Identify Hazards and Risks

 

Five Basic Workplace Hazards

Five major types of hazards can put both your health and your safety at risk.

1. 1. Chemical hazards
   2. Physical hazards
   3. Biological hazards
   4. Ergonomic hazards or job-related hazards
   5. Psychological hazards or stress

CHEMICAL HAZARDS

If you are working with cleaning products, bleaches, paints, and other chemical agents, you need to understand what a chemical hazard is as well as how to protect yourself.

Chemical hazards include:

• liquids such as cleansers,
• acids, and paints
• vapors and fumes such as welding fumes
• gases such as carbon monoxide
• products that can catch fire or explode

 

PHYSICAL HAZARDS

A physical hazard is an agent, factor, or circumstance that can cause harm to contact. They can be classified as a type of occupational hazard or environmental hazard. Physical hazards include ergonomic hazards, radiation, heat and cold stress, vibration hazards, and noise hazards

 

Physical hazards include:

• Machinery
• Electrical power
• Noise
• Power and hand tools
• Working and walking surfaces
• Trip and fall hazards
• Ladders and scaffolds
• Heat and cold
• ventilation

The following table is the allowable time a worker can stay in a work area without hearing protection.

1. Noise

Allowable Exposure to Noise

8 hrs --- 90 dB

4 hrs --- 95 dB

2 hrs --- 100 dB

1 hr --- 105 dB

For an eight-hour exposure, the allowable noise level is 90 dB.

1. Extreme Temperatures are of two types: extreme heat which can cause heatstroke and extreme cold which can cause hypothermia.
2. Radiation also has two types: the ionizing radiation and the non-ionizing typ

 

1. Ionizing radiation
   • Ultraviolet (UV) light or alpha particle - from the sun can be shielded by paper
   • Beta particle – can penetrate paper but not concrete.
   • Gamma-ray – can penetrate the concrete. This can be shielded by using lead like in the x-ray room which is made up of sheeted lead in-between concrete to prevent outside exposure.

2. Non-ionizing radiation

Radio waves, electric waves, and infrared rays. An example is the welding process which produces infrared rays that can damage the skin.

 

Radiation is dangerous because it cannot be detected by the five senses but it destroys the cells and tissues of living organisms and has long-term effects.

Three safety practices for controlling body exposure to radiation:

1. Time – the shorter the time, the lower the exposure received
2. Distance – the greater distance, the lower the exposure received
3. Shielding – may be lead, steel, iron or concrete

 

Extreme Pressure – These are pressures beyond the allowable levels needed by the human body. Normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi, and even a small change in the atmospheric pressure has a corresponding effect on humans. Examples of workers exposed to extreme pressure are those involved in excavation work, scuba diving, and piloting airplanes.

 

Vibration

Exposure to vibration could have a negative effect on the health of

your employees. It could damage joints, muscles, circulation and sensory nerves.

This could lead to considerable pain, time off or even disability.

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

Why be careful around ticks, mouse droppings, bird poop, and wild animals? Because you might get sick from working around certain animals, including people. Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, insects, plants, birds, animals, and humans. The risks run from skin irritation and allergies to infections

 

Dangers can come from:

• unclean restrooms
• mold and fungus
• bacteria
• insect stings
• animal bites
• poorly stored medical waste

ERGONOMIC HAZARDS

If your job is poorly designed, you can develop long term health problems. These problems can arise from simple things, like working for long periods in an awkward position of having to make the same motions over and over again.

 

Problems can come from:

• lighting
• chairs
• lifting
• repeated movements
• computer screens

PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS

Those that are causing stress to a worker. This kind of hazard troubles an individual very much to the extent that his general well-being is affected Stress can lead to long- term health problems. Headaches, anxiety, and impatience are early signs of stress.

Workplace causes of stress include:

• heavy workloads
• lack of control over the pace of work
• shift work
• noise
• working by yourself
• fear of job-loss
• conflict with the employer

 

What are the examples of a hazard?

Workplace hazard	Example of Hazard	Example of Harm Caused
thing	knife	cut
substance	benzene	leukemia
material	asbestos	mesothelioma
source of energy	electricity	shock, electrocution
condition	wet floor	slips fall
process	welding	metal fume fever
practice	hard rock mining	silicosis

 

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