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NAllwright  
#1 Posted : 11 April 2019 11:57:53(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
NAllwright

Hi,  Please could anyone confirm whether or not it is acceptable to record your risk assessment as a video rather than as a written document, providing of course that the process & equipment is depicted clearly and that all stages of the risk assessment are verbally covered in the filming?

I'd like to reduce our reliance on paper and at the same time, produce something that is more engaging and accessible to our workforce which may also be useful to our trainers too and I thought this would be a great way of doing so.   

If anyone knows if this is considered acceptable, please do let me know; equally if anyone already does their RA's in this way, I'd love to hear about your experience of it and how it was received by staff.  Thank you.

Roundtuit  
#2 Posted : 11 April 2019 12:09:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Certainly a new interpretation of "recording significant findings" - have used photos embedded in a document before but not video.

Beware it is not too long though (and don't do the whole site as one video) - I recall induction by super 8 sat watching endless safety films on various topics from hearing protection to tying back hair working on lathes

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
NAllwright on 12/04/2019(UTC), NAllwright on 12/04/2019(UTC)
Roundtuit  
#3 Posted : 11 April 2019 12:09:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Certainly a new interpretation of "recording significant findings" - have used photos embedded in a document before but not video.

Beware it is not too long though (and don't do the whole site as one video) - I recall induction by super 8 sat watching endless safety films on various topics from hearing protection to tying back hair working on lathes

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
NAllwright on 12/04/2019(UTC), NAllwright on 12/04/2019(UTC)
Hsquared14  
#4 Posted : 11 April 2019 12:56:06(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Hsquared14

That's an interesting and innovative concept.  Would you have a master register spreadsheet containing basic information in a reduced and annotated form?  If so I think then a video of each assessment individually would be acceptable. You would need to keep some sort of traditional record in case you had to give a copy to someone as you wouldn't be able to guarantee that video playback equipment (I know - smart phones etc but they would be useless on my site where we have no signal!) was available.

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NAllwright on 12/04/2019(UTC)
A Kurdziel  
#5 Posted : 11 April 2019 13:07:29(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

Why would you record a risk assessment as a video? By risk assessment I mean the process by which you come to a conclusion as to what the best way to control risks ASFARP. The video would normally consist of me swearing at the computer when it fails to start loses information etc.

If you mean Method Statement incorporating findings then yes of course, as long as all of the relevant stuff is incorporated and not reduced to a “thumbs up keep safe” sort of thing.

Acorns  
#6 Posted : 11 April 2019 13:40:27(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Acorns

On the same lines as A Kurdziel, isn;t the RA best made as a written document.  It matters not how mundane or boringit is.  AFAIK, there is no requirement that the RA itself is communicated to the staff, how you present it could be by video interpretation, the written document and all sorts of other means.  I would relate this to an RA being prepapredin English and its being content being comunictaed to non- english speaking staff, photos, video, speach etc are all good alternatives and the use of relevant video would seem to be fine.  Not sure how you could reliably and sufficiently record a Risk Assessment in its entirity as a video though.

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NAllwright on 17/04/2019(UTC)
Gerry Knowles  
#7 Posted : 11 April 2019 14:05:36(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Gerry Knowles

Call me old fashioned if you like but I like many others believe that a written risk assessment is the best way of both doing and recording them.  I have no real objection to the use of technology and infact welcome it but it has its limitations and in this case I can see it would be difficult to keep risk assessments current upto date. It looks like you would have to re-shoot the video every time there was a change or if an incident occured  and changes were required.  There would also have to be some kind of control process like a spreadsheet.  Just one last thought just because something is written down doesn't mean that there has to be paper, in this day and age you can use an intranet system where everything is posted and upto date. 

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NAllwright on 17/04/2019(UTC)
NAllwright  
#8 Posted : 12 April 2019 08:59:38(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
NAllwright

Roundtuit  I would like to keep them a few minutes each and simply verbalise all the points that would otherwise be written in a risk assessment (overview of task/process/kit, who could be potentially be harmed, visually show and verbalise the significant hazards, what harm they could cause , likelihood & severity and what control measures we have, anything additional needed.   I would still have a centralised register detailing the name of the RA, a link to the video clip and risk rating column.  

We only have one site (factory) so internet signal is not an issue and we have information screens all around the business which could also show videos (with captions/icons) on a loop, depending on focal points/ need; they could also assist with induction and refresher training.  

We do have detailed method statements with clear photographs, which are updated very regularly and a very stringent QEMS to control our documents and files.  My colleagues who would take part are all highly trained and IOSH trained, so I have no concerns that these would not be detailed enough.

I shall trial it with a select sample of risk assessments and then compare benefits and get further feedback from my colleagues. So far though, I have to say that initial reception to the idea from my colleagues, directors and management have been very intrigued and keen on the idea.  

I'll let people here know how it goes. :)

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