Case Studies - Developing a Risk Assessment Methodology

Machinery manufacturers are expected to assess fully the potential risks or hazards which could arise from the use of their products. However, in the absence of any standard risk assessment methodology there has been room for error.

HSE decided to remedy this gap by asking HSL to develop a comprehensive methodology which would be available for use by all manufacturers.

The project involved looking at a range of risk assessment techniques that could be modified for application to machinery. HSL proposed a framework of risk assessment and examined how risk assessment methodology could best be addressed within the framework of European Standards for machinery. In the course of this work three new techniques for identifying hazards were developed, namely machinery concept hazard analysis, hazardous human error analysis, and concept safety and standards review. These methods were validated by applying them to the examination of an agricultural round baler. Other techniques for ranking, estimating and evaluating risk were also reviewed, and the outcomes, for the round baler, using different methodologies were compared and contrasted.

As a result of this project a risk assessment methodology for machinery has been developed that is widely regarded as being world-leading. HSL and HSE are working through European and International Standards bodies to promote wider adoption of this risk assessment methodology. For example, by incorporation into standards such as EN 1050 'Safety of machinery - Principles for risk assessment' and EN 292 'Safety of machinery - Basic concepts, general principles for design', which both come under the Machinery Directive.

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