Simplifying Risk Management

Simplifying Risk Management – Advice Needed

Just received this email from a reader. I am sure we can all relate to his frustration and I thought his email would make a great topic for discussion:

With the slowdown in the CSG super project in QLD I have started to have a look back at what we have done and the huge beast we have created with a SWMS for every task a JSEA and a personal risk assessment in the form of Take 5, step back, SOS and Staar.

We as an industry have pushed onto our Principle Contractor and our Sub-Contractors to have a complex Risk Management system. For example we have recently had a serious incident were an excavator hit a power line. The investigation identified 23 SWMS for this task/job and this equated to 297 pages. Who in their right mind will remember what is in that, I know I certainly would not have.

I would love to hear your take on simplifying Risk Management and getting back to basics, doing what is needed and strategies in changing mindsets to keep it simple.