Understanding hazards in the workplace

There are types of hazards in every workplace. As an employer, you have a legal duty to identify and address such hazards for the protection of your workforce. However, the nature of hazards will vary depending on the workplace and they might not be obvious. 

That’s why we’ve created this guide, highlighting the different types of hazards and where you can expect to find them.

Read on as we outline your legal responsibilities, covering the potential consequences of non-compliance, and sharing guidance on how to manage workplace hazards through risk assessments and proper controls — like utilising health and safety software for hazard identification and mitigation.

What is a hazard at work?

The hazard definition in safety terms applies to any object, material, situation, or workplace activity that poses a potential danger to people or the environment. Also referred to as occupational hazards, they are a major cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries each year.

As mentioned, it’s your responsibility to identify, assess, remove, or control such hazards to the greatest possible extent under Australian law.

It’s also important to be aware of the difference between hazards and risks. A hazard refers to a particular source of harm, damage, illness or other adverse effect within the workplace. However, the risk relates to the probability that an individual or group will encounter and be adversely affected by the hazard. Besides the nature of the hazard, this will also depend on such factors as personal vulnerability and the effectiveness of control measures.

What are the types of hazards in the workplace?

It’s worth bearing in mind that the types of hazards will be particular to the workplace. You can increase employee awareness and gain a better understanding of suitable safety procedures by categorising the examples of workplace hazards, as follows:

Physical Hazards

Physical hazards are elements of the environment that can cause harm, even without direct physical contact. Common within extreme working environments, physical hazards include moving machinery parts, excessive noise, and radiation.

There are also a variety of manual handling and ergonomic hazards, particularly across construction and manufacturing spaces.

Chemical Hazards

Taking solid, liquid, and gas forms, chemical hazards pose a risk to all workers involved in their preparation. While some chemicals are safer than others, exposure can have adverse effects such as illness, skin irritation, and breathing obstruction.

Such hazards are common in manufacturing, construction, cleaning, and healthcare.

Biological Hazards

Often found in healthcare, laboratories, and agricultural environments, biological hazards arise from living organisms or their byproducts. Bacteria, toxins, parasites and other biological hazards can be spread by water and wind, with a potentially severe effect on the health and well-being of those who come into contact.

Poisonous plants, insects and animals are other sources, with dangerous substances being passed on through bites and stings.

Psychosocial Hazards

Psychosocial, or psychological hazards, are associated with working activities that can harm mental health. For instance, staff members can experience increased stress and emotional strain as a result of bullying, fatigue, workplace changes, or customer aggression.

Workers in high-pressure public-facing roles face a particular risk, with negative impacts on job satisfaction and performance.

Health and safety laws for workplace hazards

All Australian employers have a legal duty for the protection of staff, customers and anybody else associated with their companies. You can go some way to fulfilling this duty by keeping an eye out for hazards that could cause injury or illness.

Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 prescribe how employers must identify and manage hazards and risks to workers' psychological health and safety.

Failing to meet work health and safety (WHS) regulations can lead to serious legal penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and reputational damage. Additionally, non-compliance can result in injuries, accidents, and even fatalities.

In 2023, there were 200 workers who died from traumatic injuries while working. While the number of fatalities was 5% higher than the 5-year average of 191 workers per year (between 2019 to 2023), the fatality rate was consistent with the 5-year average (1.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers)

How to manage hazards in your workplace

Given the potential dangers, you must have a workplace health and safety management system for the identification of hazards. Key elements will include a clear health and safety policy, plans for risk control, and a regular programme of inspections and audits to ensure the effectiveness of your system.

You should try to maximise employee involvement in the implementation of your health and safety system. This should begin with the identification of hazards through the review of past incident records, workplace inspections, incident investigations and other suitable means. Risk assessments should then be carried out to establish the potential for harm associated with each identified hazard.

You’ll ideally be able to eliminate the hazards. If this isn’t possible then you should apply the hierarchy of risk controls, as follows (in order of preference):

• Substituting the hazard with one that poses less danger (e.g. swapping solvent-based printing inks with plant-based alternatives)

• Isolating people from the hazard (e.g. installing protective barriers to prevent access to a dangerous environment)

• Making work modifications for reduced risk (e.g. providing relevant safety training and ensuring that workers take more regular breaks for increased focus)

• Supplying and ensuring the use of personal protective equipment (e.g. providing helmets, goggles, and gloves for protection).

Identify hazards in the workplace with BrightSafe

With this article having reinforced the importance of hazard identification and management, you should now be prepared to implement a health and safety system. Designed for the protection of your staff and business, BrightSafe is the go-to choice.

See how you could minimise hazards and risks with our end-to-end system:

• Easily identify and safeguard your business against 600+ health and safety risks

• Prevent hazard exposure and accidents with real-time reporting

• Stay compliant with an accurate digital audit trail

With 24/7 access to qualified health & safety consultants, plus a comprehensive library of risk assessments, templates, posters, and factsheets, this is the solution that your business needs. Go ahead and book your free BrightSafe demo today!