PHYSICAL HAZARDS

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OVERVIEW
• A physical hazard is defined as "A factor within the
environment that can harm the body without necessarily
touching it."

• Physical hazards include but aren't limited to electricity,

radiation, pressure, noise, heights and vibration amongst
many others.
Electrical
hazards
• Electricity has the potential to
seriously injure and kill.
• The two major risks related to
electricity are electrical shock and
fire.
 Specific Hazards
Heavy-duty
Electrical
usage of
Faulty wiring equipment near
lightweight
water
equipment

Electrical
equipment near Shorting dry cell
flammable circuits
liquids
 • Electrocution incidents can be fatal, while non-fatal
shocks can result in serious and permanent burn injuries
to skin, internal tissues and damage to the heart
depending on the length and severity of the shock.
• Electric shocks from faulty electrical equipment may also
lead to related injuries, including falls from ladders,
scaffolding or other elevated work platforms. Other
injuries or illnesses may include muscle spasms,
palpitations, nausea, vomiting, collapse and

Risks unconsciousness.
• Loose or broken connections or frayed connecting cords
may create a short circuit. This can result from contact of
the lead-in wires or internal connections in the
equipment. Fire, electrical shock or equipment damage
may result.
• Equipment damage and overheating, and therefore fire,
are always possible if equipment is in prolonged use at
power ratings greater than the item was designed for
 • Use of electrical equipment near water creates the
potential for a shock hazard if water gets into the
electrical system and a person makes contact with
the water conducting current from the equipment.
• The rotor of an electric motor generates sparks as it
rotates past the brushes. This can ignite flammable
vapours under poorly-ventilated conditions.

Risks • Short circuits in devices not protected by a fuse can

lead to overheating, risk of fire or injury. Completing a
circuit between terminals of a dry cell, or dry cells
without adding any resistance in the form of a bulb or
other electrical device, will create such risks.
• Contact with overheated wires can lead to skin burns
or cause a fire if the wires are near flammable
materials. Severe shorts can also cause dry cells to
melt, give off toxic fumes and possibly explode.
 • Always inspect electrical cords prior to use.
• Ensure only appropriately licensed or registered electricians carry out
electrical work
• Switch off electricity where possible before working on equipment
• If the outlets or equipment get wet, do not use again until completely
dry
• Make sure hands are dry when unplugging a cord.
• Ensure equipment used near sinks or other water sources is properly
insulated and grounded.

Remedies
• Ensure electrical equipment is in good working order (testing and
tagging)
• Use battery operated tools rather than mains power tools where
possible
• Remove damaged, unsafe electrical equipment or cords from the
workplace
• Ensure tag out and isolation procedures are in place and used
• Use residual current devices (or safety switches) with portable
equipment (as per the WHS Regulations)
• Don't overload power sockets. Use power boards not double adaptors
• Ensure that electrical equipment is only used in properly-ventilated
areas and away from flammable liquids
• MEET ELECTRICAL SAFETY STANDARDS.
Heat hazards
• Heat strain can arise from working
in high air temperatures, exposure
to high thermal radiation or high
levels of humidity, such as those in
foundries, commercial kitchens
and laundries.
• Heating devices create fire and
injury hazards. The potential risks
posed by these devices vary with
the heating device used and the
way in which it is used.
 Heat Sources

Tropical
Burners Candles
environment

Thermal heat
 Risks

Heat
Burns Fire
strain
 Remedies

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Use burners that Use surfaces Wear heat Never reach Use heat- Allow ample Secure the
are leak proof. made of heat resistant gloves over an resistance time for heated candle firmly to
resistant when handling exposed flame glassware for objects to cool a base to
material. heated objects or heat source. heating before touching prevent
or containers. substances them. tipping.
Noise
• Prolonged exposure to sound in
excess of 85 decibels* (dBA)
causes cumulative damage to
inner ear hair cells, which results in
permanent hearing loss at the
specific frequencies to which the
lost hair cells were sensitive.
 Risks

1 2
Temporary loss of hearing or Tinnitus (or ringing in the
permanent hearing loss ears) which usually goes
from exposure to noise away but in severe cases it
exceeding prescribed may not causing additional
standards. problems.
 • Dependant 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
Remedy • Provide hearing tests for workers to establish any
loss of hearing attributable to work
• To reduce noise, control measures can be carried
out at:
• Source – install silencers, apply damping material, use
vibration isolators
• Path – enclose machines or processes, erect noise
barriers, apply sound absorbing materials
• Receiver – isolate workers in control rooms, reduce
exposure time through job rotation
Vibration
• The transmission of vibration to the
body is dependent on body
posture. The effects of vibration are
complex. Exposure to vibration
causes motions and forces within
the human body that may cause
discomfort, adversely affect
performance, cause health effect
or aggravate pre-existing
conditions or present a health and
safety risk

