Regardless of the terminology used, the critical steps are to make sure the workplace has taken a systematic approach that looks for any hazards (existing or potential), has take appropriate steps to determine the level of risk of these hazards, and then taken measures to control the risk or eliminate the hazard.ĭocumentation from CCOHS will use the terms “ hazard identification ” and “ risk assessment ” to describe the process of first looking for hazards, then determining the level of risk from that hazard. It is common to see the process of identifying hazards and assessing the corresponding risk to be described in various ways, including “hazard assessment”, “hazard and risk assessment”, “all hazards risk assessment”, etc. The OSH Answers document on Risk Assessment has details on how to conduct an assessment and establish priorities.Īre there other terms used to describe these processes? Back to top Determine appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard, or control the risk when the hazard cannot be eliminated (risk control).Analyze and evaluate the risk associated with that hazard (risk analysis, and risk evaluation).Identify hazards and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm (hazard identification).Risk assessment is the process where you: Cancer is a much more serious effect than irritation. For example, one substance may cause skin cancer, while another may cause skin irritation. how the person is exposed (e.g., breathing in a vapour, skin contact), and.the nature of the exposure: how much a person is exposed to a hazardous thing or condition (e.g., several times a day or once a year),.smoking).įactors that influence the degree or likelihood of risk are: These risks are expressed as a probability or likelihood of developing a disease or getting injured, whereas hazard refers to the agent responsible (i.e. "the number per 100,000 smokers who will develop lung cancer" (actual number depends on factors such as their age and how many years they have been smoking). "cigarette smokers are 12 times (for example) more likely to die of lung cancer than non-smokers", or.It may also apply to situations with property or equipment loss, or harmful effects on the environment.įor example: the risk of developing cancer from smoking cigarettes could be expressed as: Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard. Please see the OSH Answers on Hazard Identification for more information. contact with electrodes of a battery or capacitor (electrical energy).entanglement of hair or clothing in rotating equipment (kinetic energy), or.the release of compressed gas or steam (pressure high temperature),.a run-away chemical reaction (chemical energy),.an object that could fall from a height (potential or gravitational energy),.Workplace hazards also include practices or conditions that release uncontrolled energy like: that has the ability to cause harm or adverse health effect to a person or property. General examples include any substance, material, process, practice, etc. Workplace hazards can come from a wide range of sources. What are examples of a hazard? Back to top For example, the disease tuberculosis (TB) might be called a "hazard" by some but, in general, the TB-causing bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) would be considered the "hazard" or "hazardous biological agent". Sometimes the resulting harm is referred to as the hazard instead of the actual source of the hazard. There are many definitions for hazard but the most common definition when talking about workplace health and safety is:Ī hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone.īasically, a hazard is the potential for harm or an adverse effect (for example, to people as health effects, to organizations as property or equipment losses, or to the environment). For example, one dictionary defines hazard as "a danger or risk" which helps explain why many people use the terms interchangeably. Often dictionaries do not give specific definitions or combine it with the term "risk". The meaning of the word hazard can be confusing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |