What Constitutes A Hazard in the Workplace?
It may sound like an obvious question but what constitutes a hazard in the workplace?
Many hazards aren’t blatantly obvious and when we think of a potential danger at work we normally conjure up a physical or chemical hazard. The reality is that many things at work can be dangerous to us so it is helpful to identify the basics of what a hazard is in the workplace.
What can be a hazard at work?
Technically, anything can be a hazard at work if it can cause harm – from innocent-looking boxes or bags left in the wrong place to mugs stacked precariously in the cupboards of the tea room! Then of course there are the more obvious ones of electrical equipment, chemicals or machinery for example.
Recognising hazards is dependent on many different factors:
- Potential to cause harm
- How frequently people are exposed
- Existing control measures
- Industry best practice
- Any legal or regulatory standards
- Scientific or medical evidence that supports harmful effects
The key is to understand the context and conditions where work is taking place. Hazards cover a broad spectrum and as stated, anything can become a hazard. Therefore, it is important that you risk assess, assess again if any changes occur to the task for example or if on the spot risk assessment is needed. The HSE recommend that you review risk assessments at least annually.
What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?
Hazard: Something that has the potential to cause harm
Hazards come in 6 main groups: Mechanical, Physical, Chemical, Biological, Environmental and Organisational
Risk: The likelihood that harm will occur
With risk, you need to consider the probability of the hazard causing harm, and how severe that harm could be. In a risk assessment, you will evaluate this likelihood and the potential consequences and give it a score. When giving a score, you will assess what has already been put into place to prevent the hazard from causing harm e.g. a guard on a piece of equipment, which will lower the likelihood of harm occuring.
Types of Hazard
Mechanical
A mechanical hazard is any hazard involving a machine or process.
Physical
Physical hazards are those substances or conditions that may harm a persons physical safety
Chemical
Chemicals are considered a hazard due to the nature of their properties that cause harm to humans, property or the environment.
Biological
Biological hazards are organic substances or microorganisms that pose a threat to the health of humans and other living organisms.
Environmental
Environmental hazards are the conditions or state of events that have the potential to affect the environment and adversely impact people’s health.
Organisational
Organisational hazards are associated with behaviour, workload, time constraints and deadlines.
Who is responsible for workplace health and safety?
In the UK, the responsibility of health & safety at work is shared between employers and employees. Regulatory bodies such as the HSE and Local Authorities (for some industries) may inspect workplaces to give advice and setting standards.
Employer responsibilities: Employers have the primary responsibility for ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. In addition, any other people who may be affected by their business operations, such as customers, visitors, and the general public are also the responsibility of the employer. There responsibilities include conducting risk assessments, providing safe working environments, ensuring machinery is safe and well-maintained, providing adequate health and safety training, and having policies and procedures in place to manage health and safety effectively.
Employee responsibilities: Employees are responsible for their own health and safety and that of their colleagues. This includes cooperating with their employers in adhering to safety procedures, correctly using equipment and safety devices provided, reporting any hazardous conditions, and not interfering with anything provided in the interest of health and safety.
The HSE: The HSE is the national independent regulator for health and safety in the workplace for the UK. Its responsibilities include inspecting workplaces, providing information and advice, conducting research, and setting standards. The HSE also has the authority to enforce health and safety legislation, which can include issuing fines and prosecuting offenders.
Addressing workplace hazards
If you don’t have a positive culture around health and safety in your workplace, this can be really detrimental to addressing hazards.
For example, if employees don’t think their employers take health & safety seriously, then the likelihood is that they will develop the same attitude. Employees should feel listened to and safe to report health and safety concerns, whether that be about equipment or other employees. Employees who are actually carrying out the work that presents a hazard are invaluable when it comes to spotting and addressing hazard issues.
One of the most effective ways to make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to health & safety is to train staff. IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) have courses aimed at every level within an organisation and the best part is that they are applicable to every industry.
IOSH Working Safely is a 1-day course that gives employees a good understanding of their responsibilities around health & safety and why it is important.
IOSH Managing Safely is a 3-day course suitable for managers and supervisors and will give delegates a clear understanding of their responsibilities as a leader of a team, how to complete risk assessments and measure ongoing health and safety performance.
IOSH Leading Safely is aimed at senior managers and leaders of companies, it is a 1-day course best suited to complete in-house. Using your company’s policy and practices this course will give leaders the skills to develop a future health and safety vision in line with best practices.
