Type of hazards

During working in industrial field, there are so many precautions should be taken to create
awareness against any hazard. Hazards can be classified broadly according to their nature
and conditions.

Physical hazards

Can be any factor of anything to bring harm to the body without any direct contacts .
Physical Hazards include:

 Radiation such as ionizing, nonionizing

 High exposure to sunlight/ultraviolet rays
 Temperature extremes – hot and cold
 Constant loud noise
 Magnetic fields

Biological hazards

When we deal with biological potential hazards, we can make a conclusion that biological
hazards can be associated with working with animals, people, or infectious plant materials.
Any open environment or certain places such as school, hospitals, malls and many more
may expose you to biological hazards. So many infectious illnesses are caused by these
biological hazards. Types of things you may be exposed to include:

 Blood and other body fluids

 Human
 Fungi or mold
 Bacteria and viruses
 Plants
 Insect bites
 Animal and bird droppings

Ergonomics hazards

Ergonomics can be related with the study of a person’s working environment and body
posture. But ergonomic hazards trigger by the strain put on the poor posture of body,
uncomfortable working condition and the type of work. They are not instantly noticed as we
are not alerted when the strain on your body or the harm that these hazards pose. They
have both short-term and long-term effects on our body. Ergonomic Hazards include:
  Improperly adjusted workstations and chairs
 Frequent lifting
 Poor posture
 Awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive
 Repeating the same movements over and over
 Having to use too much force, constantly do it
 Heavy vibration

Chemical hazards

Chemical hazards occur as there is a high chance to be exposed to chemical preparation in

the working environment in any form. Each person will experience different responses as
some workers who are more sensitive to chemicals; even common solutions can cause
illness, skin irritation, or breathing problems. Beware of:

 Liquids like cleaning products, paints, acids, solvents

 Vapors and fumes that come from welding or exposure to solvents
 Gases like acetylene, propane, carbon monoxide and helium
 Flammable materials like gasoline, solvents, and explosive chemicals.
 Pesticides

Psychosocial (working conditions) hazards

Working condition or working organization can be one of the hazards at the workplaces. This
type of hazards is more commonly known as stressors that cause stress for short-term
effects and strain for long-term effects. These are the hazards associated with workplace
issues contribute to physical emotions such as workload, lack of control and many more.
Examples of work organization hazards include:

 Workload demands
 Workplace violence
 Flexibility
 Control or say about things
 Social support/relations
 Sexual harassment
Safety hazards

This type of hazard should be more highlighted than the other type of hazards as this is the
most common as it will happen in most workplaces every single time. They include unsafe
conditions that can cause injury, illness and death. Safety Hazards include:

 Spills on floors or tripping hazards, such as blocked aisles or cords running across
the floor
 Working from heights, including ladders, scaffolds, roofs, or any raised work area
 Unguarded machinery and moving machinery parts; guards removed or moving parts
that a worker can accidentally touch
 Electrical hazards like frayed cords, missing ground pins, improper wiring
 Confined spaces
 Machinery-related hazards (lockout/tagout, boiler safety, forklifts, etc.)

Crowl, D. A., & Louvar, J. F. (2014). Chemical process safety: fundamentals with
applications(3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Stave, G. M., & Wald, P. H. (2017). Physical and biological hazards of the workplace(2nd
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2017,
October 25). Hazard and Risk : OSH Answers. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk.html

A. (n.d.). Types of Hazards. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from

https://fortresslearning.com.au/cert-iv-content/design/types-of-hazards/