Last Minute Risk Analysis

1. Perform the LMRA at the workplace or in its vicinity.
2. Perform the LMRA after a Permit to Work has been issued but before work actually begins, and also after the situation changes in any way.
4. If a Permit to Work is not required you must still perform a LMRA.
5. The purpose of a LMRA is to create awareness and exclude potential risks.
6. If you have any doubts concerning health and safety, always consult your manager who can assess the situation and/or take measures to secure the workplace.

A Last Minute Risk Analysis (LMRA) is a final and short assessment at the workplace of any potential risk involving health, safety and the environment.
You perform the LMRA at the workplace or in its vicinity, because that is where any potential danger or dangerous situations may be encountered.

Often a LMRA is a short checklist that has a few common subjects. Ask your company about the LMRA template. Never let a LMRA be a box-ticking exercise. Discuss the risks and make sure that everyone knows what they should be doing. It can save lives.

General occupational hazards are:

• mechanical hazards arising as a result of a collision or contact between the worker’s body and a solid object, such as construction, building and excavation hazards, collapse and fall hazards, and hazards arising from devices, machines and transportation and handling means
• hazards arising from handling solid, liquid or gas chemical substances or arising from the leakage of such substances to the working environment
• natural hazards affecting the worker’s safety and health as a result of a natural hazard or damage such as heat, humidity, cold, noise, dangerous and harmful radiations, quakes or the high or low atmospheric pressure in the workplace
• hazards arising from the unavailability of means of safety, rescue, first aid and hygiene or the like and hazards arising from nutrition in cases where the employer is bound by virtue of the law to provide nutrition
• fire hazards and hazards arising from electricity and lighting

You need to perform a LMRA in order to make sure that the risk you have estimated beforehand as well as the measures you have taken are consistent with the situation you encounter at the work place:

• because the situation may have changed before the work has started
• to identify in an early stage any unforeseen danger or risk at the work place
• to reduce any risk of incidents
• to identify any risk
• to confront and control any risk
• to become more aware of safety, health and environment issues
• for your own safety and that of your co-workers

The whole point is for you to start your work activities safely and to ensure safety during the execution of your work activities.

You perform the LMRA:

• after having obtained the Permit to Work but before starting the work
• during work if activities or circumstances change

Is the Permit-to-Work not required? You must still perform a LMRA. For danger or risk may
be present not directly related to your work. Even when executin groutine activities.
If you have any doubts concerning risk or danger when performing the LMRA, discontinue the work and consult your manager about additional measures.

Basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be used at all times. You may have to wear additional PPE, depending on the type of work. Ask your company about what to wear and when to wear it. The Permit to Work also states which basic and additional PPE you must wear.

Any incident that occurs during work can have severe impact on people, installations and the environment. Make sure that you are familiar with the right procedure in case incidents happen. If not, ask your company for further information.

Unsafe working conditions should never be ignored and should always be kept in mind to avoid hazards.