Why Task Based Risk Assessment Is Better

When I work with clients, I always use Task Based Risk Assessment (TaBRA). Last August I wrote about how the methodology was instrumental in OSHA vacating a lockout citation.

But the method is helpful in many situations, including:

• Deciding if a task that is normal, routine and repetitive to an operation and eligible for the OSHA exception to lockout is OK from a risk perspective
• Assessing a task where you aren’t sure if variation is such that existing standard is suitable for the specific task
• Maintenance tasks where the steps – and potential hazards – are not known

Because the method identifies all steps in a task and encourages open discussion, the method has advantages beyond safety. One client conducted a pilot to expand TaBRA concepts such that quality and operational performance issues were also identified. After the pilot, management and hourly personnel reviewed results with the CEO.

For a particular task, the company’s version of Job Safety Analysis (well done by the way – with visuals and all major hazards addressed) identified three steps. Before beginning the TaBRA, the experienced worker guessed that we would show six steps. The method captured 17 steps.

As the worker explained, “I guess we all do a couple of things at once and take for granted how many steps really exist.” We also identified a quality issue and variation in products that requires variation in the standard. The company made the decision to use TaBRA as the core method for driving continuous improvement and development of standard work developed with worker input.

What’s really great is that both the Quality Manager and Continuous Improvement Manager were enthusiastic supporters of this approach. That’s because they did it with the workers and came to their own conclusions.

Without the detail, you might ignore hazards and risks, but the detail also allows for creating better work instructions.

Picture having a family member or friend trying to do the job – and the instructions skip some steps. What are the chances that there will be errors, poor performance and safety risks? I’ll suggest that the chances for these negative outcomes are pretty high. If you want job instructions that allow a competent person to do a job flawlessly, you need to assure that your method to develop the instructions is adequate and captures necessary detail.

TaBRA isn’t a magic answer, but it is a method that works.