Hazards at Workplace

Every workplace has hazards. An employer has a legal responsibility to look after your employees’ safety and protect them against health and safety hazards at work.

In order to manage workplace health and safety and help prevent accidents and sickness absence, it’s important to identify, monitor and reduce the risk associated with workplace hazards.

Simply put, workplace hazards are any aspect of work that cause health and safety risks and have the potential to harm.

Some hazards are more likely to be present in some workplaces than others, and depending on the work that you do, there will be hazards that are more or less relevant to your business.

There are many types of workplace hazards, which tend to come under four main categories:

• Physical hazards: The most common workplace hazards, including vibration, noise and slips, trips and falls;
• Ergonomic hazards: Physical factors that harm the musculoskeletal system, such as repetitive movement, manual handling and poor body positioning;
• Chemical hazards: Any hazardous substance that can cause harm to your employees;
• Biological hazards: Bacteria and viruses that can cause health effects, such as hepatitis, hiv/aids and legionnaire’s disease.

Common health risks

Some of the most common health risks associated with workplace hazards include:

• Breathing problems
• Skin irritation
• Damage to muscles, bones and joints
• Hearing damage
• Reduced wellbeing

How to prevent workplace hazards

The best way to protect yourself and your employees from workplace hazards is to identify and manage them and take reasonable steps to prevent their potential to harm.

In order to control workplace hazards and eliminate or reduce the risk, you should take the following steps:

• Identify the hazard by carrying out a workplace risk assessment;
• Determine how employees might be at risk;
• Evaluate the risks;
• Record and review hazards at least annually, or earlier if something changes.

The following seven steps focus on the basics of a less formal program for smaller businesses; these key steps to a safe work environment will be the basic components of your health and safety program.

1. Create a plan to promote workplace health and safety

As an employer, you must identify hazards in your workplace and take steps to eliminate or minimize them. Develop a safety plan. Tell your employees what you will do to ensure their safety and what you expect from them. Make sure your employees have access to a first aid kit.

Hazards can include: a cleaner working with heavy duty cleaning products, a mechanic working with large machinery or a warehouse manager stacking heavy boxes.

2. Inspect your workplace

Regularly check all equipment and tools to ensure that they are well maintained and safe to use. Also check storage areas and review safe work procedures. Are boxes in your storage area stacked in a safe manner? Are your employees instructed how to lift heavy goods without injuring themselves?  Do your employees know where the fire exit is and where they should gather if there is a fire?

3. Train your employees

Proper training is necessary for all employees, especially if there is a risk for potential injury associated with a job. Provide written instructions and safe work procedures so they can check for themselves if they are unsure of a task or have forgotten part of their training. Supervise your employees to ensure that they are using their training to perform their job properly and safely.  By not providing the correct training for your employees you are not only endangering the safety of your employees but you will be held liable for the incident which could have serious consequences.

4. Talk regularly with your employees

Meet regularly with your staff and discuss health and safety issues. Encourage them to share their ideas and thoughts on how to improve safety in the workplace. You might even consider providing first aid training for staff so they are prepared to deal with emergency situations.

5. Investigate Incidents

Even if an incident does not result in a serious injury, conduct an incident investigation to help determine why an incident happened so you can take steps to ensure that it will not recur.

6. Maintain Records

Keep records of all first aid treatment, inspections, incident investigations, and training activities. This information can help you identify trends in unsafe conditions or work procedures.

7. Make safety a key part of your business

Safety shouldn’t be an after-thought; it’s just as important to a successful business as customer service, inventory control, and financial planning. A commitment to health and safety makes good business sense because it’s the one way to protect your greatest resource your people.