Talisay City National High School

HAZARDS
OBJECTIVE:
• At the end of the lesson, you should be able
to
 define hazard
give examples of types of hazards.
should be able to explain the impacts
of various hazards on different
exposed elements.
HAZARDS
It is a natural event or a human activity that has the
potential of causing any, a combination of or all of
the following:
• loss of life, injury or other health
impacts
• property damage
• social and economic disruption,
or environmental degradation
Hazards are future threats coming from different
origins.
Natural Hazards
Hazards of natural origin can be categorized as
geological, hydro-meteorological, or biological.
• Geological hazards are natural events that
originated from movements of the crust.
• Hydro-meteorological hazards originated
from atmospheric conditions and composition.
• Biological hazards originated from living
organisms
Anthropogenic Hazards
 Anthropogenic or human-induced hazards
are due to human activities and decisions.

 It can further be categorized as technological

and environmental degradation.
Quasi-natural Hazards
 A hazard that originates from an interaction
between natural events and human activities, it
is referred to as a quasi-natural hazards.
 Natural hazards may be influenced by
human activities.
 6 Major
Types of Hazards
A. Physical Hazard

This category include the hazards such as:

 Common in confined spaces
 being hit by flying objects,
 caught in explosions,
 hurt by collapsing machineries,
 falling from heights, and
 tripping on obstacles which will cause injury
risk in our body
B. Chemical Hazard

 This category includes any chemicals that can

affect skin by contact.
 These chemicals will also enter our body
through inhalation or digestive system if air is
contaminated with chemicals, vapour mist, or
dust.
 The accumulation of chemicals in our body will
cause acute (immediate) effect or chronic
(Long-term) effect
C. Biological Hazard

 Refer to biological substances that pose a

harm to the health of living organisms.
Sources of biological hazards may include
insects, bacteria, fungi, plants, worms,
animals, and viruses. These sources can
cause a variety of health effects ranging
from skin irritation and allergies to
infections, cancer and so on.
D. Ergonomic Hazard

 Refers to workplace condition that poses the

risk of injury to the muco-skeletal system of the
worker.
 These injuries can be caused by performing
repetitive and forceful movements and
awkward postures that arise from improper
work methods and improperly designed work
stations, tools, and equipment’s
E. Safety Hazard

 Are unsafe working conditions that

that can cause injury, illness, and
death. Safety hazards are the most
common workplace risks. They
include: Anything that can cause spills
or trips such as cords running across
the floor or ice.
F. Psychological Hazard

 Are aspects of the work environment

and the way that work is organized
that are associated with mental
disorders and/or physical injury or
illness.
Impacts of Hazards
on
Different Exposed
Elements
• Physical Impact
• This includes the destruction or damages to infrastructure and tangible
properties.
• Mortality, human injuries, and health impacts are classified under this
as well.
• Death of people
• Destruction and loss of vital infrastructure like transport system, roads,
bridges, power lines, and communication lines
• Widespread loss of housing

• Socio-cultural Impact
• Hazards can disrupt human and community activities.
• Hazards can cause the loss of cultural identity and conflicts.
• 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

• Environment Impact
• Loss of forest due to forest fire
• Loss of fresh water due to salination – intrusion of salt
water to fresh water sources
• Disturbance of biodiversity
Biological Impact
• Epidemic to people, flora and fauna
• Chronic and permanent illness due to nuclear radiation
• Mental disorder developed from consumption and
contaminated foods
• Proliferation of different viral and bacterial diseases

Economic Impact
• Hazards can result to disruption of economic activities.
• Disruption of economic activities can lead to loss of
livelihood and increased poverty.
Descriptors of Hazard
Impacts
Descriptors are useful in determining the levels of risks and potential
damages, among others, and most importantly the level of responses
to minimize the impact of hazards.
•Magnitude refers to the strength and power of an earthquake.
•Intensity measures the severity of an earthquake.
•The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) measures volcanic
explosive eruptions.
•The Fujita Scale rates the intensity of hurricanes.
•Color codes or numbers serve as typhoon warnings.
The onset of hazards, its duration, and frequency based historical
records are also utilized to describe and predict the occurrence of
hazards.