hazard identification regulations

2.1 The obligation to take the necessary measures to protect workers

Employers are required to ensure health and safety at work. This is laid down in Article 82 of the Accident Insurance Act (LAA) and Article 6 of the Labor Act (LTr).

To this end, Article 3 of the Swiss Ordinance on Accident Prevention (OPA) – which applies in principle to all companies employing workers in Switzerland – requires employers to take all protective measures and precautions necessary to prevent accidents:

• to the prescriptions of this order;
• other workplace safety provisions applicable to his company;
• recognized rules of safety technology and occupational medicine.

These protective measures must be checked at regular intervals to ensure that their effectiveness is not impaired. In the event of technical or organizational changes in the company, the employer will have to adapt them to the new conditions.

2.2 Suva’s S-T-O-P principle

Suva is one of the main pillars of the Swiss social insurance system, and has developed the “S-T-O-P” principle concerning the employer’s duty to implement protective measures.
These measures must be defined and an order of priority established for their implementation, based on the following principle:

• “S” indicates substitution measures: if possible, hazardous substances, installations and work processes should first be replaced by harmless or less hazardous products, methods and equipment.
• “T” indicates technical measures: workers must then be protected by collective protection measures (e.g. ventilation, guardrails, safety nets, etc.).
• “O” indicates organizational measures: the duration or number of employees exposed to hazards must be limited by means of training, supervision, break regulations, etc.
• “P” indicates Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): PPE can only be used as a complement to measures higher up the hierarchy, and is considered a measure of last resort.

2.3 Content and purpose of hazard identification

When the hazards are more specific and companies do not have the skills in-house, they have to call on specialists: STPS specialists, CFST engineers, occupational physicians, ergonomists, etc.).

This is the purpose of CFST directive no. 6508, which gives concrete form to the employer’s obligation to call on the services of occupational safety specialists (although it does not alter the scope of the OPA).

Identifying hazards is the first systematic step in workplace prevention. It is the central element of the MSST concept (occupational physicians and other occupational safety specialists).

Its aim is toidentify all situations, substances, equipment and processes likely to affect the health and safety of workers, and then to assess the resulting risks in order to implement appropriate and effective protective measures.

In concrete terms, the approach covers the following elements:

• Inventory of activities and workstations
  • Analysis of routine, occasional and exceptional tasks (maintenance, emergency interventions, cleaning, work at height, isolated work, etc.).
  • Consideration of actual operating modes, including possible deviations from procedures.
• Hazard identification
  • Physical: falls, machinery, moving parts, noise, vibrations, radiation, extreme temperatures.
  • Chemicals: hazardous products, gas/vapor/dust emissions, storage and handling of substances.
  • Biological: pathogens, working in damp environments or with animals.
  • Ergonomic: manual handling, awkward postures, repetitive movements.
  • Organizational and psychosocial: overwork, atypical working hours, stress, harassment.
  • Fire and explosion (ATEX): presence of combustible gases, vapors and dusts.
• Risk assessment
  • Analysis of potential severity of damage and probability of occurrence.
  • Identify and take into account existing protective measures (technical, organizational, PPE/EPC).
  • Update assessments whenever changes are made (new machine, product, organization).
• Consideration of particularly vulnerable groups
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding women: adapt workstations (avoid reprotoxic chemical agents, vibrations, carrying heavy loads, noise exposure, long night shifts).
  • Young workers and apprentices: prohibition of certain hazardous tasks, reinforced supervision, appropriate training.
• Definition and prioritization of protection measures according to the STOP principle:
  1. Substitution of hazardous products, processes or equipment.
  2. Technical: barriers, protection, ventilation, source capture.
  3. Organization: instructions, procedures, planning, limiting exposure.
  4. Personal protection (PPE): gloves, goggles, hearing protection, etc.

The ultimate aim is to reduce risks to as low a level as reasonably practicable, ensure regulatory compliance and continuously improve occupational health and safety. The results of hazard identification must be documented, monitored over time and integrated into the company’s overall prevention plan.

2.4 The employer’s civil and criminal liability

In accordance with the LAA/UVG and the Ltr, as well as the Swiss Code of Obligations and the Swiss Penal Code, the employer assumes overall civil and criminal responsibility for workplace safety.

Employers are responsible for choosing and implementing the protective measures they adopt.

Consequently, he can only be relieved of the accusation of a breach of his duty to protect workers if he proves that he has carefully selected the workers involved, trained and instructed them appropriately, and supervised them in a reasonable manner.

3 – Why choose Novallia for your hazard identification?

Novallia can help you determine the hazards in your company, using the method supported by SUVA:

3.1 Subdivide the company’s activity into business segments

Novallia offers to carry out your hazard identification based on the sectors of activity present in your company.

In fact, it’s essential to take into account “work situations” that may involve several activities and functions within your company, rather than just individual workstations.

3.2 Identify activities, work equipment and substances used

For all your business sectors, Novallia can identify the dangerous phenomena that can occur during your activities.

The aim is to identify every piece of work equipment and substance used that could pose a hazard to workers.

3.3 Identifying hazards

Novallia assesses the hazards and risks present in your company using :

• Ongoing dialogue with workers
• Scrupulous observation of actual work performed
• Field measurements by our experts to determine the presence of specific risks
• Controlling mandatory audits imposed on companies

3.4 Defining and implementing measures

After assessing the extent of the risks present in your company, our experts will advise you on the measures to be taken to eliminate them permanently or reduce them according to the S-T-O-P principle.
These may be useful recommendations for your company, or legal obligations that must be met.

3.5 Verify the effectiveness of measures by carrying out safety audits

Novallia will be with you every step of the way for all your activities.
Our experts can carry out security audits at your request, to ensure that the measures in place are always effective and up to date.

Indeed, if a decisive change or event occurs in your company, it becomes essential to carry out a new hazard assessment, and adapt it if necessary.

For more information on our services, please contact Novallia.