How to Identify Hazards When Designing Safe Systems of Work (SSOW)

Designing a safe system of work, or SSOW, is like building a strong safety net for everyone in the workplace. If done properly, it can prevent accidents, protect people’s health, and create a culture where everyone feels secure. But to make a SSOW truly effective, you must first know how to spot hazards before they turn into real problems.

This guide will take you step-by-step through practical ways to find hidden risks, manage them, and build a robust SSOW that stands the test of time.

Before we dive deeper, it’s worth noting that anyone interested in learning more about workplace safety can benefit from pursuing a NEBOSH course in Pakistan. Such training helps both beginners and experienced professionals understand occupational safety standards and best practices.

Why Spotting Hazards Early Matters

Think of hazard identification like fixing a leak before it floods your house. The sooner you find a hazard, the less damage it can cause. A well-designed SSOW not only outlines tasks but also explains how to do them safely. This is only possible if you know where things can go wrong.

Imagine a factory where workers handle sharp tools. If supervisors ignore the dull blades lying around, someone might get hurt. Finding and removing these risks ahead of time could save a life.

Step 1: Understand the Work in Detail

Before you even think about writing down safety rules, you need to know exactly what work is being done. Spend time with the workers. Watch how tasks are performed. Talk to experienced team members who can share insights that paperwork might miss.

For example, Sarah, a site supervisor, once discovered that a conveyor belt was being cleaned while still running because workers wanted to save time. Watching the job closely revealed this shortcut. By understanding the task deeply, Sarah was able to rewrite the cleaning procedure to shut down the machine first — a simple fix that prevented many near-misses.

Step 2: Look for Hazards in the Workplace

Walk around the site. Use your senses — look, listen, smell, and feel (safely, of course). Hazards can be obvious, like exposed wiring, or hidden, like a slippery floor that looks dry. Don’t forget to check:

• Physical hazards: sharp edges, moving machinery, hot surfaces.

• Chemical hazards: fumes, vapors, spills.

• Biological hazards: mold, bacteria, or exposure to animals.

• Ergonomic risks: repetitive motions, awkward postures.

• Psychological hazards: high stress, bullying, excessive workload.

Taking photos can help you record issues and share them with the team later.

Step 3: Involve the Team

No one knows a job better than the person who does it every day. Talk to workers about what worries them. Some risks don’t appear in safety manuals but are known on the shop floor.

When Ali, a maintenance technician, was asked about risks, he mentioned a tight corner in a storage room where he always bumped his head. It never caused serious harm, but one bad hit could have been dangerous. With his input, the SSOW was updated to improve lighting and add a warning sign.

Step 4: Check Past Incidents

History is a great teacher. Go through old accident reports, near-miss logs, and maintenance records. Patterns often repeat themselves. If a worker slipped on oil last year, there’s a good chance it could happen again if nothing has changed.

Review these documents with fresh eyes. Sometimes what seemed like a ‘one-off’ was actually a sign of a larger problem.

Step 5: Evaluate the Risk

Not every hazard is equally dangerous. Once you spot a hazard, think about:

• How likely is it to cause harm?

• How severe could the harm be?

For example, a paper cut is low risk, but a fall from a scaffold is high risk. Prioritize the most serious hazards in your SSOW. This keeps your effort focused where it matters most.

Step 6: Develop Clear, Practical Controls

Now that you know what can go wrong, you can build the controls into your SSOW. Controls can be:

• Elimination: remove the hazard entirely.

• Substitution: replace it with something safer.

• Engineering controls: use guards, barriers, or ventilation.

• Administrative controls: change how people work, like rotating shifts to reduce fatigue.

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): gloves, helmets, masks.

Good SSOWs combine different types of controls for extra safety.

Step 7: Write It Down in Simple Language

A SSOW should be easy to read and easy to follow. Avoid jargon and complicated instructions. Use clear headings, bullet points, and short sentences. A confused worker is an unsafe worker.

For instance, instead of saying “Implement isolation procedures prior to maintenance,” write “Turn off and lock the machine before cleaning it.” This leaves no room for misunderstanding.

Step 8: Train Everyone

A brilliant SSOW is useless if people don’t know about it. Once you write it, train everyone who needs to follow it. Show them how it works in practice, not just on paper.

Hold refresher sessions regularly. New employees especially need to be shown safe ways of working from day one.

Step 9: Review and Update Regularly

Workplaces change. New equipment arrives, staff come and go, tasks evolve. So should your SSOW. Review your safety systems at least once a year, or sooner if something major changes or an incident occurs.

In one company, a new machine was installed but the old SSOW stayed the same. A worker used the old procedure and got injured. This could have been avoided by updating the SSOW when the equipment changed.

Additional Tip: Learn and Improve Through Professional Training

Designing a strong SSOW takes skill and knowledge. Many companies encourage their safety teams to enroll in recognized safety training. The NEBOSH course in Pakistan is a great option to build a solid foundation in hazard identification and control measures.

Many safety officers say that the insights they gained through NEBOSH have helped them identify hidden workplace dangers more confidently and design better SSOWs.

Read more about the NEBOSH course fee in Pakistan and how it can support your career growth.

Conclusion: Building a Safer Future Together

Identifying hazards when creating a SSOW isn’t just a checkbox on a list — it’s about protecting people’s lives. By taking time to understand jobs, talking to workers, checking past problems, and updating plans regularly, you’re investing in everyone’s safety.

Remember, a safe system of work isn’t static; it grows with your workplace. When everyone knows how to spot risks and follow clear guidelines, safety becomes second nature.