Challenger Disaster

Risk assessments are vital to be included within a laboratory setting as it involves evaluating the potential risks which may be involved when completing an experiment or activity. The employer must be aware that risks which someone is exposed to at work must be reduced by them responsibly implementing precautions in order to make the setting safer. They need to analyse: what could possible go wrong? How likely is it? And what would be the consequences? These questions are regularly used when creating a risk assessment so that every risk sheet has a similar outline and meets the criteria of an effective risk assessment. It covers the general procedures, the working environment and the handling, storage and transportation of various substances.

Health and Safety Executive (n.d.2) explain five steps of risk assessment that are ‘identify the hazards, decide who might be harmed and how, evaluate the risks and decide on precautions, record your significant findings, and review your assessment and update if necessary’.

It involves a systematic approach to the identification and characterization of physical, chemical, and biologic hazards to individuals and populations in their environment. The consequences of such hazards can include severe illness or injury, an irreversible health consequence, an unfamiliar disease, and an undesirable situation that might have been avoided by use of an alternative approach or technology. Risk assessments typically require that attention be given first to the most important hazards, that is, the ones that can result in the worst health-related outcomes.

Therefore, the risk process places a high emphasis on risk workshops, initial risks, and how risks are identified throughout the course of the project. The next two sections describe different methods of identifying risks.

6-Risk Assessment SHWW Act Section 19 requires that employers and those who control workplaces to any extent must identify the hazards in the workplaces under their control and assess the risks to safety and health at work. Health and Safety Executive explain five steps of risk assessment that are: a. Identify the hazards b. Decide who might be harmed and how c. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions d. Record your significant findings e. Review your assessment and update if necessary (HSE, 2016) Risk assessment is carried ot by people who can assess specific work activities, know how work is really done, identify (know) hazards associated with the activities, know likelihood and frequency of activity, and be able to determine actual

3 Explain how risk assessment can help address dilemmas between rights and health and safety concerns

The article includes background information on the event as well as many quotes from people who followed the Challenger mission and remember the tragedy. Many of the quotes express the viewer’s shock at the disaster while others convey a sense of loss. The article also touches on the complacency of NASA leading up to the disaster and refers to a quote which states that “one of the biggest outcomes from the tragedy was the recommendation that NASA needed a stronger safety organization.”

First you identify the risks. Then you can consider what safety measures are required to put in place to minimise the risks. Make sure you communicate the risks and changes to others to prevent them getting hurt.

Weather can play an enormous role in historical events that are remembered decades, and even centuries, after they happen. It can turn small events that would go unnoticed in history to events that are remembered as some of the most important in world history. Until relatively recently, when the Weather Bureau was formed in 1870, we lacked the capability to forecast the weather and prevent incidents like these (Robbins). Even though weather reporting from that moment on would become widespread across the country, it would not be enough to prevent disasters such as the Challenger disaster that rocked the country on a chilly day in 1986.

Risk is what may occur or, that which is likely to occur, as a result of a particular incident. Risk is part of everyday life and it exists in every activity undertaken by humanity. However, some risks can be avoided and are not as grave as others. To evaluate a risk, careful consideration is given to its nature and consequences. Risk is calculated relative to the damage an incident causes and the level, size, and extent of exposure to said damage. Hazard is the apparatus that causes the damage or harm, and exposure is the degree, depth, and scope of the risk as influenced by the nature of the source of danger. In other words, risk can be determined by multiplying hazard by exposure (Nemeth,

Importantly, the quality of the risk assessment is dependent on the quality of the information available. Sometimes the client’s situation requires urgent actions, and a complete assessment is not possible (Bland et al., 2009, p. 144).

Hazards exist in all environments, are present in all activities, and a hazard, as it relates to our assessment of the Special Activities Command (SAC), creates a condition that has the potential for mission degradation (ATP 5-19, 2014, p. 1-4). After the hazards have are identified, Step two in the RM processes involves assigning a level of risk to these hazards by estimating probability and severity of loss linked to risk (DA Pam 385-30, 2014, p. 6). Probability is the likelihood of a hazard scenario occurring and severity is the approximation of harm given the scenario occurring (DA Pam 385-30, 2014, p. 6). Although probability and severity are both considered in assessing hazards they are independent of one another or in other words, when estimating probability, it has no direct relationship to

Space exploration is as close to pure risk as any of us can conceive. A rocket blows upon launch or it doesn’t. A space craft reaches its destination planet or it doesn’t. The craft lands safely on the planet surface or it doesn’t. We can easily envision these risks, and this makes the process of managing them relatively transparent. Even better, the risk management jargon needed to understand the risk management process is minimal. Mostly, this case requires a thorough reading and some deep thinking. What better way to introduce good risk management than with such a transparent example.

Unfortunately, there is always risk when it comes to space flight. This makes it difficult to determine what constitutes an “Acceptable” risk. A space agency has many worries such as their reputation with the public and the world, the success of their missions, and most importantly the lives of their staff and astronauts. Engineers are usually technically gifted but lacking in organization. This spawns a need for non-technical managers to oversee the day to day operations of projects and companies. While the engineers worry about the functionality of the project (in this case, a space shuttle), the managers worry about the cost to the company and the infamous pick 2 triangle of good, cheap, fast. This causes a disconnect between the engineers and the management where pressure from anything whether it be the public or CEO, can cause concerns to be overlooked.

Advancing from level 2 to level 3 requires using a risk register. 'The Risk Register is a tool to assist Project Managers in identifying likely sources of risk and the impact they may have on achieving objective. ' (Government office from the North West,2008). The first step is a brainstorm session to identify risk that may affect the project. It is important that the risks are clearly defined so that the risk is understood clearly and can be tackled. Secondly, consequence and probability of risks need to be rated (e.g. 1-5) and define each rating by their impact or likelihood. Finally, multiply the ratings of consequence and impact, rank the risks from highest severity to lowest severity. (Government office from the North West,2008). Every risks should be assigned to a risk owner which is responsible for managing the risk, a risk response to minimise both the likelihood and impact of the risk and a target completion date for the mitigation. Regular risk reviews need to be done because risks might emerge or become no longer relevant constantly. However, the impact