Which term describes the systematic check of hazards associated with manual handling tasks before work begins?

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Risk assessment is the systematic check of hazards associated with manual handling tasks before work begins. It involves identifying hazards such as heavy loads, awkward postures, twisting, repetitive motions, or inadequate use of equipment; evaluating how likely harm could occur and how severe it might be; and deciding on practical measures to reduce or eliminate the risk, like using mechanical aids, team lifting, altering the task, training, or changing the work environment. This pre-work process helps ensure safe planning and controls are in place before anyone handles loads. Incident investigation happens after an incident occurs, job analysis focuses on understanding the demands of a job, and ergonomic evaluation looks at how well a task fits a person and environment but isn’t the formal pre-work hazard-check process itself.