Physical hazard
Occupational hazards |
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Hierarchy of hazard controls |
Occupational hygiene |
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A physical hazard is an agent, factor or circumstance that can cause harm with contact. They can be classified as type of occupational hazard or environmental hazard. Physical hazards include ergonomic hazards, radiation, heat and cold stress, vibration hazards, and noise hazards.[1] Engineering controls are often used to mitigate physical hazards.[2]
Physical hazards are a common source of injuries in many industries.[3] They are perhaps unavoidable in certain industries, such as construction and mining, but over time people have developed safety methods and procedures to manage the risks of physical danger in the workplace. Employment of children may pose special problems.[4]
A physical hazard is also a naturally occurring process that has the potential to create loss or damage. Physical hazards include
Falls
Falls are a common cause of occupational injuries and fatalities, especially in construction, extraction, transportation, healthcare, and building cleaning and maintenance.[7] Circumstances like floor holes and wall opening, misused fall protection, slippery, cluttered, or unstable walking surfaces, unprotected edges and unsafely situated ladders are associated with occupational fall injuries.[8]
According to 2014 published data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 261,930 private industry and government workers lost one or more days of work and around 798 workers died as a result of fall injuries in the workplace.[8] There was a general upward trend in fatal fall injuries which increased 25 percent overall from 2011 to 2016.[9] For carpenters, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, tree trimmers and pruners, and roofers, fall injuries increased by more than 25 percent in 2016.[9] The highest rate of nonfatal fall injuries experienced in the health services and the wholesale and retail industries, while the highest counts for fall-related deaths associated with the construction industry.[8] According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were total 991 construction-related fall incidents in 2016.[10] In the United States, fall-related fatalities result in a significant financial burden of estimated $70 billion annually in the form of worker's compensation and occupational fall incident related medical costs.[8] The international public health community works to reduce fall injuries at work settings by developing strategies because many other countries face similar problems in the workplace as in the United States.
Machines
Machines are commonplace in many industries, including
Confined spaces
Noise
Noise also presents a fairly common workplace hazard: occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related injury in the United States, with 22 million workers exposed to hazardous noise levels at work and an estimated $242 million spent annually on worker's compensation for hearing loss disability.[18] Noise is not the only source of occupational hearing loss; exposure to chemicals such as aromatic solvents and metals including lead, arsenic, and mercury can also cause hearing loss.[19] Naturally, noise is more of concern for certain occupations than others; musicians,[20] mine workers,[21] and construction workers [22] are exposed to higher and more constant levels of noise and therefore are at a higher risk of developing hearing loss. Since noise-induced hearing loss, while entirely preventable, is permanent and irreversible, it is vital that companies and their employees are aware of limits and prevention methods available.[23]
In the United States, noise is recognized as a hazard in the workplace by the
Temperature
Temperature extremes can cause a danger to workers.
Cold Stress
Overexposure to freezing conditions or extreme cold can result in a risk to many workers. Employees who work outdoors in the winter months such as fishers, hunters, divers, hydro and telecommunications linemen, construction workers, transportation workers, military personnel, emergency response workers, and those work in the refrigerated warehouse are especially vulnerable to cold.[28] Effects of extreme cold working conditions include:[28][29]
- Nonfreezing injuries – chilblains, trench foot
- Freezing injuries – frostnip
- Hypothermia
- Lower work efficiency
- Higher accident rates
- Impaired performance of complex mental tasks
- Reduced muscular strength and stiffened joints
- Reduced mental alertness
- Impaired manual tasks because of sensitivity and dexterityof fingers
Use of personal protective equipment such as insulating clothes, gloves, boots, and masks, radiant heaters as a part of engineering controls and safe work practices are used to minimize the risk of cold injuries.[30]
Heat stress
Workers who are working in laundries, bakeries, restaurant kitchens, steel foundries, glass factories, brick-firing and ceramic plants, electrical utilities, smelters, and outdoor workers such as construction workers, firefighters, farmers, and mining workers are more vulnerable to exposure to extreme heat.[31][32] Effects of heat stress include:[32][33]
- Increased irritability
- Dehydration
- Heat stroke
- Chronic heat exhaustion
- Cramps, rashes, and burns
- Sweaty palms and dizziness
- Increased risk of other accidents
- Loss of concentration and ability to do mental tasks and heavy manual work
- Sleep disturbances, sickness, and susceptibility to minor injuries
Engineering controls such as air conditioning and ventilation, training to build up a level of tolerance to work in extreme heat conditions and use of cooled protective clothing can help to reduce heat-related illnesses.[32][33]
Electricity
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a total 1,738 accidents occurred due to contact with electric current between 2003 and 2010 and out of that 849, the highest number of electrical fatalities occurred in the construction industry.[37] Five occupations from the construction industry- electricians, roofers, painters, carpenters, and construction laborers account for more than 32% of all electrical fatalities.[37] Improper grounding, wet conditions, damaged tools and equipment, inadequate wiring, exposed electrical parts, overhead power lines and overloaded circuits are the common electrical hazards which found on construction sites.[38]
Electrical injuries are preventable through safe work practices like keeping electrical tools properly maintained, de-energizing electrical appliances before inspection or repair, and exercising caution when working near energized lines.[36] Personal protective equipment such as hard hats, hoods, sleeves, rubber or insulating gloves and insulating clothing can be useful to reduce any electrical accidents.[36][38]
Sunlight
