This material is for training purposes only. Its purpose is to inform Oregon employers of best practices in occupational safety and health and general Oregon OSHA compliance requirements. This material is not a substitute for any provision of the Oregon Safety Employment Act or any standards issued by Oregon OSHA. For more information on this online course and other OR-OSHA online training, visit the Online Course Catalog.

MODULE 2: HAZARD CATEGORIES

Introduction

In the first module, we began a discussion of the concepts of "hazard" and "exposure" in preparation for a further look in this module. Here we will take a closer look at the four general hazard categories and 14 more specific hazard categories. All this will help you improving your knowledge and skills in proactive hazard identification to help eliminate hazards in the workplace. So, let's get studying!

Oregon's SAIF Corporation has identified four cause categories sources that either directly cause or contribute to injuries and illness in the workplace. Understanding these categories can help supervisors more effectively provide the resources and support that effectively prevents hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors from surfacing in their department. With this in mind, let's take a look at each of these four cause categories.

Four Cause Categories (MEEE)

1. Safety Management System (SMS)

A poorly designed and/or performance of the safety management system may (and probably does) contribute to most accidents in the workplace.

System failures may contribute to 98 percent of the workplace accidents. Uncontrollable conditions account for only 2 percent of workplace accidents. As you can see, most accidents are the end result of safety management system design and performance failures. Consequently, an accident is more likely a matter of "when" not "if."

Flaws in safety programs, plans, policies, processes, procedures and practices (the 6-P's of a SMS) create undesired variables within the system and could, to large extent, be considered a root causes for accidents.

Supervisors and employee are key players making sure the quality of the daily performance of the SMS is adequate. While the safety staff may design the safety plan, supervisors and employees carry it out: They work the plan. Even a perfectly-designed safety plan won't work if supervisors and employees don't work the plan.

Supervisors provide support in this area best by ensuring adequate performance of the safety management system. They do this by carrying out their safety responsibilities and by maintaining safety training and performance records, completing reports, writing timely work orders, and purchase requests, etc.

Employees can help make sure the safety management system is working by complying with company safety rules, reporting injuries, reporting hazards, and making suggestions. They can also make a significant contribution by participating in safety committee activities.

2. Employee Performance

Supervisors support their employees by supporting a touch-caring approach to safety. Supervisors need to insist employee use safe procedures and practices so no one gets hurt. It's that simple. When this approach is not evident, employee performance may not be safe or appropriate. Employee performance failures includes possible areas of concern:

Personal factors: When a worker is, for some reason, unable to perform safely. They may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, concerned about a family member, fatigued, or for some reason physically/mentally unable to perform a task. Supervisors need to make sure their employees are capable and willing to work safely.

Unsafe employee behavior: An employee may choose to use unsafe procedures and practices. For example, an employee decides not to put on eye protection while working at a grinder. Supervisors must create a tough-caring culture that reduces the likelihood that employees will make poor choices.

Inappropriate manager/supervisor behavior: Managers or supervisors may choose not to carry out safety policies and procedures. They may actually direct employees to perform in a way that increases stress or the probability of an injury. require safe work practices and conditions in the workplace. As an example, a supervisors might fail to conduct initial safety training.

When supervisors apply inappropriately pressure, employees may actually be trapped into using work procedures or short cuts that could get them hurt. An example of being trapped might be a situation in which the employee is expected to perform equipment maintenance, but lacks the lockout/tagout devices to properly isolate the equipment. The employee is, therefore, trapped for forced to use unsafe procedures. That is, unless the supervisor identifies and corrects the problem before the employee begins the procedure.
Remember, a hazardous conditions can be thought of as an unsafe "state of being." Employees who are in hazardous states are more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors. Workers who take unsafe short cuts, or who are using established procedures that are unsafe, are accidents waiting to happen.

3. Equipment

Supervisors provide adequate resources by making sure employees are given safe tools, equipment, machinery and materials to use. And, the supervisor makes sure they use them in a safe manner.

Tools need to be readily available and of good quality. Supervisors should make sure tools are used only for their intended use. They should make sure employees do not use defective tools and that defective tools are reported and replaced in a timely manner.

Equipment and machinery should be properly guarded and in good working condition. Supervisors should never allow employees to work with improperly guarded equipment or machinery. Supervisors should make sure preventive and corrective maintenance is being performed.

Materials used by employees should be as safe as feasible to meet their intended purpose. For instance, a toxic chemical should be replaced with a less toxic chemical if the chemical can do the job.

Nearly every production job involves the use of hazardous materials including chemicals for cleaning, stripping, or degreasing parts and equipment. Maintenance workers who enter enclosed or confined spaces are also exposed to toxic substances.

