Heath hazards and prevention

Effective controls :
• protect workers from workplace hazards;
• help avoid injuries, illnesses, and incidents;
• minimize or eliminate safety and health risks;
• help employers provide workers with safe and
healthful working conditions.
 Heath hazards and prevention
There are two basic categories of hazard:
1. Acute hazard: Acute hazards are those that
have an obvious and immediate impact.
2. Chronic hazard: Chronic hazards have a more
hidden, cumulative, long-term impact.
 Heath hazards and prevention
Hazards generally fall into one of six groups:
1.Physical – Slippery floors, objects in walkways,
unsafe or misused machinery, excessive noise,
poor lighting, fire.
2.Chemical – Gases, dusts, fumes, vapours and
liquids.
3.Ergonomic – poor design of equipment,
workstation design, (postural) or workflow,
manual handling, repetitive movement.
 Heath hazards and prevention
4.Radiation – Microwaves, infra-red, ultraviolet,
lasers, X-rays and gamma rays.
5.Psychological – Shiftwork, workload, dealing with
the public, harassment, discrimination, threat of
danger, constant low-level noise, stress.
6.Biological – Infection by bacteria, virus, fungi or
parasites through a cut, insect bite, or contact with
infected persons or contaminated object.
https://etraining.communitydoor.org.au
 Heath hazards and prevention
• In order to control workplace hazards and
eliminate or reduce the risk, you should take the
following steps:
1. Identify the hazard by carrying out a workplace
risk assessment;
2. Determine how employees might be at risk;
3. Evaluate the risks;
4. Record and review hazards at least annually, or
earlier if something changes.
 Sanitation
• Sanitation refers to public health conditions
related to clean drinking water and adequate
treatment and disposal of human waste and
sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is
part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap.
Sanitation systems aim to protect human health
by providing a clean environment that will stop
the transmission of disease, especially through
the fecal oral route.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitation
 Fire protection
• Fire protection is the study and practice of
mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially
destructive fires. It involves the study of the
behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression
and investigation of fire and its related
emergencies, as well as the research and
development, production, testing and
application of mitigating systems.Wikipedia
Fire protection
The Fire Prevention Triangle - Heat, Oxygen
and Fuel
A fire needs three elements - heat, oxygen
and fuel. Without heat, oxygen and fuel a
fire will not start or spread. A key strategy to
prevent fire is to remove one or more of
heat, oxygen or fuel. The risk assessment
should include detail on all three elements
to minimise the risk of a fire starting/
spreading.
https://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Fire/Fire_Pr
evention/
 Fire protection
• Heat
• Heat can be generated by work processes and
is an essential part of some processes such as
cooking. This heat must be controlled and
kept away from fuel unless carefully
controlled. Heat generated as a by-product of
a process must be dealt with properly
 Heat safety guards
• Ensure employees are aware of their
responsibility to report dangers
• Control sources of ignition
• Have chimneys inspected and cleaned
regularly
• Treat independent building uses, such as an
office over a shop as separate purpose groups
and therefore compartmentalize from each
other
 Heat safety guards
• Ensure cooking food is always attended
• Use the Electricity Supply Board's Safety
webpage
• Have regard to relevant Authority Safety
Alerts, e.g. Mobile Phone "Expert XP-Ex-1",
Filling LPG Cylinders
• Use the Code of Practice For Avoiding Danger
From Underground Services
 Smoking

