Lesson 5: Physical Hazards
Lesson 5: Physical Hazards
Physical Hazards
When learning about Physical Hazards, it's important to know that:
-
Physical Hazards are a risk to your physical safety.
-
Physical Hazards can include things that you can see, such as cords on the floor, machines, tools, knives.
- Physical Hazards can also include forms of physical energy, such as noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, radiation.
-
Injuries from Physical Hazards can be immediate, such as a cut or broken bone or it can be delayed such as a gradual loss of hearing from noise exposure.
-
Most injuries reported to the Workers Compensation Board, are the result of physical hazards.
-
Temperature extremes — Working in cold or hot conditions can lead to freezing/loss of heat or burning/too much heat.
-
Noise — Noisy equipment or a noisy workplace can lead to hearing loss.
-
Radiation — The rays from the sun or other radioactive materials can cause cancer and other illnesses.
-
Vibration — Shaking movements from equipment, such as jack hammers, can lead to many kinds of injuries.
-
Pressure — Changes in air pressure, such as working with power tools, or working as a diver, or mountain climbers can result in injury.
-
Mechanical — Any type of equipment, machine or tool can be a mechanical hazard. Workers can be caught in, pinned between, or run over.
-
Electrical — Any type of electrical equipment can become a hazard and cause injury or death.
-
Gravitation — Objects or people falling and being pulled to the ground by gravity (the earth's pull).
Click here to take a quiz about Physical Hazards. Once you open the quiz, go to the blue circle, on Physical Hazards, to start the quiz.