Lesson 5 Identifying Hazards and Risks

HAZARDS AND RISKS

A hazard is anything that may cause harm to an individual, such as chemicals, electricity, open drawers, and
inadequate ventilation.
Risk is the possibility that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards and the indication of how serious
the harm can be.
Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety is the campaign and maintenance of the wellbeing of workers in every occupation. It
talks about providing a safe working environment to achieve an injury-free workplace and a healthy atmosphere that
protects every worker against illness. As an effect, it may also protect co-workers, family members, clients, and other
members of the community who are affected by the workplace environment.
Types of Hazards
Physical hazards are the most normal occurrences in workplaces. They are usually easy to detect, however, they are
very often neglected because people are too accustomed to them. Another reason may be due to lack of knowledge or
people do not see situations as hazards.

Examples of physical hazards that a caregiver may be exposed to:

• Electrical hazards: Even in day care institutions or nursing homes where care
should be of utmost concern, improper wiring and frayed cords may still go.
unnoticed. Misuse of electrical equipment also happens in any type of work.
environment.
• Endless loud noise: If one is going to work in a nursing home, frequent noise
from patients who are suffering from depression is a hazard.
• Spills on floors or tripping hazards: There are times when even the
caregivers themselves do not mind spills on floors.
This poses a hazard to everyone.
Some of the Effects of Physical Hazards
• Fire
• Decreased efficiency
• Annoyance
• Falls
Biological hazards come from working with animals, people, or infectious materials. This is, therefore, one of the
most common hazards that a caregiver faces. If one is working in a day care, hospital, hotel laundry, nursing home,
laboratories, he/she may be exposed to biological hazards.
Examples of physical hazards that a caregiver may be exposed to:
• blood or other body fluids
• fungi
• bacteria and viruses
• contaminated wastes
Some of the Effects of Biological Hazards
• infections
• skin irritations
• allergy
• Tuberculosis
• AIDS
Ergonomic hazards occur when a caregiver’s nature of work, body position and working conditions put pressure on
his/her body. It is difficult to spot this type of hazard because caregivers do not immediately notice the effect to their
bodies. First, sore muscles may be experienced. But long-term exposure to this type of hazard can cause
musculoskeletal problems.
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Examples of ergonomic hazards that a caregiver may be exposed to:
• performing tasks that require lifting heavy loads
• too much bending and reaching
• standing for long periods of time
• holding body parts for long period of time
• awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive
• repeating the same movements over and over
Some of the Effects of Ergonomic Hazards
• pain in the shoulder
• back injury
• too much impact on wrist and hands
• numbness in some parts of the body
• muscle cramps
Chemical hazards are present when a worker is exposed to any chemical preparation in the workplace in any form
(solid, liquid or gas). There may be chemicals which are safe, but some caregivers who are sensitive to solutions may
cause skin irritation, illness or breathing problems.
Examples of chemical hazards that a caregiver may be exposed to:
• liquids like cleaning products
• disinfecting solutions
Effects of Chemical Hazards
• Lung diseases
• Difficulty in breathing
• Allergy
Psychological Hazards take place when a caregiver’s work environment becomes stressful or demanding.
Examples of psychological hazards that a caregiver may be exposed to:
• Burn out, fatigue and on call duty
• Unreasonable expectations from patients or clients
• Verbal abuse form dissatisfied clients
• Unreasonable expectations from supervisors

and management.
• Some of the Effects of Psychological Hazards
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Loss of confidence
• Loss of concentration at work
• Deterioration of performance at work

• Recognizing Hazards and Risks in the Workplace

Hazards and risks vary from one workplace to another. Even in day care or nursing homes where work routines may be
the same, hazards will differ depending on the type of building the establishment is situated in, and the attitudes of
caregivers, clients, or employers. The good news is hazards and risks can be prevented! However, before thinking
about what control measures are needed, first a caregiver has to know whether there are health and safety problems
in his/her workplace. So, how can someone identify the hazards in the workplace? The following are some ways for a
caregiver to determine health and safety problems:
1. A caregiver should observe the workplace.
2. A caregiver may examine complaints from his/her co-workers.
3. A caregiver should check accident records.
4. A caregiver should examine chart on results of inspections done by the employers or private organizations.
5. A caregiver may use checklists and inspect the workplace.
6. A caregiver may study reports or any other vital information about the nursing home.
What are the hazard and risk indicators in the workplace?
We are proactive when we use and promote leading indicators like the ones mentioned below. Doing this puts safety in
our control. As these safety activities go up, you can count on incident rates going down.
*Leading indicators of safety include (but are in no way limited to):
• Having a safety policy and safety management system,
• Following and enforcing safety rules (putting visible warning signs or notices
to prompt people of the hazard),
• Actively searching out unsafe conditions and behavior,
• Safety walks,
• Safety talks,
• Hazard assessments,
• Use of lockout-tagout and other safety programs,
• Safety observations,
• Safety training and certifications,
• Safety projects and initiatives,
• Pre-work safety inspections.
Leading indicators can improve organizational performance in a variety of ways. Employers may find that leading
indicators can:
• Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses,
• Reduce costs associated with incidents,
• Improve productivity and overall organizational performance,
• Optimize safety and health performance,
• Raise worker participation

What are the adverse health effects of hazards?

A general definition of adverse health effects is "any change in body function or the structures of cells that can lead to
disease or health problems".
Adverse health effects include:
• bodily injury,
• disease,
• change in the way the body functions, grows, or develops,
• effects on a developing fetus (teratogenic effects, fetotoxic effects),
• effects on children, grandchildren, etc. (inheritable genetic effects),
• decrease in life span,
• change in mental condition resulting from stress, traumatic experiences,
exposure to solvents, and so on, and
• effects on the ability to accommodate additional stress

What are the ways to reduce or eliminate hazards?

The following are suggested ways to reduce or eliminate hazards:
1. Create awareness of hazards and risk.
2. Identify who may be at risk (e.g., employees, cleaners, visitors, contractors,
the public, etc.).
3. Determine if existing control measures are adequate or if more should be done.
4. Reduce slip and fall hazards.
5. Replace safety signage.
6. Update personal protection equipment.
7. Label hazardous liquid containers.
8. Add safety tape to indoor driving lanes.
9. Post updated notice to prompt people of hazards.
10.Timely risk assessment in the workplace to identify areas that need development or replacement.
11.Report and address areas of concern right away.
12.Refrain from using substandard equipment and machinery.
13.Frequent training of employees to keep them updated and informed of the new safety standards and protocols.
14.Monitor to make sure the control continues to be effective.
15.Evaluate to confirm if the hazard has been eliminated or if the risk is appropriately controlled.