High-risk work: Are we controlling the hazard or simply relying on the employees?
High-risk work: Are we controlling the hazard or simply relying on the employees?
In a business environment characterized by increasingly demanding and dynamic operations, performing high-risk work represents one of the main challenges for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management. Activities such as working at heights, hot work, work in confined spaces, excavation, lifting operations, and work on electrical installations can result in serious or even fatal consequences if these are not properly planned, authorized, and supervised.
In response to these risks, companies often implement procedures, training programs, work permits, and personal protective equipment (PPE). However, having these elements in place does not, by itself, guarantee that an activity will be performed safely. When the effectiveness of preventive measures depends primarily on employees remembering every instruction, using their equipment correctly, or not making any mistakes, the company may be shifting a significant portion of risk control onto the human factor.
In this context, the management of high-risk work should begin with a comprehensive assessment of the conditions under which each activity will be performed. This involves identifying hazards, assessing risks, establishing preventive measures, and verifying that controls are adequate before authorizing work to begin. An employee’s experience and training are essential, but they must be supported by safe working conditions, effective supervision, and operational controls that reduce the likelihood that an error will result in an accident.
Prevention should prioritize controls that directly address the hazard. Whenever technically and operationally feasible, companies should assess whether the hazardous activity can be eliminated or substituted, implement engineering controls, isolate energy sources, and use collective protection systems. Administrative controls and personal protective equipment should complement these measures, not replace them or become the sole safety barrier.
From a regulatory standpoint, Law No. 29783, the Occupational Safety and Health Law, requires employers to ensure that the workplace provides the means and conditions necessary to protect the lives, health, and well-being of employees. Likewise, its regulations, approved by Supreme Decree No. 005-2012-TR, provide for the implementation of prevention and protection measures as part of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System. Accordingly, responsibility for managing high-risk work cannot be limited to providing PPE or training personnel; it requires the implementation of appropriate controls and ongoing verification of their effectiveness.
To this end, companies must establish specific procedures and work permits that make it possible to verify, before work begins, that hazards have been identified, energy sources are under control, equipment and facilities are in safe condition, and personnel have the necessary qualifications and authorizations. These documents should serve as effective planning and control tools, rather than merely as records intended to demonstrate compliance with a formal requirement.
Likewise, during the performance of the activity, supervision should focus on verifying the actual conditions in the work area. An approved work permit does not guarantee that controls will remain effective if environmental conditions change, new employees become involved, different equipment is introduced, or hazards that were not initially considered emerge. Therefore, companies should establish clear criteria for suspending, reassessing, or canceling an activity when safety conditions have changed.
From a regulatory standpoint, Law No. 29783, the Occupational Safety and Health Law, requires employers to ensure that the workplace provides the means and conditions necessary to protect the lives, health, and well-being of employees. Likewise, its regulations, approved by Supreme Decree No. 005-2012-TR, provide for the implementation of prevention and protection measures as part of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System. Accordingly, responsibility for managing high-risk work cannot be limited to providing PPE or training personnel; it requires the implementation of appropriate controls and ongoing verification of their effectiveness.
To this end, companies must establish specific procedures and work permits that make it possible to verify, before work begins, that hazards have been identified, energy sources are under control, equipment and facilities are in safe condition, and personnel have the necessary qualifications and authorizations. These documents should serve as effective planning and control tools, rather than merely as records intended to demonstrate compliance with a formal requirement.
Likewise, during the performance of the activity, supervision should focus on verifying the actual conditions in the work area. An approved work permit does not guarantee that controls will remain effective if environmental conditions change, new employees become involved, different equipment is introduced, or hazards that were not initially considered emerge. Therefore, companies should establish clear criteria for suspending, reassessing, or canceling an activity when safety conditions have changed.