Solvents. Solvents are used to dissolve various materials. Those commonly used include:

trichloroethylene	toluene
acetone	methylene chloride
percholoroethylene	glycol ether
isopropyl alcohol	choloroform
xylene	freon

Exposure occurs by inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Skin exposure may result in dermatitis or skin rash, edema or swelling, and blistering. These exposures can result from chemical splashes and spills, from directly immersing one's hands into solvents and chemicals, from contact with solvent-soaked clothing or solvent-wet objects, and from the use of improper personal protective equipment. Solvents can dissolve the body's natural protective barrier of fats and oils leaving the skin unprotected against further irritation.

In addition, inhaling or ingesting solvents may affect the central nervous system, acting as depressants and anesthetics causing headaches, nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, complaints of irritation, abnormal behavior, general ill-feeling, and even unconsciousness. These symptoms should be viewed as visible signs of potential disease. Excessive and continued exposure to certain solvents may result in liver, lung, kidney, and reproductive damage, as well as cancer.

Acids and Alkalis. Acids and alkalis may cause serious burns if they are splash into the eyes or onto the skin. If vapors or mists are inhaled, they may result in a burning of the linings of the nose, mouth, throat, and lungs.

Metals. Employees are exposed to metals primarily by skin contact and by inhalation of metal dusts and fumes. Exposure may cause headaches, general ill-feeling, anemia, central nervous system and kidney damage, and reproductive problems, as well as cancer.

Gases. Gases are used in many operations and may combine with other substances to produce toxic gases such as phosgene, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Workers can be exposed to these and other gases during work. Potential exposure to gases occurs through inhalation. Such exposure may produce eye damage, headaches, shivering, tiredness, nausea, and possible kidney and liver damage.

Plastics and Resins. Inhalation or skin contact may occur when curing resins; cutting, heating, or stripping wires; or cutting, grinding, or sawing a hardened product. Exposure to these substances may result in skin rash and upper respiratory irritation.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs are used as insulators in some electrical equipment and present a potential hazard to workers. Exposures to PCBs may cause skin disorders, digestive problems, headaches, upper respiratory irritations, reproductive problems, and cancer.

Fiberglass and Asbestos. Fiberglass and asbestos are also used as fillers in epoxy resins and other plastics, in wire coatings or electrical insulation, and in printed circuit boards. Uncontrolled exposures may produce skin and upper respiratory irritations and, in the case of asbestos, cancer.

Solids . Solids like metal, wood, plastics. Raw materials used to manufacture products are usually bought in large quantities, and can cause injuries or fatalities in many ways.

Gases. Gases like hydrogen sulfide, methane, etc. Gas may be extremely hazardous if leaked into the atmosphere. Employees should know the signs and symptoms related to hazardous gases in the workplace.

4. Environment

This category includes both the physical and psychosocial workplace environment. To be most productive, employees need to be able to focus on the work they are doing. To be safe, employees should not be distracted by conditions in the physical environment, nor be concerned about situations that produce an unhealthful psychological or social climate. Let's take a look at these ideas a little more closely:

The physical environment: OR-OSHA's General Duty Clause requires that the employer maintain a safe and healthful place of employment. Some of the things supervisors can do to help in this effort include:
- designing workstations to best fit individual employees.
- ensuring adequate ventilation to reduce hazardous atmospheres
- installing heating and cooling controls to reduce temperature extremes
- keeping noise down through engineering and management controls
Are there areas in the workplace that are too hot, cold, dusty, dirty, messy, wet, etc. Is it too noisy, or are dangerous gases, vapors, liquids, fumes, etc., present? Do you see short people working at workstations designed for tall people? Such factors all contribute to an unsafe environment. You can bet a messy workplace is NOT a safe workplace!

Noise Exposure. Many work places are inherently noisy and potentially hazardous to employees. Continuous noise and instantaneous noise bursts can damage the hearing of employees. A hearing conservation program should be established if you think noise levels are a potential threat to the health of your employees. OSHA consultants, your insurer, or a private consultant are all available to help you determine noise levels in the workplace.

Electric Shock. Electricity travels in closed circuits, normally through a conductor. Shock occurs when the body becomes part of the electric circuit. The current must enter the body at one point and leave at another. Shock normally occurs in one of three ways. The person must come in contact with:
- both wires of an electric circuit,
- one wire of an energized circuit and the ground, or
- a metallic part that has become "hot" by being in contact with an energized wire or conductor, while the person is also in contact with the ground.
The psychosocial environment. Although not specifically addressed in OR-OSHA rules, the psychological health of employees is an important consideration. Factors such as workload, scheduling, quality of training, and employee relationships all serve to affect employee safety. Stress, especially from hurry, may be the cause of a significant percentage of workplace accidents.

Work, by its very nature, is stressful. The supervisor can be a key player in making sure positive stress doesn't transition into negative distress. Negative distress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when a conflict exists between job demands and the amount of control an employee has over meeting those demands. Distress is a form of distraction that creates a hazardous condition (state of being distracted) within the employee and increases the probability of an injury or illness. The supervisor needs to look for observable signs of too much stress.

