MODULE 5: HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL

The Four Hazard Areas

All workplace hazards exist in four general areas:

o Materials
o Equipment, machinery, tools
o Environment
o Employees

When you conduct a walkaround inspection you're usually looking for hazardous materials, equipment, and environmental factors. These first three categories represent hazardous physical conditions in the workplace and, according to SAIF Corporation, represent about 3% of all accidents in the workplace.

The last category, People, refers to employees at any level of the company who may be using unsafe work behaviors/practices. Actually, an employee who is distracted in any way from the work they're doing should also be considered a "walking" hazardous condition that increases the likelihood of an unsafe behavior.

Unsafe behaviors represent the causes for about 95% of all workplace accidents. Management, then, has some degree of control over workplace conditions and behaviors that cause 98% of the accidents that occur in the workplace!