Critical Risk Management
Focusing on what matters most.
We help organisations embed practical, tailored critical risk management programs across Perth and Western Australia, protecting lives by controlling the risks with the greatest consequence.
Critical risk management programs that work in practice
We support organisations across Perth, WA and nationally to identify their most serious risks, implement controls that actually work, and embed critical risk thinking into everyday operations. Our outputs are grounded in real-world application, designed to improve clarity, accountability and control at every level of the business.
Development of end-to-end critical risk management programs aligned with ICMM and other industry standards, tailored to your people, processes and risk profile.
Why it matters
When the controls that save lives are on a pedestal, conversations, behaviours and instincts shift.
Critical risk management is not compliance. It is everyone knowing the handful of controls that prevent fatal and life-altering events and treating them differently. These controls are defined with the people who know the work, tested in real operating conditions and endorsed at the right leadership levels.
Ownership is visible. The controls stand apart from generic safety activity. When work stops to reinstate one, the reason is understood without explanation.
From site to boardroom, “critical control” becomes everyday business language.
The ICMM Critical Control Management Framework
Our approach to critical risk management is aligned to the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Critical Control Management (CCM) framework, the reference standard used across resources and heavy industry to prevent Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) events.
The framework focuses only on the small number of controls that stand between routine operations and a fatal or life-altering event, and requires those controls to be defined, verified, and owned at the right level of the business. It runs nine linked stages, grouped into three phases.
The Stages Group
The stages group naturally into three phases: setup (1–3), definition (4–6), and delivery (7–9). Programs typically iterate the delivery phase multiple times as operations evolve. Bowtie analysis is a common technique used in stages 3 and 4. Read more on the Risk Management page.
Plan the process
Agree scope, governance, and the material unwanted events (MUEs) the program will address.
Identify Material Unwanted Events
Define the fatal or life-altering events to prevent. Typically 5 to 15 MUEs.
Identify all controls
Map every existing control across engineering, administrative, and behavioural layers, using bowtie analysis or equivalent.
Select critical controls
Filter to the small set that, if absent or failing, would allow the MUE to occur. Typically 3 to 8 per event.
Define performance requirements
Specify what each critical control must do, how often, and how effectiveness will be evidenced.
Assign accountability
Name a control owner at the right leadership level for each critical control.
Implement the CCM program
Build the tools, verifications, and reporting into daily operations. Train frontline teams.
Verify effectiveness
Field-test the controls under actual operating conditions. Verification, not documentation review.
Review and improve
Update the program after incidents, near misses, operational changes, or verification findings.
Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) Prevention
Critical risk management exists to prevent one specific category of harm: Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) events. These are the incidents that end lives or change them permanently, and the research is clear that they are rarely prevented by the same activity that reduces minor injuries.
SIF prevention requires a different lens. It focuses on the small number of high-consequence exposures that exist inside your operations, the specific controls that prevent those exposures becoming events, and the accountability structure that keeps those controls verified and current. Our critical risk management programs are designed around this lens, so that leadership time, verification effort, and site attention concentrate where they matter most.
Proven success stories
From advisory to implementation, our services integrate seamlessly into your operations, delivering practical, measurable outcomes across every stage of your WHS journey.
The team at Epigroup are a cut above the rest when it comes to Health and Safety. Not only do they have the brightest and smartest H&S minds, they’ve also got a fully-fledged multimedia crew that can provide a solution to any problem, big or small. They don’t just keep up with WHS legislation or best practice, they stay ahead of it, making safety simple and understandable – the way it should be.”
Callum Moore
HSEC Manager, 29 Metals
Related Insights
We proactively identify and promptly address issues and concerns for our clients. Stay informed with our latest articles and insights on the WHS landscape in Western Australia.
Frequently asked questions
We bring a clear, practical approach to risk facilitation that surfaces what matters most: the risks that affect safety, performance, and operational confidence. By asking the right questions and applying proven tools, we help organisations cut through complexity, align stakeholders, and make decisions that stick.
Critical risk management is the discipline of identifying the small number of hazards in your operations that could cause a fatality or life-altering injury, defining the specific controls that prevent them, and treating those controls differently from routine safety activity. It is grounded in the recognition that Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) events are rarely prevented by the same activity that reduces minor injuries – they need their own attention, verification, and accountability.
Let's build something stronger together.
Whether you’re looking for strategic advisory, hands-on implementation, or practical tools your teams can use today, we’re here to help.