Personal protective equipment, engineering, and administrative controls such as the provision of shade cover, and rotating job shifts can minimize the risk of sun exposure for outdoor workers.[41] In case of non-solar sources of UV radiation, suitable engineering controls and administrative controls such as safety signs and training of employees can useful.[41]
Vibration
A Combination of control measures such as redesigning the appliances to reduce vibration exposure, using machines that are designed to decrease the vibration transmitted to the operator, implementing speed limits, scheduling regular work breaks, posture changes or job rotation to reduce exposure time, providing training, information and supervision on adjusting and operating equipment can be used for successful vibration exposure reduction.[44]
Other hazards
See also
- Occupational safety and health – Field concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people at work
- Occupational hazard – Hazard experienced in the workplaces
- Occupational injury – Bodily damage resulting from working
- Occupational disease – Any chronic disorder that occurs as a result of work or occupational activity
References
- ^ "Susan Harwood Grant Products By Topic". www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
- ^ "CDC - Workplace Survey Reports | NIOSH". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
- ^ "Hazardous Work". International Labour Organization. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ISBN 978-92-2-124918-4. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-415-22464-2.
- ISBN 978-0-618-14372-6.
- ^ "Fall Injuries Prevention in the Workplace". NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "CDC - Falls in the Workplace - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic". www.cdc.gov. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ a b "NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2016" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ "OSHA's Fall Prevention Campaign | Occupational Safety and Health Administration". www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ "International Hazard Datasheets on Occupations (HDO)". International Labour Organization. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
The International Hazard Datasheets on Occupations is a multipurpose information resource containing information on the hazards, risks and notions of prevention related to a specific occupation. The datasheets are intended for those professionally concerned with health and safety at work.
- ^ a b "Machine Safety". NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topics. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ Harris, James R. and Richard S. Current. "Machine Safety: New & Updated Consensus Standards". Prof Saf 2012 May; 57(5):50-57. http://www.asse.org/professionalsafety/pastissues/057/05/F1Har_0512.pdf
- ^ Ute Papkalla (December 2012). "Understimated production factor". D+C Development and Cooperation/ dandc.eu.
- ^ "Confined Spaces". Workplace Safety & Health Topics. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ a b "NFPA Journal - Confined Space, March April 2017". www.nfpa.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ "Atmospheric Testing and the New OSHA Construction Confined Spaces Standard -- Occupational Health & Safety". Occupational Health & Safety. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ "Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention". Workplace Safety & Health Topics. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ John R. Franks; Mark R. Stephenson; Carol J. Merry (June 1996). "Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss: A Practical Guide" (PDF). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ Kardous, Chuck; Morata, Thais; Themann, Christa; Spears, Patricia; Afanuh, Sue (July 7, 2015). "Turn it Down: Reducing the Risk of Hearing Disorders Among Musicians". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ^ "Mining Topic: Hearing Loss Prevention Overview". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ^ "National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Factsheet" (PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ^ "Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Noise Exposure (98-126)". Center for Disease Control and Prevention. June 1998. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ^ "Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ^ "Safety and Health Topics: Occupational Noise Exposure". United States Department of Labor. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ^ "Buy Quiet". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ^ "Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award". Safe-in-Sound. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ^ a b Safety, Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and. "Cold Environments - General : OSH Answers". www.ccohs.ca. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "CDC - Cold Stress - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
- ^ Safety, Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and. "Cold Environments - Working in the Cold : OSH Answers". www.ccohs.ca. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Safety and Health Topics | Occupational Heat Exposure | Occupational Safety and Health Administration". www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
- ^ a b c Safety, Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and. "Hot Environments - Health Effects and First Aid : OSH Answers". www.ccohs.ca. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "NIOSH Heat Stress Topic Page". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
- ^ "Electrical Safety". NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topics. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ^ a b c "Electrical risks". Australian Government Comcare. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
- ^ a b c "Controlling Electrical Hazards". www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ a b "ESFI Occupational Injury and Fatality Statistics". www.esfi.org. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
- ^ a b "Electrical Hazards" (PDF). www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
- ^ a b c "CDC - UV Radiation - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic". www.cdc.gov. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^ "Medications May Increase Sensitivity To Sunlight". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^ a b c d "Ultraviolet radiation as a hazard in the workplace" (PDF). World Health Organization. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ "UV:harmful effects". enhs.umn.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^ a b c d e "Vibration Hazards in the Workplace: The Basics of Risk Assessment -- Occupational Health & Safety". Occupational Health & Safety. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
- ^ "Vibration". Australian Government Comcare. Retrieved 2018-04-14.