hazardbewaking

Hazardbewaking, literally hazard monitoring, is a systematic approach to continuously observe and assess potential hazards in a system, workplace, or environment in order to prevent harm. It combines hazard identification, risk assessment, data collection, and trigger-based responses to detect unsafe conditions before incidents occur. In safety management, hazardbewaking is used to maintain an up-to-date understanding of risks and to support proactive decision-making.

Scope and methods: It is applied in industrial settings such as manufacturing, chemical plants, energy facilities, construction sites, as well as in healthcare and public health contexts. Key elements include a hazard register, routine inspections, incident and near-miss reporting, sensor networks, environmental monitoring, and predictive analytics. Data are analyzed for trends, thresholds, and early warning signs; when limits are exceeded, corrective and preventive actions are implemented and verified.

Processes: Establishing indicators, setting exposure or process thresholds, monitoring continuously, initiating responses, and reviewing effectiveness. It is typically integrated with a broader safety or environmental management system, such as ISO 45001 or equivalent governance frameworks. The goal is to reduce exposure, prevent incidents, and ensure regulatory compliance, while maintaining transparent communication with workers and stakeholders.

Challenges and benefits: Challenges include data quality, signal-to-noise balance, integration across departments, resource requirements, and sustaining a safety culture. Benefits include earlier risk visibility, improved incident prevention, and support for audits and reporting.

See also: risk management, hazard identification, safety monitoring.