Hazards in the workplace

These lists identify some common examples of workplace hazards.

Equipment hazards

• Dangerous machinery.
• Services (electricity, water, gas, compressed air).
• Vehicles.
• Lack of planned maintenance.
• Lack of training.
• Failure of permit-to-work system.
• Lack of regular testing etc.

Physical hazards

• Trips and falls.
• Ergonomics.
• Noise and vibration.
• Extremes of temperature.
• Radiation, including UV and infra red.
• Temporary systems.

Chemical and biological hazards

• Hazardous substances.
• Pathogens (micro-organisms hazardous to human health).
• Genetically-modified organisms.
• Dangerous animals i.e. dogs.

Human factors

• Size/age/gender.
• Disability.
• Shift patterns.
• Lack of safety awareness and poor attitude.
• Lack of or poor training.

Housekeeping

• Poor cleanliness.
• Slippery floors.
• Dirty equipment.
• Cluttered pedestrian gangways.
• No procedures to clear spillages etc.

Control of waste

• No control of hazardous waste.

Traffic movements

• Unsafe vehicle access and egress.
• Unrestricted access to hazardous areas.
• No speed controls.
• No parking restrictions.
• Inadequate lighting of traffic routes.
• Poor maintenance of roadways.
• No segregation of vehicles and pedestrians etc.

Materials handling and storage

• A lack of handling devices, including conveyors, lift trucks, etc.
• Poor manual handling techniques.
• Inadequate product segregation i.e. flammable chemicals stored next to materials that can easily burn.

Contractors and visitors

• No visitors book.
• Poor health and safety information for visitors.
• No induction training.
• Lack of supervision.

Spillage procedures

• No spillage kits.
• Lack of training.

Fire

• Ignition sources.
• Combustible materials.
• Flammable liquids.
• Risk of arson
• No smoking policy.
• Unsafe electrical installation and appliances.
• Little or no fire detection and warning systems.
• Inadequate protection from smoke.
• No fire fighting.
• Blocked means of escape.
• No fire drills and training.

First aid

• No first-aiders.
• Inadequate facilities.

Evacuation procedures

• No evacuation plan.
• No fire drill.