•Provide no-smoking signs at appropriate locations

•Ensure smoking area(s) are away from flammable
materials
•Arrange for cigarettes and matches to be disposed of
safely and away from other combustible rubbish
 Plant and equipment
• Plant and equipment which is not properly
maintained can cause fires.
• Ensure all work equipment protects against
catching fire or overheating
• Ensure proper housekeeping, such as preventing
ventilation points on machinery becoming
clogged with dust or other materials - causing
overheating
• Have electrical equipment serviced regularly by a
competent person to prevent sparks and fires
 Plant and equipment
• Properly clean and maintain heat producing
equipment such as burners, heat exchangers,
boilers (inspected and tested yearly), ovens,
stoves, and fryers. Require storage of
flammables away from this equipment.
• Use a planned maintenance programme to
properly maintain plant and equipment.
Review your programme if you already have
one.
 Plant and equipment
• A planned maintenance programme should deal
with
– frictional heat (caused by loose drive belts, bearings
which are not properly lubricated or other moving
parts)
– electrical malfunction
– flammable materials used in contact with hot surfaces
– leaking valves or flanges which allow seepage of
flammable liquids or gases
– static sparks (perhaps due to inadequate electrical
earthing)
 Plant and equipment
• Portable Heaters
• Do not use portable heaters unnecessarily.
• They should have emergency tip-over switches,
and thermostatic limiting controls.
• Turn them off if people leave the room or are
going to sleep
• Ensure they are 1M away from anything that can
burn
• Do not use them to dry clothes
 Fire prevention(Hot work)

Hot work often arises from construction and/ or

maintenance activities. Hot work is work that
might generate sufficient heat, sparks or flame to
cause a fire. Hot work includes welding, flame
cutting, soldering, brazing, grinding and other
equipment incorporating a flame, e.g. tar boilers,
etc. Hot work can be very dangerous and
stringent controls must be in place.
 Fire prevention(Hot work)
• Identify all hot work
• Only allow hot work if no satisfactory alternative
• Ensure relevant contractors are aware of hot work
procedures and controls
• Use a hot work permit system including
– fire-resistant protective clothing
– clear responsibility
– logging and audit processes
– routine checking and supervision
– item to be worked on removed to safe area
– remove or protect combustible or flammable materials
 Fire prevention(Hot work)
– prevent, suppress and control sparks
– prevent, suppress and control heat
– provision of and training on suitable fire-fighting
equipment
– provision of a separate person to fire-watch and use
fire-fighting equipment – the fire watcher
– particular precautions for special risks, e.g. confined
space
– leave workplace clean and safe
– final check of area at least 60 minutes after completed
job and certainly prior to premises being vacated
 Electrical safety
• All electrical equipment and installations
designed, constructed, installed, maintained,
protected, and used to prevent danger
• Get a qualified electrical contractor to carry
out installation and repairs to electrical
equipment and fittings
• Maintain proper pest control to avoid rodent
damage to electric wiring and equipment
 Electrical safety

•Check electrical equipment and remove

defective equipment
•Ensure electrical cords are in good condition
•Plug appliances and lights into separate
electrical outlets
 Electrical safety
• Avoid using extension cords. If you require an
outlet in an area where there is none, have
one installed by a qualified electrician.
• Use extension cords safety - not under carpets
or across walking areas
• Use only one device per outlet
 Arson or set fire
• Deliberately started fires pose very significant
risks to all types of workplace.
• The possibility of arson should be considered as a
component of your risk assessment and it is one
that you can do much to control. The majority of
deliberately started fires occur in areas with a
known history of vandalism or fire-setting..
• Occasionally, arson attacks in the workplace are
committed by employees or ex-employees.
 Arson
• Employers and other workers should be aware
of this potential threat and be alert for early
signs, such as a series of unexplained small
fires
• Provide adequate security: exterior/interior
lighting, intrusion alarms, guard service, well-
secured access openings
• Prevent access by unauthorised personnel
• Keep flammables properly stored and secured
 oxygen

• Oxygen gas is used

• in welding, flame cutting and other similar
processes
• for helping people with breathing difficulties
• in hyperbaric chambers as a medical treatment
• in decompression chambers
• for food preservation and packaging
• in steelworks and chemical plants
 Fire prevention (oxygen)
• The air we breathe contains about 21%
oxygen. Pure oxygen at high pressure, such as
from a cylinder, can react violently with
common materials such as oil and grease.
Other materials may catch fire spontaneously.
Nearly all materials including textiles, rubber
and even metals will burn vigorously in
oxygen.
 Fire prevention (oxygen)
• The main causes of fires and explosions when
using oxygen are
• oxygen enrichment from leaking equipment
• use of materials not compatible with oxygen
• use of oxygen in equipment not designed for
oxygen service
• incorrect or careless operation of oxygen
equipment
• (Information from HSE UK - Take care with oxygen
- Fire and explosion hazards in the use of oxygen
 Fuel

