Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and the Hierarchy of Control
Identify, assess, control, review
Hazard identification is a continuous process: inspect the area before and during work, check the machine, and consider how the load, the task and the environment interact. A hazard is anything with potential to cause harm; risk is the combination of likelihood and consequence. Risk assessment ranks risks so controls target the highest first, and the process must be reviewed after change, incident or near miss.
The hierarchy of control
From most to least effective: eliminate the hazard (remove the need to lift), substitute (different plant or method), engineering controls (guards, barriers, interlocks, load-limiting devices), administrative controls (procedures, training, signage, rotation), then personal protective equipment. Questions often present a control and ask its level - a pedestrian barrier is engineering, a warning sign is administrative, and PPE is always the last line. Elimination is always the preferred answer when it is genuinely available.
LO-specific hazards
Common hazards include overhead obstructions and powerlines, crush zones between the mast and racking, falls from the elevated platform, tip-over from overloading or uneven ground, poor lighting, floor obstructions and pedestrian traffic in aisles. The elevated operator is the highest-consequence hazard, so fall protection and exclusion zones are prioritised.
Worked example
A warehouse has repeated near misses where pedestrians walk behind a reversing LO. Controls ranked: eliminate by separating pedestrian routes with a physical barrier (engineering); substitute by scheduling deliveries outside pick times (administrative); PPE such as high-visibility vests does not solve the exposure and is the weakest option.
Trap
Do not treat a sign or a training session as sufficient control for a high-consequence hazard. Match the control strength to the risk.