Control Hazards and Risks

Unit of competency:
PRACTICING
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY PROCEDURES
Evaluate hazards and risks

What is a hazard?
The meaning of the word hazard can be confusing. Often dictionaries do not
give specific definitions or combine it with the term "risk". For example, one
dictionary defines hazard as "a danger or risk" which helps explain why
many people use the terms interchangeably.
There are many definitions for hazard but the most common definition when
talking about workplace health and safety is:
A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects
on something or someone.
Basically, 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).
Sometimes the resulting harm is referred to as the hazard instead of the
actual source of the hazard. 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".
What are examples of a hazard?
Workplace hazards can come from a wide range of sources. General examples include any
substance, material, process, practice, etc. that has the ability to cause harm or adverse health
effect to a person or property. See Table 1.
Table 1
Examples of Hazards and Their Effects
Workplace Hazard Example of Hazard Example of Harm Caused

Thing Knife Cut
Substance Benzene Leukemia
Material Mycobacterium tuberculosis Tuberculosis
Source of Energy Electricity Shock, electrocution
Condition Wet floor Slips, falls
Process Welding Metal fume fever
Practice Hard rock mining Silicosis
Behaviour Bullying Anxiety, fear, depression
Workplace hazards also include practices or conditions that release
uncontrolled energy like:
•an object that could fall from a height (potential or gravitational energy),
•a run-away chemical reaction (chemical energy),
•the release of compressed gas or steam (pressure; high temperature),
•entanglement of hair or clothing in rotating equipment (kinetic energy), or
•contact with electrodes of a battery or capacitor (electrical energy).
What is risk?
Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or

experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard. It may also
apply to situations with property or equipment loss, or harmful effects on
the environment.
For example: the risk of developing cancer from smoking cigarettes

could be expressed as:
•"cigarette smokers are 12 times (for example) more likely to die of lung
cancer than non-smokers", or
•"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).
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. smoking).
Factors that influence the degree or likelihood of risk are:
•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),
•how the person is exposed (e.g., breathing in a vapour, skin contact), and
•the severity of the effect. For example, one substance may cause skin
cancer, while another may cause skin irritation. Cancer is a much more
serious effect than irritation.
What is a risk assessment?
Risk assessment is the process where you:
•Identify hazards and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm
(hazard identification).
•Analyze and evaluate the risk associated with that hazard (risk analysis,
and risk evaluation).
•Determine appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard, or control the risk
when the hazard cannot be eliminated (risk control).
The OSH Answers document on Risk Assessment has details on how to

conduct an assessment and establish priorities.
Will exposure to hazards in the workplace always cause injury,
illness or other adverse health effects?
Not necessarily. To answer this question, you need to know:
•what hazards are present,

•how a person is exposed (route of exposure, as well as how often and
how much exposure occurred),
•what kind of effect could result from the specific exposure a person
experienced,
•the risk (or likelihood) that exposure to a hazardous thing or condition
would cause an injury, or disease or some incidence causing damage,
and
•how severe would the damage, injury or harm (adverse health effect)
be from the exposure.
What types of hazards are there?
A common way to classify hazards is by category:
•biological - bacteria, viruses, insects, plants, birds, animals, and

humans, etc.,
•chemical - depends on the physical, chemical and toxic properties of
the chemical,
•ergonomic - repetitive movements, improper set up of workstation, etc.,
•physical - radiation, magnetic fields, pressure extremes (high pressure
or vacuum), noise, etc.,
•psychosocial - stress, violence, etc.,
•safety - slipping/tripping hazards, inappropriate machine guarding,
equipment malfunctions or breakdowns.
STEPS IN MINIMIZING
HAZARDS:
Recognition of it is the process in identifying
hazards hazards.
Evaluation of it is the process on measurement
hazards and compare to standards.
Control of it is the process of instituting
hazards solutions
Walk through survey /Ocular inspection
Knowing your task
Reviewing process involved
Knowing the raw materials used, products and by products
Gathering of workers complaint
Chemical Safety Data Sheet(CSDS and MSDS)
“CSDS MSDS vary in Completeness Quality and Clarity.”

This are the important summary of health ,
Safety and toxicological information on the
chemical.
Composition /
Identification of the Hazards
information of
chemical identification
ingredients
Fire fighting Accidental release
First Aid measures
measures measures
Exposure control
Handling and Physical and
and personal
Storage chemical properties
protection
Stability and Toxicological Ecological
reactivity information information
Disposals Transport Regulatory
considerations information information
Conduct of hazards measurement
Compare the measurements to standards

Hierarchy of Controls
Controlling exposures to occupational hazards is the fundamental
method of protecting workers. Traditionally, a hierarchy of controls
has been used as a means of determining how to implement
feasible and effective control solutions.
Most
Effective
Elimination Physical Remove
the hazard
Substitution Replace the Hazard
Engineerin
g Controls Isolate people from the hazard
Administrative
Control Change the way people work
PPE Protect the worker with Personal

Least Protective Equipment
Effective
1. Solvent based to water based paints
2. Leaded to non leaded
1. Pneumatic hammers to impact hammers

2. Sawing or drilling to shear cutting
1. Preventive maintenance
2. Putting oil, lubricants etc. Modification
D. Administrative Controls and PPE
Administrative controls and PPE are frequently used with existing processes
where hazards are not particularly well controlled. Administrative controls
and PPE programs may be relatively inexpensive to establish but, over the
long term, can be very costly to sustain. These methods for protecting
workers have also proven to be less effective than other measures,
requiring significant effort by the affected workers.
Rotation of job assignments
Adjusting work schedules
Maintenance and good housekeeping
Appropriate supervision
Emergency response training
Employee information and training/ education
USING OF APPROPRIATE
“PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT”

Control Hazards and Risks

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Unit of competency:

Evaluate hazards and risks

Workplace Hazard Example of Hazard Example of Harm Caused

Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or

For example: the risk of developing cancer from smoking cigarettes

Factors that influence the degree or likelihood of risk are:

•the nature of the exposure: how much a person is exposed to a

Risk assessment is the process where you:

The OSH Answers document on Risk Assessment has details on how to

Not necessarily. To answer this question, you need to know:

•what hazards are present,

A common way to classify hazards is by category:

•biological - bacteria, viruses, insects, plants, birds, animals, and

Knowing your task

Reviewing process involved

Knowing the raw materials used, products and by products

Gathering of workers complaint

Chemical Safety Data Sheet(CSDS and MSDS)

“CSDS MSDS vary in Completeness Quality and Clarity.”

Compare the measurements to standards

Substitution Replace the Hazard

PPE Protect the worker with Personal

1. Pneumatic hammers to impact hammers

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