Hazards can be physical, biological or chemical. Some arise from work processes such as mechanical hazards, noise or toxic substances, while others result from equipment or machine failures or misuse, control or power system failures, chemical spills and structural failures.
Managing hazards in your workplace is something that should be happening all the time. It’s not something to be considered once and then forgotten.
A hazard is something that could cause damage, injury or death and includes:
• An activity, or a task, such as lifting, carrying or repetitive work
• How work is arranged or organised
• Something physical like a wet and slippery floor, or an uneven surface
• Exposure to a chemical or solvent, or another substance that is toxic, flammable or explosive, such as petrol or asbestos
• How a person behaves because of stress or tiredness, or taking shortcuts
• The working environment or conditions, such as cold, heat, fumes, dust, noise or a confined work area
• A process, such as how materials are stored and transported
• Any natural disaster such as an earthquake or flood.
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Here are some of the common hazards, methods of harm and injuries that may happen in the workplace.
Hazard Possible harm
Access and exit point
• Poor surface conditions
• Falling or moving object
• Obstruction or projection
• Bruising
• Broken bones
• Crushing Biological • Bacterial
• Viral and fungal
• Short-term or permanent
• Illness
• Damage to nervous system
• Respiratory diseases, short or permanent illness
• Contact dermatitis
• Damage to heart, liver, kidneys
• Reproductive effects e.g. foetal damage Electricity • Contact with live wires
• Electrical faults causing fires or explosions
• Shock
• Burns and heart failure
• Electrocution Environment • Exposure to harmful levels of:
• Noise
• Vibration
• Humidity and temperature
• Pressure or vacuum
• Working in a confined space
• Hearing loss
• Damage to muscles and eyes
• Dehydration
• Frostbite or sunburn
• Death
Ergonomic factors • Inappropriate posture e.g. twisting or over-extending
• Repetitive movement
• Inappropriate force
• Musculoskeletal discomfort, pain and injury
• Laceration
Exposure to radiation
• Ionising
• Non-ionising
• Illness (e.g. cancer)
• Burns Fire and explosion • Chemicals
• Liquid and gas
• Vapour and particles
• Burns to body parts
• Lung disease and respiratory conditions
• Eye irritation and blindness Mechanical • Accessible moving/rotating parts
• Pressurised fluid
• Hot or cold metal
• Laceration
• Amputation
• Crushing
Moving vehicles • Being hit by a vehicle – impact
• Being run over by a vehicle
• Carbon monoxide fumes
• Crushing and inhalation
• Bruising and broken bones
• Death Particulates and
dust
• The effect of dust or fibres on skin or in eyes
• Inhalation of dust or fibres
• Lung cancer
• Respiratory diseases
• Abrasion of skin or eye
• Eye irritation or blindness
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Examples of ‘causes of harm’
Machinery and (mainly) fixed plant
Cutting, slicing, sawing machinery Electrical installation Crushing, pressing, rolling machinery Radiation-based equipment Heating, cooking, baking equipment Filling and bottling/packaging plant Cooling, refrigeration plant and equipment Other plant and equipment Conveyors and lifting plant
Mobile plant and transport
Self-propelled plant Rail transport
Semi-portable plant Air transport
Other mobile plant Water transport
Road transport Other transport
Powered equipment, tools and appliances
Workshop and worksite tools and equipment Garden and outdoor powered equipment
Kitchen and domestic equipment Pressure-based equipment not elsewhere classified Office and electronic equipment Other powered equipment, tools and appliances Non-powered hand tools, appliances and equipment
Hand tools, non-powered edge Furniture and fittings
Other hand tools Other utensils
Fastening, packing and packaging equipment Other non-powered equipment Chemicals and chemical products
Nominated chemicals Chemical products
Other basic chemicals Materials and substances
Non-metallic minerals and substances Other substances Other materials and objects
Environment agencies
Outdoor environment Underground environment
Indoor environment
Animal, human and biological agencies
Live four-legged animals Human agencies
Other live animals Biological agencies
Non-living animals
Other and unspecified agencies
Non-physical agencies Other and unspecified agencies
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Examples of ‘mechanisms of harm’
Falls, slips and trips of a person
Falls from a height Stepping, kneeling or sitting on objects Falls from the same level
Hitting objects with a part of the body
Hitting stationary objects Rubbing and chafing
Hitting moving objects Being hit by moving objects
Being hit by falling objects Being trapped by moving machinery
Being bitten by an animal Being trapped between stationary and moving objects Being hit by an animal Exposure to mechanical vibration
Being hit by a person Being hit by moving objects
Noise and pressure
Exposure to single, sudden sound Other variations in sound pressure Long-term exposure to sounds Exposure to continuous noise above 85dB Body stressing
Muscular stress while lifting, carrying or putting down objects
Muscular stress with no objects being handled
Muscular stress while handling objects other than lifting, carrying or putting down objects
Repetitive movement, low muscle loading
Heat, radiation and electricity
Contact with hot objects Exposure to non-ionising radiation Contact with cold objects Exposure to ionising radiation Exposure to environmental heat Contact with electricity Exposure to environmental cold
Chemicals and other substances
Single contact with chemical or substance Insect and spider bites and stings
Long-term contact with chemicals or substances Other unspecified contact with chemical or substance Biological factors
Contact with or exposure to biological factors Mental stress
Exposure to mental stress factors
Other and unspecified mechanisms of injury
Slide or cave-in Other and multiple mechanisms of injury
Vehicle Unspecified mechanisms of injury
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