As process industry manufacturing plants continue to focus on reduced operating costs and outsourcing of functions such as maintenance and operation of plant and equipment, the risk of accidents occurring has been shown to increase, and on Seveso/COMAH sites this can lead to increased risk of major accidents, with subsequent increases in risk to human health, the environment and business continuity.

Regulatory risks can also increase due to outsourcing the operation of systems with environmental emissions such as on-site wastewater treatment or hazardous waste functions.

Organisational change risk assessment is a systematic approach that enables employers to manage the impact of organisational change on the control of safety hazards, including major accident hazards.

AWN has the capability to complete risk assessments of organisational change addressing all safety hazards, including major accident hazards. The assessment is completed in conjunction with all staff whose job functions are subject to or affected by organisational change. The following steps are undertaken:

• Review scope of change – identify the scope of services and activities subject to organisational change and screen out low risk activities from the risk assessment;
• Conduct workshop with personnel representing areas subject to change in order to identify the scope of activities and tasks subject to change, potential safety issues and concerns;
• Develop organisational change register detailing roles and tasks subject to change, equipment and materials involved and identifying hazards;
• Develop major accident hazards register identifying tasks with major accident hazard potential;
• Complete organisational change risk assessment using Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HAERT), rank tasks subject to change according to human error potential;
• Recommendations on measures to mitigate safety hazards.