Posted By Barry hutton Can anyone help. I am developing a risk assessment course and need some practical exercies on assessing risk. The exercises need to be around 20min long each and come complete with any visual material (photos, slides etc.) Ideally I would like something interesting and different that everybody could have a go at regardless of work sector. I am also interested in exploring the reasonably practicable argument when considering control mechanisms, so if anyone has exercises along these lines then I would be grateful to hear. Alternatively if anyone has any hazard photos then these may be useful. Thanks in anticipation.

Posted By Karin Bartling-Dudziak I work on skin care and personal hygiene in Germany. Does this field cover any risks, you mean? If so, I could offer you some info about a fluorescence method, we developed here. There seams to be no such thing on the English market, as far as we heard. Karin

Posted By Steve Conway One which I've used in the past which is more related to COSHH than general risk assessment, but may fit the bill, is filling up your car with petrol. Petrol contains benzene, a potential carcinogen, which may cause leukemia amongst other things. When you fill up your car you may smell the vapour. Ask them to identify the factors which influence the risk and to reach a conclusion. Factors include: potential effects - types (narcotic, dermatitis) severity, location, timescale, multiple effects form routes of exposure exposure - level, duration, frequency how it is used and work being done how exposure is controlled - piped, cut off mechanism, long nozzel, may even have vapour recovery system, it is outdoors, rubber guard, spill kits. There are other risks which could be considered - fire, explosion. Steve

Posted By Barry hutton Steve, your a star! Thats just the type of exercise I'm looking for. Its an everyday situation with an element of risk and some controls that we all take for granted. It'll give the thinkers amonst the group something to ponder on. Tar

Posted By Steve Conway Barry, Bryn's suggestion has triggered an example of reasonable practcability. The scenario - childrens' school is situated by a road (draw a picture on a flip chart). What kind of accident can happen here? Your audience can be the PTA - ask for suggestions how the pupils can be protected. These can range from barriers, sleeping policemen, re-route traffic, underpass, bridge, crossing, lolly pop person, education, 20mph zone etc, etc. (drawn them on the flip chart - it will end up being a bit of a mess). Present 2 situations: quiet road with very little traffic and a busy 50mph dual carriage way - ask which is the higher risk and then ask which measures should be selected. I would follow this up with a simple workplace example - you can use the school and workplace example to highlight that risk assessment is an important in prioritising the allocation of resources according to risk.