Before you can properly identify a hazard, you need to know what it is and how it can be prevented. In order to identify hazards, you must look at all aspects of the job, from nonroutine activities to the physical environment. Hazards may include materials and products, how tasks are done, and the manner in which people interact with them. Hazards may also include information gathered from incident and injury records. For example, a spilled cup of water can pose a slipping hazard to those in the area.
Psychosocial Hazards
Psychosocial hazards are a subset of physical risks. These types of hazards may be more severe or limiting to some workers than to others. These hazards may result from poor management or lack of feedback. Identifying these hazards is the first step toward finding a solution. However, not all psychosocial hazards are equally harmful. In fact, some may be more severe and immediately harmful than others. Psychosocial hazards are often difficult to identify, but safety professionals should be equipped with analytical tools to identify them.
The highest risk levels are associated with work overload and job dissatisfaction. The lowest risk is associated with boredom. These hazards can affect the work environment in many ways, including productivity and absenteeism. Poor interpersonal relationships with colleagues and patients can affect the psychological health of employees. By identifying these types of hazards, health facility managers can improve workplace conditions and minimize the likelihood of such incidents. However, many organizations fail to address these problems.
Many researchers have addressed the impact of psychosocial hazards on workers. In fact, the authors’ review highlights that there are several ways to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace, and outlines WorkSafe’s approach to reducing them. Psychosocial hazards may even involve psychosocial stressors as well as physical hazards. But there is limited New Zealand data to guide policymakers. That’s why Part Two of the report catalogs international standards and frameworks, which can be applied in New Zealand. The World Health Organization and the International Labour Office have developed guidance on psychosocial hazards and work-related stress. The Psychosocial Risk Management Excellence Framework addresses these issues by providing a uniform terminology for basic concepts.
Physical Hazards
The physical hazards can be of two types: environmental and occupational. These include noise, vibration, heat, cold, radiation, and unguarded machines. Some physical hazards can be mitigated by engineering controls. The physical hazards that are considered as safety hazards affect any type of employee, but they are more prevalent at construction sites and on machinery. Here are some examples of physical hazards and how they can affect workers. To protect workers, keep their workplaces clean.
Environmental hazards are the most prevalent type of hazards that can cause damage to workers. These include high levels of radiation, extreme temperatures, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They can also be caused by manual labor, such as lifting heavy objects or carrying materials. Forklift hazards are also considered physical hazards, because workers may try to take shortcuts. Exposure to these hazards can cause long-term health consequences. To keep workers safe, consider putting in a proper health risk assessment.
Electrical hazards are often not immediately obvious. Workers may be at risk for injuries from overloaded circuits, damaged electrical tools, or overloaded power lines. Some types of electrical hazards can be extremely dangerous, including arc flashovers, overloaded circuits, and wet conditions. Overhead line workers and electricians are at the highest risk of electrical hazards. They may also suffer from repetitive physical labor that damages their muscles and tendons.
Chemical Hazards
Chemical hazards are substances that are toxic, flammable, explosive, self-reactive, oxidizing, or corrosive. Chemical hazards can result in adverse health effects and require special handling procedures and equipment. Information on chemical agents and their hazards is essential for emergency responders, workers, and others who come into contact with these substances. Several organizations have created databases of chemical agents, including exposure limits, identification, and more.
The common methods of entering a chemical hazard are inhalation and direct skin contact. However, in some situations, the substance may enter the body via injection, as is the case with dangerous chemical agents in laboratories and medical facilities. Another form of exposure in the workplace is ingestion, although this is less common. There are several types of chemical hazards, based on their physical and chemical properties. For more information, visit EHS Signs and Labels.
A chemical hazard is a hazard that is directly related to the way the chemical is handled. Depending on the chemical’s toxicity, this can be harmful to human health, even resulting in death. Chemicals should never be handled by untrained people. Proper training, SOPs, and other precautions should be taken to prevent any possible harm. A chemical hazard can be fatal, so proper training and education should be provided.
