Quick Quiz! How well do you know your health and safety? Can you identify what’s wrong with these images?

Could you recognise a hazard if it was right in front of you? By the end of this blog, the answer will be yes. 

Workplace hazards can be hard to spot, and even obvious ones can be easily missed when you’re focused on other things. But remaining vigilant and knowing about the most common hazards is the best way to mitigate risk and reduce accidents or injuries in the workplace.

We’ve put together some images to see if you can recognise each of the six major types of hazard, to explain the importance of assessing your working environment throughout a project. 

Category 1: Safety Hazards

What’s wrong with this picture? 

Answer: There’s a number of trip hazards in this picture. 

Slips, trips and falls were the most common hazard across workplaces in 2021/22 - causing 30% of all non-fatal workplace injuries (Source: HSE). 

There are a number of factors that can cause trips, slips and falls in the workplace. They include exposed wires, loose flooring, flooring type or level, footwear, obstructions and cleaning methods. 

Any cables should be securely taped to the floor, and marked clearly. Work areas should be kept clean and clear of any obstructions. Spills should be cleaned up immediately and signs placed out to indicate any instances of wet floors. 

Examples of common safety hazards:

• Tripping hazards such as cords and cables that run across the floor
• Blocked doorways and walkways
• Spills on the floor 
• Unguarded machinery in operation 
• Uncovered moving machinery parts
• Working from heights, on ladders, scaffolding, or other raised areas 
• Improper operation of machinery such as forklifts, boilers, etc.
• Confined spaces 
• Improper wiring causing electrical hazards 

The HSE provide lots of helpful information, including this hazard-spotting checklist for slips and trips. It is prudent to share this information with your team on a regular basis, to help them recognise these common hazards in the workplace. 

Category 2: Physical Hazards 

What’s wrong with this picture? 

Answer: He’s using a pneumatic drill without any ear defenders.

A worker doesn’t always need to physically touch an item to be hurt by it, environmental factors can cause injury too. 

The Noise Regulations 2005 require employers to prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work. Employees have duties under the regulations too. 

The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that people don’t encounter any damage to their hearing, so controlling noise risk and exposure to noise should be high on an employer’s list of priorities.

Wherever there is noise at work, employers should seek processes, equipment and working practices that make the workplace quieter. Employers should also provide information, instructions and training, so employees understand their exposure to noise, the risk it might create, and what they are doing to control those risks and exposures. 

Comprehensive risk assessments are required to ensure employers are doing everything reasonably practicable to control the risks from noise. The HSE provide some invaluable information on their website here. 

Other examples of physical hazards include:

• Extreme temperatures, hot and cold 
• Radiation - both ionizing and non-ionizing 
• High exposure to ultraviolet 
• Body stressing
• Vibrations
• Heights
• Electricity

Category 3: Chemical Hazards

What’s wrong with this picture? 

Answer: She’s handling harmful chemicals and not wearing any gloves. 

13,000 deaths each year are attributed to past exposure to chemicals or dust at work (Source). 

Chemicals at work are common, with many people likely to encounter them daily. From paint and detergents, to pesticides and caustic chemicals, when a worker is exposed, it presents a hazard. Of course, not all chemicals cause harm to workers, but chemicals can be extremely harmful and should be treated seriously. 

Health problems caused by exposure to chemicals and dangerous substances in the workplace range from mild skin irritation, to birth defects and cancer. Issues can be short, or long-term, and some substances can have a cumulative effect. All such issues can lead to extended periods of sick leave, hospitalisation, or even death. 

There is comprehensive legislation covering the manufacture, supply, storage, transportation, packaging labelling, use and disposal of chemicals and substances that could cause harm to people and the environment, known as COSHH. With so many types of chemicals in use today, it is worth taking a look at COSHH, as it may apply to your business, without you even realising it.