• Workplaces in which large amounts of

flammable materials are displayed, stored or
used can present a greater hazard than those
where the amount kept is small.
• In relation to fire, fuel consists of flammable
material. Flammable material is material that
burns readily in a normal atmosphere.
 Fire prevention(Fuel)
• Flammable materials include flammable
liquids (e.g. petrol), flammable gasses (e.g.
propane and butane) and flammable solids
(e.g. charcoal, paper). It is important to
identify all flammable materials that are in
your workplace so that proper controls can be
put in place.
 Cleanliness and housekeeping

Avoid accumulations of combustible rubbish and waste and

remove at least daily and store away from the building
Never store flammable or combustible rubbish, even
temporarily, in escape routes, or where it can contact potential
sources of heat
Position skips so that a fire will not put any structure at risk
Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease
build-up
 Fire protection
• Wet Fire Sprinkler Systems
• – The wet-pipe system employs automatic
sprinklers attached to a piping system
connected to a water supply. The water
discharges immediately from sprinklers
opened by a fire. Only those sprinklers which
have been operated by heat over the fire will
discharge water.
 Fire protection
• Dry Pipe Systems
• – The dry-pipe system employs automatic
sprinklers attached to a piping system containing
air or nitrogen under pressure. When released,
the water flows into the piping system and
discharges only from those sprinklers which have
been operated by the fire. Dry-pipe systems are
installed in lieu of wet-pipe systems where piping
is subject to freezing.
 Fire protection
• Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems
• – Special systems are designed to detect and
extinguish fires in locations where standard
suppression systems are not appropriate or
adequate.
• Dry Chemical Fire Suppression Systems
• – Pressured dry chemicals, used in conjunction
with the proper detection system, can extinguish
a fire before it becomes detectable to the eye,
thus protecting resources from damage and
businesses from any major interruptions
 Fire protection
• Gaseous Fire Suppression Systems
• – Carbon dioxide is a clean and non-
flammable gas that is commonly used as a
fire-extinguishing agent for areas that are not
typically occupied by people. CO2 efficiently
and effectively extinguishes fires without
leaving any toxic or liquid residue that might
damage property or equipment.
 Fire protection
• Foam Fire Suppression Systems
• – Foam extinguishing systems are effective for
rapidly controlling and extinguishing
flammable liquid fires.
 Chemical handling
• Hazardous chemicals can destroy health,
cause severe injury, harm the
environment and damage property.
• 6 key points to cover in chemical
handling training
https://blog.storemasta.com.au/training-
guide-chemical-handling
 Chemical handling
• 1. Protective equipment
• Educate your employees on selecting the
correct PPE (personal protective equipment)
to use when handling different
chemicals. Required PPE may include gloves,
footwear, facemasks and goggles.
 Chemical handling
• PPE should only be selected after all hazards
of a specific chemical or task have been
identified. Safety equipment also needs to be
comfortable to prevent incidents from
occurring. For example, if touch sensitivity is
essential for a task, textured and thin gloves
are required to ensure agile movement.
 Chemical handling
2. Handling practices.

• Each chemical used within your organisation

should have a specific procedure for safe
handling. Ensure all employees are familiar
with this.