01
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.
Risks
02
Long-term exposure to vibration
have shown evidence for risk to
the lumbar spine and the neck
and shoulder. Results of studies
also show a higher prevalence
rate of low-back pain, herniated
disc and early degeneration of
the spine in excessive vibration-
exposed workers.
03
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.
Remedies
• 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.
Agriculture
• Those who work on the land may
be exposed to potentially
dangerous machinery, vehicles,
chemicals, livestock, working at
heights or in confined spaces. Land
workers are exposed to the
extremes of weather, noise and
dust. Agricultural work can be
physically demanding, seasonally
intensive, and sometimes the
repetitive nature of tasks can
cause a range of health problems.
 • transport or plant-related (collisions and overturns)
• struck by object
• falls from height

Risks
• asphyxiation or drowning
• contact with machinery
• injury by an animal
• slips, trips and falls at level.
 Assessing assessing risk

Remedies Controlling controlling problems that arise and

learning from experience are equally important concepts

Learning when ensuring worker health and safety.
 Construction
Work
• ‘Construction work’ in the context of work health
and safety can be defined in a number of ways
depending on the tasks undertaken. These include
but may not be limited to construction ‘projects’
and ‘high risk’ construction work.
Examples of a structure additionally include:
• a roadway or pathway, a ship or submarine,
foundations, earth retention works and other
earthworks including river works and sea defence
works, formwork, falsework or any other structure
designed or used to provide support, access or
containment during construction work such as a
prop or formwork system
• an airfield
• a dock, harbour, channel, bridge, viaduct, lagoon
or dam, a sewer or sewerage or drainage works
such as storm water drains, sheet piling to divert
the course of a river or to build a cofferdam,
underground storage tanks for an irrigation system,
road tunnels, ventilation or access shaft for
underground services
 • injury from falling objects such as debris and
equipment, collapse of trenches
• injury from handling, use, storage, and transport or
disposal of hazardous chemicals
• injuries associated with the presence of asbestos and
asbestos-containing materials
Risks • injuries from welding fumes, gases and arcs, interface
with other works or trade activities, electric shock,
immersion or engulfment, fire or explosion, slips, trips
and falls, being struck by moving plant, exposure to
noise, heat, cold, vibration, radiation, static electricity
or a contaminated atmosphere
 • A targeted risk management process following
an approved code of practice in conjunction
with legal consultation to best align the nature

Remedies of construction work with regulatory obligations

is the best method of ensuring risks and hazards
are managed properly. Numerous activities
using a combination of risk and hazard control
measures must be considered.
Radiation
Hazards
• Radiation is an insidious hazard
associated with the decay of
radioactive materials such as
uranium and thorium isotopes, as
well as emissions from electronic
equipment or other sources.
Radiation is the emission of energy
in either particulate or
electromagnetic form, and is
generally classified into two distinct
categories: ionizing and non-
ionizing.
RISKS
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 Ionizing Radiation

It can affect the body’s

ionizing forms of radiation cells, increasing risk of
has sufficient energy to Potential harm is harmful genetic
more hazardous if
break chemical bonds proportional to the mutations, cancer, or, at
ingested or inhaled
and damage human energy absorbed worst, massive tissue
tissue. damage leading to
death within a few weeks
 Non-Ionizing Radiation
Potentially hazardous sources of non-
ionizing radiation
• Ultraviolet radiation
• Visible light and lasers
• Stroboscopes
• Microwaves
Definition
• Radiation that has enough energy
to move around atoms in a molecule
or cause them to vibrate, but not enough
to change them chemically
• Increases kinetic energy of molecules
in body tissue, which leads to
heat production
 Use low-level radioactive material with emissions in
Use millicuries.

Keep Keep exposure time to a minimum.

Stay Stay as far from the radiation source as possible.

Remedies Monitor
Monitor radiation levels throughout time of exposure
with the use of a Geiger counter, and

Store Store in a suitably shielded container

Never look directly at ultraviolet ray sources without

Look appropriate eye protection.