Lesson 3: Identify and Assess Hazards

Glossary

  • a hazard is anything that can cause an injury or illness

  • a hazard is any situation, condition or thing that may be dangerous to the safety or health of workers.

  • some hazards can be acute - they have an immediate effect, such as being hit by a car

  • some hazards are chronic - they involve repeated exposures, over time, and can eventually cause an effect, such as hearing loss

  • a hazard can be anything from a ladder left lying around on the floor to a chemical substance used in a workplace

  • hazards are grouped into 5 different categories: physical, chemical, biological, psychological, ergonomical

  • to prevent an accident or incident, hazards must be identified and controlled


  • Element Two of a Health and Safety Management System, Identifying and Assessing Hazards,  is the first step in reducing risk or injury.
  • An important part of workplace safety is being able to identify hazards before someone gets injured. 
  • Evaluate all equipment, machinery, work areas and work processes to identify and analyze all potential sources of harm to workers.
  • A record of all hazards should be kept, including the degree of risk and level of potential exposure for workers.
You will learn more about Hazards in Unit 2; it's important to understand that identifying and assessing hazards is an important element of a Health and Safety Management System.

Think About It

Assessing Hazards


Scenario: Your have been asked to go to your Science Lab to identify any hazards in the room.  How many hazards can you identify? Remember, the purpose is to prevent work-related injury or illness.

Some possible hazards:

  • viruses, bacteria, chemicals
  • fumes, mists, vapours
  • temperature, lighting, moving parts of machinery, slipping, tripping