Essential aspects of safe handling practices

are:
 Chemical handling
• Reading & re-reading each chemical SDS to
minimize the risk of mishandling.
• Wearing PPE.
• Disposing of hazardous chemicals
appropriately.
• Being prepared for emergencies with first aid.
• Not working with or handling chemicals while
alone.
 Chemical handling
• Using all precautions to avoid spillage,
leakage or dropping chemicals during
transportation. Use specialized carriers
and carts, such as a transportable gas
bottle trolley.
 Chemical handling
3. The Globally Harmonized System of Classifying
and Labeling Chemicals (GHS).
• At the start of 2017 GHS labelling for primary and
secondary containers became mandatory in most
Australian states. The GHS provides a universal
standard for the labelling of hazardous goods,
and includes information on chemical hazards, as
well as storage instructions, placards, and Safety
Data Sheets (SDS).
Chemical handling
 Chemical handling
4. Storage of dangerous goods.
• Some chemicals can pose serious health hazards
if they come into contact with, or are stored with,
one another. For example, oxygen and acetylene
cylinders have to be stored in separate gas bottle
cages with a non-flammable shield in between
them to prevent a reaction. Some chemicals need
to be stored out of direct sunlight, or below a
certain temperature. Storage information can be
found on each chemical’s Safety Data Sheet.
 Chemical handling
• 5. Transportation of dangerous goods.
• There are key elements to be aware of when
transporting dangerous goods, including
the flash points of flammable liquids, the
storage temperatures of goods, and the
transportation of goods on work sites. We
should transport chemical keeping in mind the
safety first.
 Chemical handling
6. Educate on risk management policies and
practices.
• As part of the Australian Model Work Health and
Safety Regulations, businesses have specific
duties to manage risks associated with chemicals
in the workplace. This means having clear risk
management policies and processes in place.

Your team should be trained on all procedures

and policies, including:
 Chemical handling
• Emergency plans if any unexpected accidents or
reactions occur.
• Information on where fire safety and first aid
equipment is stored.
• The correct way to decommission any chemical
storage or handling systems.
• Spill containment systems for hazardous chemicals.
• How to assess risk surrounding dangerous goods.
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Electrical accidents and prevention
• What are the Three Main Causes of Electrical
Accidents?
• Three factors affect electrical safety more than
any others. they include:
• working on unsafe equipment,
• unsafe work environments,
• unsafe work performance.
Electrical accidents and prevention
1. Improperly installed or maintained electrical
equipment greatly increases the risk of electrical
accidents. For safe operation, all equipment
must be installed according to the
manufacturer’s instructions and used within its
labelled capacity.
2. Matching equipment to load expectations.
Electrical accidents and prevention
• All electrical conductors, components, and
equipment used in the workplace must be
considered acceptable by OSHA.
• Proper guarding to enclose equipment
• Grounding creates a low resistance path
electrical current can take to the earth to
prevent the dangerous buildup of volts
Electrical accidents and prevention
• The proper use of circuit protection devices
such as GFCIs, circuit breakers, and fuses, is
essential for the safety of electricians. Circuit
protection devices stop the flow of electricity
should equipment short circuit and in the
event of overloads or ground faults.
Electrical accidents and prevention
• Unsafe work environments increase the risk of
electrical accidents. Water, rain, and wet
conditions have negative effects on electrical
safety. Cluttered workspaces increase the risk
of accidents whether or not electricity is
involved. Missing equipment guards, overhead
power lines, and the use of extension cords
can also contribute to an unsafe electrical
environment.
 Electrical accidents and prevention
unsafe work performance
• All employees who work with electricity
should receive proper electrical safety
training. Most electrical accidents are
preventable with the right training and
consistent application of safe work practices
such as:
• de-energizing equipment before maintenance
and inspections,
 Electrical accidents and prevention
unsafe work performance
• performing preventative maintenance on
electrical equipment and systems,
• regular inspection of electrical tools,
• caution when working near live wires,
• using lockout/tag out procedures to prevent
accidental electrical equipment startup,
• use and maintenance of appropriate personal
protective equipment.
 Electrical accidents and prevention
unsafe work performance
• No workplace can completely eliminate the
possibility of electrical accidents. With the
right training, properly maintained
equipment, and an awareness of what
constitutes an unsafe electrical environment,
however, preventable accidents can be
avoided.