OHS practices - Work environment
Hazards
A hazard is a situation with the potential to harm life, health or equipment. The identification and management of hazards offers the best opportunity for reducing injury or illness in the workplace.
Six major types of hazards are:
1. Physical
Noise, vibration, lighting, electrical, heat and cold, nuisance dust, fire/explosion, machine grinding, working space.
2. Chemical
Gases, dusts, fumes, vapours, liquids.
3. Ergonomic
Tool design, equipment, job/task design, work station design, manual handling.
4. Radiation
Microwaves, infra-red, ultra violet, lasers (non-ionising) and x-rays, gamma rays (ionising).
5. Psychological
Shiftwork, workload, dealing with the public, harassment, discrimination, threat of danger, low level constant noise.
6. Biological
Infections, bacteria and viruses like hepatitis.
Every work environment is different, with varying conditions and equipment. For this reason the types of hazards will also vary. The following table shows a range of workplace hazards and associated risks.
| Hazard | Risk |
|---|---|
| Liquid spill | Slipping |
| Working on ladders | Falls |
| Lifting heavy parts manually | Back and muscle injuries |
| Using equipment without guarding | Cuts, burns loss of limb |
| Working with flammable fluids | Combustion, fire, burns |
| Excessive noise from heavy equipment use | Hearing loss / damage |
| Working with corrosive fluids | Burns |
| Using hand tools | Cuts, bruises, strains |
| Electric power tools | Electrocution, physical injuries |
| Compressed air / air tools | Damage to skin, eyes |
| Using chemicals | Inhalation, skin damage |
| Moving cable drums / equipment | Physical injury |
| Digging trenches | Slips and falls, physical injuries |
