Occupational Health Risk Assessment

An Occupational Health Risk Assessment (OHRA) is the structured, qualitative and systematic identification and analysis of your workplace hazards, to assess potential risks to health and determine appropriate control measures.

Three variables of the hazard are quantified; namely consequence, frequency and probability. Collectively, these variables reflect the employee’s degree of exposure and indicate whether the health hazard presents a low, moderate or high risk.

The OHRA is used to develop risk-based occupational hygiene monitoring (surveys), training and medical surveillance programmes.

Every employer should have an OHRA conducted at their premises as required in terms of Section 8(2)(d) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Section 11 of the Mine Health and Safety Act.