Basic Concept of Hazard

Learning Outcomes

1. Define and elucidate hazards

2. Give and picture examples of the types of hazards
3. Explain the impact of various hazards on different exposed elements
 One important key to safety is understanding a particular incident or
phenomenon that may affect people’s life. An ordinary incident or natural
phenomenon may turn into a hazard once it becomes active and poses harm
or danger to life and property. This is the basic concept of hazard everyone
should be aware of.
Definition of Hazards

Hazards are “those elements of the physical environment, harmful to man

and caused by forces extraneous to him.” (Burton et al 1978).

Standards Australia (2000) defines a hazard as:

“A source of potential harm or a situations with a potential to cause loss.”

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) describes hazard as:

“A natural event that has the potential to cause harm or loss.”

USGS Hazard Terminologies defines hazard as “a phenomenon or situation,
which has the potential to cause the disruption or damage to people, their
property, their services, and their environment”. Most hazards are dormant or
potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm. However, once a hazard
becomes “active”, it can create an emergency. A hazardous situationthat has
come to pass is called an incident. Hazard and possibility interact together to
create risk.
General Classification of Hazards

There are many different ways of classifying hazards. One is to consider

the extent to which hazards are natural.

1. Natural hazards such as earthquakes or floods arise from purely natural

processes in the environment.

2. Quasi-natural hazards such as smog or desertification that arise through

the interaction of natural processes and human activities.

3. Technological (or human-made) hazards such as the toxicity of pesticides

to agricultural lands, accidental leaks of chemicals from chemical laboratories
or radiation from a nuclear plant. These arise directly as a result of human
activities.
Types of Hazards
Hewitt and Burton (1971) provided a typology of hazards as follows.
1. ATMOSPHERIC ATMOSPHERIC
(Single Element) (Combined Elements/Events)
• Excess Rainfall • Hurricanes
• Freezing Rain (Glaze) • ‘Glaze’ storm
• Hail • Thunderstorms
• Heavy Snow falls • Blizzards
• High Wind speeds • Tornadoes
• Extreme temperature • Heat/Cold Stress

2. HYDROLOGIC 3. GEOLOGIC
• Floods-river and coastal area • Mass movement
• Wave action • Landslides
• Drought • Mudslides
• Rapid glacier advance • Avalanches
• Earthquake
• Volcanic Eruption
• Rapid sediment movement
Types of Hazards
Hewitt and Burton (1971) provided a typology of hazards as follows.

4. BIOLOGIC 5. TECHNOLOGIC
• Epidemic in humans • Transportation accident
• Epidemic in plants • Industrial explosions and fire
• Epidemic in animals • Accidental release of toxic
• Locusts elements
• Nuclear accidents
• Collapse of public buildings
• Cyber terrorism
Impacts of Various Hazards on Different Exposed Elements

According to the International Center for Integrated Mountain

Development (ICIMOD) the impacts of various hazards vary in severity and
vary in regard to how long they last. In many ways wealth and development
assist in the way people recover from hazards. A more economically
developed country can prepare for and predict hazards more effectively and
they have more resources to support a faster recovery. However there is also
a need for resilience. In many developing countries people who experienced
hardship can often recover more quickly from hazards.
Impacts of Various Hazards on Different Exposed Elements

It is further underscored that impacts of hazards are not so easy to classify as

short term and long term as these tend to vary for each individual event.
However, there are a number of common long term impacts, which need
longer period of recovery.
The following are common long term impacts of natural hazards like
earthquake, typhoon, flashflood, volcanic eruption, fire, etc.:

Physical Impact

> Death of people

> Destruction and loss of vital infrastructure like transport system, roads,
bridges, power lines, and communication lines
>Widespread loss of housing
The following are common long term impacts of natural hazards like earthquake,
typhoon, flashflood, volcanic eruption, fire, etc.:

Psychological Impact

> Grief and psychological trauma - Post Traumatic Severe Disorder (PTSD)
> Marital conflicts
> Depression due to loss of loved ones and properties
> Chronic anxiety among children severely affected
The following are common long term impacts of natural hazards like
earthquake, typhoon, flashflood, volcanic eruption, fire, etc.:

Economic Impact

> Loss of job due to displacement

> Loss of harvest and livestock
> Loss of farms, fish cages, and other sources of living
> Loss of money and other valuables like jewelries, furniture and appliances
The following are common long term impacts of natural hazards like
earthquake, typhoon, flashflood, volcanic eruption, fire, etc.:

Environmental Impact

> Loss of forests due to forest fires

> Loss of fresh water due to salination - intrusion of salt water to freshwater
sources
> Disturbance of biodiversity
> Loss of natural rivers and other tributaries
The following are common long term impacts of natural hazards like
earthquake, typhoon, flashflood, volcanic eruption, fire, etc.:

Biological Impact

> Epidemic to people, flora and fauna

> Chronic and permanent illnesses due to nuclear radiation
> Mental disorder developed from consumption of contaminated foods
> Proliferation of different viral and bacterial diseases