Field Level Risk Assessments (FLRA) first appeared in Alberta in the late 1990s, among progressive owners and contractors in the increasingly busy heavy industrial construction sector. The COAA FLRA best practice was developed in 1998 at the request of the Safety Committee in order to encourage widespread use of this new approach in order to address concerning safety trends. It provided a simple process that encouraged all workers to identify, assess and control risks that have the potential to cause loss to people, property or the environment. The document included sample tools and methods for hazard identification and risk evaluation, plus a manager’s handbook and an implementation guide. The Best Practice was introduced at the May 1998 Best Practices Workshop. It was successful, with rapid and wide adoption; one major Alberta company reported a 40 percent decrease in serious injuries after implementing Field Level Risk Assessments.
The COAA FLRA Best Practice has now been archived, having served its purpose of introducing this new technique into our industry. Taking an initial few minutes at the workface for hazard identification and risk control is now standard practice in virtually all companies operating in our sector. If you wish to review the archived documents, please contact the COAA office at admin@coaa.ab.ca.
