Lesson 3: Types of Hazards

Glossary

A hazard is anything that can cause injury or loss.


  • A safe place would have no hazards, however most hazards can't be removed, they can only be controlled and the risk reduced.  
  • Hazards can be found everywhere: at home, in school, in all workplaces.
  • Hazards in the workplace can cause injuries/death, a loss of income, property damage, environmental damage and a loss of production and profits.

  • A hazard can be something as simple as a ladder left lying around. It can also be something like a chemical substance used in a workplace.


Hazard identification, assessment and control can help prevent injuries.


  • Identification is seeing a hazard and knowing what it is; there are five types of hazards that will be discussed later in this section 

  • Assessment is knowing the risk of each hazard; is the hazard a high, medium or low risk      

  • Control is what may be done to limit the hazard from causing harm or loss; there are 3 methods of control, which you will learn about later in this section  

  Digging Deeper


Safety Essentials                  

Click here to watch a short video about hazards in the workplace.