A tool for self-evaluation of a successful occupational health and safety risk assessment

Abstract

Previous studies present that insufficient risk assessment skills or limitations of processes and tools may weaken risk identification and control. Therefore, workplaces need practical tools to systematically analyse and develop their occupational safety and health (OSH) risk assessments. However, the related guidance and research are limited, and there is no generally accepted framework available. This study introduces a self-evaluation tool for assessing the success of OSH risk assessments. The tool was designed by the project research team (N = 4) together with representatives (N = 65) of five companies and safety experts (N = 6) from four organizations. The qualitative design science approach was applied. The actual design process consisted of six steps, from the analysis of requirements to finalizing the tool. The statement-based self-evaluation tool follows the standardized risk assessment phases, as stated in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 31000. The tool utilizes three user levels (organization, supervisor and employee) to help organizations identify possible development needs from different points of view. The verification and preliminary validation of the new tool for the evaluation of the success of OSH risk assessments suggests that it is capable of identifying organizational development needs related to OSH risk assessments.