Examples of Chemical Hazards:

• Liquids, such as paints, solvents, acids, and cleaning products 
• Gases, such as acetylene, carbon monoxide, helium, and propane 
• Fumes/vapours created by solvents or welding 
• Explosive and highly flammable chemicals, such as petrol, diesel, and solvents

Category 4: Ergonomic Hazards

What’s wrong with this picture? 

Answer: Incorrect desk set up is causing bad posture. 

While sitting down for hours of a day might not sound hazardous, there is growing evidence that it can cause serious strain and other related injuries. With more people working from home than ever before, it can be a little more tricky to support your employees with these risks, but with the correct training and education, as well as the right equipment, it is very achievable. 

Ergonomic hazards are the hardest to prevent, which is why appropriate knowledge is so important. They occur when work causes physical or mental strain. They’re not always easy to spot, and can go undetected for a long time. 

An thorough ergonomic risk assessment is advisable here. They provide an objective measure of the risk factors in your workplace that may lead to musculoskeletal disorders or physical injuries to your employees. The goal here would be to identify the risks, and then quantify them, so employers can make appropriate adjustments and improvements in the environment. 

After conducting an ergonomic assessment, a healthier, safer, less injury-prone workplace is created, improving overall workplace wellness. 

It could also be appropriate to provide training and/or guidance to employees about the correct posture, such as sitting straight, positioned in a straight line, 

Examples of ergonomic workplace hazards

• Incorrect positioning of desks, chairs and workstations
• Improper lifting techniques
• Repetitive movements 
• Awkward or poor posture 

Category 5: Work Organisation Hazards

What’s wrong with this picture? 

Answer: Obvious workplace bullying 

In 2021-22, 0.9 million employees reported work related stress, anxiety or depression (HSE).  Stress in the workplace presents a very real hazard, with the HSE reporting over 11 million days of work being lost each year because of it. 

There are six main areas that can lead to workplace stress. These are if an individual:

• feels unable to cope with the demand of their job
• isn’t able to control the way they do their work
• doesn’t receive enough support/education or information to do their job
• doesn’t fully understand their job role or responsibilities
• are not engaged when a business is undergoing change
• is having trouble with relationships at work, or are being bullied
•  

Similar to ergonomic hazards, organisational hazards can be hard to spot as are often disguised or undisclosed. 

Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees from encountering stress at work. To control risk, a stress risk assessment should be completed - and acted upon. 

If you have fewer than 5 employees, you don’t have to write anything down, but it is a useful practice, as it can be revisited at a later date. 

The HSE provide a helpful stress risk assessment template, or alternatively it can be helpful to employ a Health and Safety Specialist to assist you with the task. 

Examples or organisational hazards

• Heavy workload 
• Sexual harassment 
• Physical and mental bullying and violence
• Not having a voice heard 
• No flexibility 
• Lack of respect 

Category 6: Biological Hazard 

What’s wrong with this picture? 

Answer: He’s handling hazardous waste, without appropriate PPE. 

If your employees are working with animals, infectious plants, people, or other microorganisms, they are likely to find themselves faced with biological hazards. Sources of biological hazards include viruses, bacteria, insects, plants, animals and humans. 

If any of these are present, a suitable risk assessment is required, to determine the precautions required. 

Biological hazards can cause a number of health issues ranging from mild skin irriation to allergies, infections and more serious illnesses such as tuberculosis, or cancer. 

Biological hazards are often found in: 

• Hospitals 
• Nursing homes 
• Health care 
• Medical labs 
• Vets
• Education facilities (schools, universities, etc.) 
• Medical facilities 

Whether or not biological hazards are present, all workplaces must provide adequate welfare and washing facilities. All washing facilities should include an adequately sized sink, hot and cold running water, soap, and towels. In some circumstances, additional facilities may be required. For example, when dealing with sewage, nail brushes and disposible paper towels should be provided in addition to the above. 

If you’d like further advice or training in any of these hazard areas, reach out to CT Health & Safety. Contact us on clive@cthealthandsafety.com or 07956 074798.