Signs of distress may be physical, psychological and/or behavioral including; general anxiety, irritability, defensiveness, anger, apathy, depression, feelings of helplessness, and frequent illness. Signs of acute (short-term) distress may result in the classic flight or fight response. Employees may flee the problem by staying home sick, withdrawing or isolating themselves from coworkers, or just quitting the job. They may fight the problem by arguing, trying to change the job, or worse yet, sabotaging the work. Sign of chronic (long-term) distress include physical or mental illness of some kind.

Fourteen Hazard Categories

Acceleration. When we speed up or slow down too quickly. Acceleration occurs when any object is being set in motion or its speed increased. Whiplash is a common injury as a result of an acceleration hazard. Hazards from deceleration and impact, especially from falls, also exist in the workplace.

Biologicals. Hazards of harmful bacterial, viruses, fungi, and molds are becoming a greater concern to everyone at work. The primary routes of infection are airborne and bloodborne.

Chemical reactions. Chemical reactions can be violent, can cause explosions, dispersion of materials and emission of heat. Chemical compounds may combine or break down (disassociate) resulting in chemicals with reactive properties. Corrosion, the slow combination of iron and water, is a common chemical reaction and results in loss of strength and integrity of affected metals.

Electrical hazards. Exposure to electrical current. There are six basic electrical hazards: shock, ignition, heating/overheating, inadvertent activation (unexpected startup), failure to operate, and equipment explosion.

Ergonomics. The nature of the work being done may include force, posture, position of operation characteristics that require hazardous lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and twisting. The result are strains and sprains to muscles and connective tissues.

Explosives and explosions. Explosions result in quick (instantaneous) release of gas, heat, noise, light and over-pressure. High explosives release a large amount of energy. Low explosives burn rapidly (deflagrates) but at a slower speed. Most explosive accidents are caused by explosions of combustible gases.

Flammability and fires. In order for combustion to take place, the fuel, an oxidizer, and ignition source must be present in gaseous form. Accidental fires are commonplace because fuel, oxidizers and ignition sources are often present in the workplace.

Heat and temperature. Temperature indicates the level of sensible heat present in a body. Massive uncontrolled flows of heat or temperature extremes in either can cause trauma, illness.

Mechanical hazards. Tools, equipment, machinery and any object may contain pinch points, sharp points and edges, weight, rotating parts, stability, ejected parts and materials, that could cause injury.

Pressure. Increased pressure in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Pressure may cause ruptures in pressure vessels, whipping hoses. Small high pressure leaks may cause serious injuries.

Radiation. Electromagnetic radiation hazards vary depending on the frequency (wavelength) of the energy. Generally, the higher the frequency, the more severe the potential injury. Non-ionizing (ultra-violet, visible light) may cause burns. Ionizing radiation actually has the potential to destroy tissue by dislodging electrons from atoms making up body cells.

Toxics. Materials that in small amounts may cause injury to skin and internal organs is considered toxic. Toxics may enter through inhalation, ingestion, absorbed or injected.

Vibration/Noise. Produce adverse physiological and psychological effects. Whole-body vibration is a common hazard in the trucking industry. Segmental vibration and noise hazards exist when working equipment such as jack hammers.

Workplace Violence. Although violence in the workplace appears to be decreasing, that may be due to the fact that we generally perceive "violence" as a physical act. Violence can take many forms. It may be appropriate to consider verbal, as well as physical attacks, as a form of violence.

Categories 1-13 Adapted from Willie Hammer, Product Safety Management and Engineering, ASSE Pub.

Last Words

Well, that's a lot of important information. Any and all of these various types of hazards may already exist in your workplace. Just being aware of the variety of hazards is a major educational leap forward for most employees. See if you can help educate others about the type and nature of hazards that are specific to your workplace.

Module Quiz

11. According to the text, the safety management system contributes to workplace factors that cause ____ of the accidents that occur in the workplace:

a. 52%
b. 84%
c. 90%
d. 98%

12. Which of the following is not discussed as one of the four general hazard categories?

a. Management
b. Equipment
c. Environment
d. Ecology

13. According to the text, a situation in which employees continually argue would be an indication of:

a. lack of common sense
b. poor employee attitudes
c. an unhealthful psychosocial environment
d. an unsafe physical environment

14. Which of the following could result in the employee being a "hazardous condition"?

a.inadequate training
b. mental deficiency
c. physical deficiency
d. all of the above

15. This type of hazard is inherent in any job requiring employees to work at any height above level.

a. Mechanical hazard
b. Acceleration hazard
c. Environmental hazard
d. Vibration hazard

Congratulations on completing Module Two! I'm sure you'll agree there are many different kinds of potential hazards in even the most mundane office environments. Head over to the next module to learn more about tools for effectively identifying hazards. If you have any questions or comments, just drop me an email at email.

Have a great safe day!

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