OHSE update - Identifying hazards and risks

Workplaces are filled with potential dangers, from falling down the stairs to handling highly volatile chemicals. So how do we stay safe?

When we work with the same dangers every day, it can be easy to forget they’re there – like the dangers of driving a car. Most of the time things are fine, because procedures are in place to keep you safe, like road rules. However, it’s when we become complacent, or something changes in the workplace, that things go wrong and people can get hurt. So how can we avoid this?

Two simple tools you can use to identify what might go wrong are hazards and risks.

Hazards are all the ‘things’ that could harm you – physical objects, pieces of equipment, chemicals, or biological material. At work, the stairs are a hazard, as are flammable gases and centrifuges. The danger comes when you interact with the hazard, whether it’s running down the stairs too quickly, or handling a chemical with the wrong gloves on. This is where the risk lies – it is the likelihood of hurting yourself, and how severely you could get hurt.

To maintain vigilance against workplace incidents, you need to monitor the hazards around you all the time, and judge whether there is anything else we can do to minimise the risks involved.

If a procedure is inadequate, or if there something new being added, then the procedure needs to be reviewed, by doing a risk assessment. Hudson is introducing a new online risk assessment tool, so stay tuned for the Safety and Risk Analysis Hub (S.A.R.A.H.).

If you have any immediate concerns about a hazard in your area, please speak to your supervisor, HSR, lab manager or email ohse@hudson.org.au. Stay safe!