Identification and assessment risks in maintenance operations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the risks and methods for their assessment in the case of maintenance activities in Sri Lanka. The main objectives were to identify the occupational risks in maintenance work and the risk assessment methods in place and their drawbacks in the Sri Lankan context. Design/methodology/approach – The identification and assessment of risks were undertaken through a study of three fast-moving consumer products manufacturing organisations. The relevant data were collected through personal interviews and site visits. Findings – Most typical risks associated with maintenance are cuts, slips and falls, with severe or fatal injuries as the result of negligence of SOP and failure to use the PPE. Checklists, brainstorming and decomposition techniques were identified as the preferred methods in maintenance for risk identification while a risk rating matrix is used for risk analysis. Lack of awareness and indifference towards risk assessment; make effective risk assessme...

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