Recognise hazards before starting work

Before starting a task, taking time to observe is already a preventive action. Access routes, obstacles, energy sources and nearby activities can change even when the task feels familiar.

Compare the planned task with actual conditions, involve the people doing the work and clarify controls before starting. Resolve any uncertainty before work begins.

Which pre-task check helps your team most?

Work preparation should consider what has changed: location, personnel, neighbouring activities and equipment condition. Discussion before starting can make explicit information known only partly by each participant. Concerns need a clarification route consistent with site procedures before they disappear into routine.

During field discussion, ask how a foreseeable difficulty is handled: who can be involved and which information supports a decision? Connecting observations, ownership and feedback helps establish whether a control is workable as well as documented. The review should consider actual conditions rather than assume that the same arrangement fits every task.