2.1 Principles of HIRAC & Risk Matrix Assessment

2.1 Principles of HIRAC & Risk Matrix Assessment

Introduction to HIRAC in Philippine OSH

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Control (HIRAC) serves as the core pillar of any Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS). Under Republic Act No. 11058 (An Act Strengthening Compliance with OSH Standards) and its Implementing Rules, DOLE Department Order No. 198-18, every Philippine establishment must implement a systematic HIRAC process. A Safety Officer 2 (SO2) leads HIRAC to transition workplace management from reactive incident response to proactive hazard prevention.

The objective of HIRAC is to systematically identify all potential hazards in the work environment, evaluate associated risks under operational conditions, and implement appropriate control measures before incidents occur.

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Key Concepts: Hazard vs. Risk

To perform valid assessments, the SO2 must clearly distinguish between a hazard and a risk:

• Hazard: Any source, situation, activity, or condition with an inherent potential to cause human injury, ill health, property damage, or environmental harm. A hazard is a dormant potential waiting to be triggered.
• Risk: The product or combination of the likelihood (probability) that a hazardous event will occur and the severity (consequence) of the injury or ill health caused by that event. Risk represents active exposure to a hazard.

Exam Analogy: A shark swimming in the open ocean is a hazard. Swimming in the water right next to that shark is a risk. Remaining on the dry shore means the hazard still exists, but your risk is zero.

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Categorization of Workplace Hazards

Under DOLE OSH guidelines, hazards are categorized into five primary industrial classes:

1. Physical Hazards: Environmental factors or energy transfers that cause harm without physical contact or through direct impact. Examples include excessive noise, vibration, ionizing/non-ionizing radiation, temperature extremes, poor illumination, and high pressure.
2. Chemical Hazards: Airborne or physical chemical substances that cause acute or chronic health effects upon contact, inhalation, ingestion, or absorption. Examples include toxic gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide), solvents (benzene, toluene), corrosive acids, heavy metals, and combustible dusts.
3. Biological Hazards: Living organisms or biological agents that cause infections, allergies, or toxicity. Examples include pathogenic bacteria, viruses (e.g., COVID-19, Hepatitis B), fungi, bloodborne pathogens, and biological waste encountered in healthcare or sanitation work.
4. Ergonomic Hazards: Biomechanical stressors resulting from poor task design, tools, or workstation layout. Examples include repetitive motions, awkward postures, heavy manual lifting, static muscle loading, and poor seating.
5. Psychosocial Hazards: Factors in work organization and workplace dynamics causing psychological stress or harm. Examples include workplace bullying, excessive workload, shift work fatigue, lack of autonomy, and harassment.

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Hazard Identification Techniques

Identifying hazards requires structured, multi-faceted techniques led by the SO2 in coordination with the Health and Safety Committee (Rule 1040):

• Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) / Job Safety Analysis (JSA): A step-by-step technique breaking down a specific job task into sequential steps, identifying potential hazards at each step, and establishing mandatory controls.
• Safety Inspections: Scheduled routine walk-throughs conducted by the SO2 and safety committee members using standardized checklists.
• Workplace Environment Measurement (WEM): Quantitative sampling of physical and chemical agents (e.g., noise meters, gas detectors, lux meters) performed by DOLE-accredited OSH practitioners.
• Incident and Near-Miss Investigations: Analyzing historical injury logs (DOLE Rule 1050 records) and near-miss reports to expose latent operational hazards.
• Formal Hazard Studies: Methodologies such as HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) for chemical processes, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) for equipment reliability, and What-If Analysis for procedures.

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The 5x5 Risk Matrix & Assessment Methodology

Once identified, risk levels are evaluated using a Risk Assessment Matrix based on the formula:

$\text{Risk Score} = \text{Likelihood (Probability)} \times \text{Severity (Consequence)}$

1. Estimating Likelihood (Scale 1 to 5)

• 1 - Rare: Highly unlikely to occur; exceptional circumstances only.
• 2 - Unlikely: Could occur at some time; low probability.
• 3 - Possible: Might occur at some time; moderate probability.
• 4 - Likely: Will probably occur in most circumstances; high frequency.
• 5 - Almost Certain: Expected to occur frequently under normal operations.

2. Estimating Severity (Scale 1 to 5)

• 1 - Negligible: First-aid treatment required; no lost work time.
• 2 - Minor: Medical treatment required; minor lost time (1–3 days).
• 3 - Moderate: Severe injury/illness; temporary total disability; lost time (> 3 days).
• 4 - Major: Permanent partial or total disability; severe multi-person injuries.
• 5 - Catastrophic: Single or multiple fatalities; extensive facility destruction.

3. Risk Evaluation & Action Levels

• Low Risk (1–4): Acceptable risk. Manage through routine procedures.
• Medium Risk (5–9): Tolerable risk. Action plan required within defined timeline.
• High Risk (10–15): Unacceptable risk. Immediate action required for interim controls.
• Extreme Risk (16–25): Critical risk. Work must stop immediately until risk is mitigated.

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Mandatory Documentation and Review

Under DOLE regulations, HIRAC registers must be maintained by the Safety Officer 2 and reviewed annually, post-accident, or prior to introducing new process equipment.