Various hazards types:

Physical hazards:
A physical hazard is defined as "A factor within the environment that can harm the body without
necessarily touching it. Vibration and noise are examples of physical hazards".

Physical hazards include but aren't limited to electricity, radiation, pressure, noise, heights and
vibration amongst many others.

Electrical lines
Potential hazards
Electrical risks are risks of death, electric shock or other injury caused directly or indirectly by
electricity. Contact with energized overhead or underground electric lines can be fatal, whether
they are carrying a voltage as high as 400,000 volts or as low as 230 volts.

Contact with overhead electric lines is not necessary to result in electric shock. A close
approach to the line conductors may allow a ‘flashover’ or arc to take place. The risk of
flashover increases as the line voltage increases. In addition, other infrastructure such as power
poles can also present a risk to health and safety if contact is made as a result of work near
power lines.

Precautions
Work undertaken that poses a risk to power lines may come under the definition of ‘high risk
construction’ work which has a number of obligations such as the requirement to prepare safe
work method statements. General construction, excavation and plant related work that is often
associated with incidents involving power lines also have varied risk management strategies
and legislative obligations.

Using a risk management strategy relating to the nature of work being performed persons
conducting a business or undertaking need to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that
no person, plant or thing at the workplace comes within an unsafe distance of overhead or
underground electric lines.

Noise
Potential hazards
Temporary loss of hearing or permanent hearing loss from exposure to noise exceeding
prescribed standards.

Tinnitus (or ringing in the ears) which usually goes away but in severe cases it may not causing
additional problems.
Precautions
Dependent on the context and conditions, but may include for example:

 Eliminate the source of the noise where possible

 Find alternative, quieter equipment to use
 Insulate worker areas from noise producing machines
 Reduce the amount of time spent in a high noise environment
 Provide hearing protection
 Provide hearing tests for workers to establish any loss of hearing attributable to work

Facilities

Potential hazards
Numerous risks occur within the physical working environment and the management factors
governing it. These broadly apply, but aren’t limited to the nature of work being undertaken, the
size, location and nature of the workplace as well as the number and composition of the
workforce within the facility. With respect to the nature of work the risks are dependent on
numerous factors. Some considerations include; whether the work involves exposure to
infectious material or contaminants, whether workers need to change their clothes, whether
work itself is mostly conducted seated or standing, whether the work is sedentary or physically
active and whether the work is done in shifts.

Precautions
Given the broad range of risks associated with managing workplace facilities the best way to
control these risks is using an approved hazard identification and risk management strategy
(see resources section) in conjunction with professional WHS legal and regulatory advice.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Potential hazards
Slips and trips result in thousands of injuries each year with the most common injuries being
musculoskeletal. Cuts, bruises, fractures, dislocations and more serious injuries also occur.

Precautions
Using a hazard identification and risk management process the hierarchy of controls can
mitigate risks involved with slips, trips and falls at every level. For example;
 Hierarchy of
Example
Control

Eliminate the Remove slip and trip hazards at the design stage such as
hazard eliminating changes in floor levels and installing more
power outlets to avoid trailing cords

Substitution Replace flooring with a more slip-resistant surface

Isolation Prevent access to high risk areas, for example cordon off
wet floor areas while cleaning is in progress

Engineering  Apply floor treatments to increase slip resistance

controls (redesign)  Improve lighting
 Stop leaks from equipment or pipes
 Provide adequate drainage
 Clearly mark edges of steps and any changes in
floor heights

Administrative  Implement good housekeeping practices including

controls keeping access ways clear and cleaning up spills
promptly
 Use signage to warn of wet or slippery areas
 Provide training and supervision

Personal Wear slip-resistant footwear

protective
equipment

Vibrations

Potential hazards
The longer a worker is exposed to vibration, the greater the risk of health effects and
musculoskeletal disorders. The most commonly reported disorder from exposure to vibration is
lower-back pain.

Epidemiological studies of long-term exposure to vibration have shown evidence for risk to the
lumbar spine and the neck and shoulder. Results of epidemiological studies also show a higher
prevalence rate of low-back pain, herniated disc and early degeneration of the spine in
excessive vibration-exposed workers.
Exposure to vibration may also cause or exacerbate other health or safety effects such as
cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and metabolic changes, digestive problems, reproductive
organ damage, impairment of vision, balance or both, interference with activities and discomfort
that could lead to accidents.

Precautions
Work involving vibrations should be consulted with those effected, in addition those effected
should be involved in the risk management process. Successful vibration exposure reduction
usually requires a combination of control measures. Such measures include but aren’t limited to;

 Modifying the process to eliminate the task or the risk

 Redesigning the task or the equipment to reduce vibration exposure
 Buying machines or vehicles that are designed to reduce the vibration transmitted to the
operator
 Improving and maintaining road surfaces
 Implementing a seat maintenance program to ensure vibration dampened seats are
maintained in good condition
 Implementing speed limits
 Implementing regular work breaks, posture changes or job rotation to reduce exposure
time
 Providing training, information and supervision on adjusting and operating equipment,
including seats to reduce exposure.