Biological hazards
Biological hazards are present in various workplaces and can be dangerous to humans. They include blood, saliva, fungi, food, hair, skin, and waste materials. In addition, biological hazards can cause diseases that can be transferred to humans. These hazards are also known as zoonoses and zoonoses. Although many types of biological hazards do not directly affect humans, they can still affect workers and the environment.
To prevent the spread of these diseases, control measures should be implemented. For biological hazards, the engineering controls include regular cleaning, pest prevention, and proper disposal of waste. Biological hazards should also be controlled through administrative measures, such as changing work processes, requiring safety equipment, and training employees. For example, students should not work around infectious diseases. They should also keep their work clothes separate from other laundry. Finally, they should keep a record of all jobs so they can easily identify when to stop working or go home if they get sick.
Biological hazards are common in the workplace and can be dangerous to human health. They are everywhere we interact with animals, including livestock. Some of these substances can cause occupational diseases, and people may be unaware of the danger. Luckily, biological hazards are not always obvious to workers. They include bacteria and viruses, which can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, and even tetanus. Some of these agents can cause death or serious disease.
Confined Spaces
In confined spaces, flammable gases can build up. These gases tend to seek lower levels and may rise up if a lid is closed, or if they are suspended in the air. The result is an explosion or disintegration of the structure. Some gases are asphyxiating, while others are combustible and may be airborne. In some cases, workers may not aware of the hazards that may arise in the confined space.
Workers should be aware of the dangers of confined spaces and take necessary precautions to avoid accidents. Whether confined spaces are manholes, tanks, sumps, pipelines, or storage bins, there are several key safety precautions that must be followed. The risk is increased significantly if there is no means of escape. Moreover, the possibility of being trapped within a confined space is greater, and there is less room to move around.
The risks of confined spaces are numerous, and they can range from reduced oxygen levels to fires. The confined space may also contain harmful atmosphere, flammable gases, or stored substances. Rescuers account for 60% of the fatalities in confined spaces. Rescue procedures are vital to minimizing these risks. Rescuers should be trained in the proper rescue techniques and have the appropriate safety equipment. In addition to trained rescuers, confined space workers should not attempt to enter the space without a proper plan for the emergency.
Moving Machinery
The moving machinery hazard presents a unique set of mechanical hazards for employees. It can cause a variety of injuries, including crushing, shearing, entanglement, ejection of air, hitting, abrading, and trapping. To recognize the hazard, workers must understand the potential interactions between the machinery and their surroundings. They must also understand the concept of kinetic energy, which refers to energy that moves from one point to another.
Workers must be aware of the risks presented by this hazard in order to protect themselves and others. Workers are at risk of being injured or even killed by moving machinery. In most cases, safety guards will help protect workers, but they should be effective in their own right. A safety guard must be installed permanently on the moving machine and must not interfere with the operation of the machine. Additionally, the safety guards must be designed for the specific job.
Another moving machinery hazard is nip points. These are areas where parts that move in opposite directions come in contact or are too close to each other. These areas are commonly found on intermeshing gears, calenders, and rolling mills. A nip point can also occur when stock is fed between rolls. In addition, a nip point may also form in tangentially moving parts, such as a belt and pulley or rack and pinion.
Biohazards
Biohazards come in various levels of danger. Biohazard level I agents present minimal threats to humans. Biohazard level II agents, on the other hand, can be highly infectious and can cause serious illness if ingested or airborne. Biohazard level III agents are even more dangerous and can cause life-threatening illnesses if they are airborne. A list of biohazard levels may be found here.
In the laboratory, microbiological wastes are the most common type of biohazards. They include discarded viruses, surgical tools, and culture dishes. Pathological waste includes unfixed human tissue, biopsy materials, and anatomical parts from medical procedures. Sharps waste, on the other hand, includes items like glass slides, scalpels, and IV tubing with an attached needle. Some examples of biohazard level 1 materials include E. coli, hepatitis B, and salmonella.
Regardless of the type of waste produced by the lab, proper handling is essential. Biohazard waste should never be unsecured in hallways and should be treated with care. Only lab personnel should remove biohazard waste from a laboratory and transport it to a biohazard holding area. All pipettes, especially serological ones, should be disposed of separately from other biohazards. When disposing of biohazardous waste, you need to follow the instructions in the packaging.
