Risk assessment and OSH management training in Zambia

The course, organized as part of both the EU and SIDA funded projects, provided detailed guidance and methodology on the use of Risk Assessment as a tool to identify, evaluate and control risks in the workplace.

The course provided detailed guidance and methodology on the use of Risk Assessment as a tool to identify, evaluate and control risks in the workplace in the most simple, effective and affordable way to promote improvement of working conditions at the workplace. The objective of the courses was to impart the participants with the skills a) to introduce a system for the management of Risk Assessment within their businesses; b) conduct those risk assessments and c) introduce other persons to these practices in order to create a pool of resource persons in risk assessment and OSH management at local level (training of trainers’ focus).

At the end of the course, the delegates were expected to have the skills to introduce a system to conduct and manage Risk Assessment within their companies. The workshop was attended by 24 participants from government, private enterprises, trade union, employer and national coordinating body representatives. The main industrial sectors represented were: mine, construction, water and sanitation, and agriculture.

The course programme lead the delegates through the process of simple risk assessment and then developed those skills through the application of risk assessment to the most common safety and health issues, including: workplace layout and traffic routes; safe working at height; machinery safety; and chemical safety.

The participants rated the quality of the training and gave suggestions to improve the preparation for a global tool on risk assessment.