Chemical Hazards:
A chemical hazard is a type of occupational hazard caused by exposure to chemicals in the
workplace. Exposure to chemicals in the workplace can cause acute or long-term detrimental
health effects. There are many types of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune
agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins, athames,
pneumoconiosis agents, and sensitizers. These hazards can cause physical and/or health risks.
Depending on chemical, the hazards involved may be varied, thus it is important to know and
apply the PPE especially during the lab.
There are different types of chemical hazards such as

 Liquids such as acids, solvents especially if they do not have a label

 Vapors and fumes
 Flammable materials
 Radioactive substances
 Carcinogenic materials
 Metal oxides
Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)

The average exposure to a contaminant to which a worker may be exposed during a short time
period (typically 15 – 30 minutes).
Time-Weighted Average (TWA)
The average exposure to a contaminant over a given period of time, typically 8-hours.

Dose
The dose is the amount of a chemical that actually enters the body. The dose of a chemical that
a person receives is dependent on the concentration of the chemical and frequency and
duration of the exposure.

Evaluating Toxicity Data

Most estimates of human toxicity are based on animal studies, which may or may not relate to
human toxicity. In most animal studies, the effect measured is usually death. This measure of
toxicity is often expressed as LD50 (lethal dose 50), which is the dose required to kill 50% of the
test population. The LD50 is measured in milligrams of the material per kilogram of the body
weight of the test animal. The LC50 (lethal concentration 50) may be used to determine the
concentration in air that kills half of the population.

Biological Hazards:
Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, are organic substances that pose a threat to the
health of humans and other living organisms. Generally speaking, biological hazards include
pathogenic micro-organisms, viruses, toxins (from biological sources), spores, fungi and
bioactive substances. Biological hazards can also be considered to include biological vectors or
transmitters of disease. Outside the health arena, biological hazards include substances that
cause social and economic disruption, property damage and environmental degradation, such
as insect plagues or infestations. Worldwide, it is estimated that around 320 000 workers die
each year from communicable diseases caused by work-related exposures to biological hazards
(Driscoll et al. 2005; OSHA 2007).

Health effects of biological hazards

Biological agents that are capable of causing disease are known as pathogens. People who
work with animals or plants, or in health and child care are most at risk for biological hazards.
People who work with ventilation systems, municipal sanitation or sewage operations are also at
increased risk.

Common diseases caused by biological agents:

• bacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis, tetanus, food poisoning and blood poisoning
• fungal diseases, such as ringworm and thrush
• viral diseases, such as mumps, hepatitis, German measles, West Nile Virus
• parasitic worms that enter the body when their eggs are ingested
 Controlling biological hazards
The best way to prevent illness is to reduce or eliminate exposure to biological agents. Here are
some tips to protect yourself against infection:

• Practice good personal hygiene (e.g. regular hand washing) – it’s one of the best ways to
prevent the transmission of infection.
• Keep your immunizations up-to-date.
• Ensure that any equipment that might harbor bio-hazards (e.g. fans, ventilation systems) is
regularly maintained, cleaned and sterilized.
• Clean and disinfect work surfaces often.
• Clean up spills immediately.
• Handle and dispose of all bio-hazardous waste materials safely. Blood and any other bodily
fluids should always be handled as if they could be infectious. In the event of an injury or
bleeding, every individual should be handled in a way that minimizes exposure to blood and
body fluids.
• Wear personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, masks), where appropriate.

Personal Protective Equipment(PPE)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) means any device or appliance designed to be worn or
held by an individual for protection against one or more health and safety hazards. Respiratory
Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a particular type of Personal
Protective Equipment, used to protect the individual wearer against inhalation of hazardous
substances in the workplace air.

Types of PPE:
PPE can be considered in the following categories, based on the type of protection afforded by
the equipment
 Respiratory protection - for example, disposable, cartridge, airline, half or full face
 Eye protection – for example, spectacles/goggles, shields, visors
 Hearing protection – for example, ear muffs and plugs
 Hand protection – for example, gloves and barrier creams
 Foot protection – for example, shoes/boots
 Head protection – for example, helmets, caps, hoods, hats
 Working from heights - for example, harness and fall arrest devices
 Skin protection – for example, hats, sunburn cream, long sleeved clothes
 Other personal protective equipment- This may include PPE for specific tasks such
disposable clothing for working with chemicals, radiation hazards, welding, painting.
Examples include: lead aprons for x-ray protection; sleeve protectors, aprons, coveralls when
using chemicals; leather jackets, trousers and spats for welding; thermal and cold protective
clothing for work near furnaces and cool rooms.