Hazards

Any existing or potential condition which by itself or by interacting with other variables can result in death, injury, illness’s, property damage or other losses. There are health hazards and safety hazards. A health hazards is something that has the potential to cause adverse health effects and a safety hazard is something that has the potential to cause injury such as physical harm or damage to a person resulting from contact between the body and an outside agent, or from exposure to environmental factors.

In section 7.4 (5) of Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act, a safety program must include identification of existing and potential dangers to workers at the workplace and the measures that will be taken to reduce, eliminate or control those dangers, including procedures to be followed in an emergency.

Hazard recognition is the first step in the process of establishing and maintaining a safe working environment as it leads to the identification and control of high risk activities which can cause injuries and illness.

There are five categories into which workplace hazards are commonly classified:

  1. Physical Hazards – are in the form of energy or force. They could be noise, vibration, electricity, temperature extremes, lighting, pressure, radiation, machinery and radiation.
  2. Chemical Hazards – Chemical hazards can appear as gasses, vapours, liquids, solids, dust, fumes, or mists which can be flammable, toxic, corrosive, reactive or explosive.
  3. Biological Hazards – can cause disease and are found in living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, moulds, fungi and parasites.
  4. Ergonomic Hazards – results from poorly designed equipment, work processes or work stations that place undue strain on the body by repetitive or strenuous activities.
  5. Psychosocial Hazards – affect the psychological well-being and are linked to factors such as shift work, work pace, production demands or threats to personal safety resulting from crime, workplace violence and harassment.

Hazard recognition is the perception or awareness of a dangerous object, event, behaviour, or condition. The process of hazard recognition involves:

  • Identifying potential hazards in the workplace
  • Identifying the potential for adverse effects which may result for laving these hazards uncorrected
  • Determining the likelihood people being harmed or affected by exposure to these hazards.

A hazard assessment/job hazard analysis provides both the employer and employee with specific information regarding the step-by-step process of a task, and the hazards associated with it.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/pdf/bulletins/bltn249(2).pdf