How can you prevent physical hazards

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace? Incidents can happen when an employer fails to protect their workers from biological hazards. As we know a hazard (sometimes called an agent) is anything that can harm or adversely affect anyone or anything under certain conditions at work. It can be an object, process, person or set of circumstances that have the potential to create adverse health and safety outcomes, 5 Types of workplace hazards are:

1. Physical hazards
2. Biological hazards
3. Chemical hazards
4. Ergonomic hazards
5. Psychological hazards

But in this blog, we will focus our attention only on physical hazards. A physical hazard usually (but not always) involves a transfer of energy that results in injury, such as a brick dropped from a scaffolding platform and striking a worker, or a worker falling from scaffolding and hitting the ground.

Physical hazards refer to any conditions, circumstances or substances in the workplace that have the potential to cause harm to a person’s physical safety or health. This can include things such as sharp objects, moving machinery, fire etc.

In this blog, we will cover the most recognised workplace physical hazards such as slips, trips and falls, electrical hazards, extreme temperature, noise, radiation and vibration, which can cause injuries or illness over time. It is essential to identify and manage physical hazards in the workplace to protect the safety and well-being of employees.

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace and identify them?

At the same time, employers often underestimate the prevalence of (and therefore fail to control for) physical hazards. For example, an extension cord lying on the scaffolding platform is often not considered a big deal because it’s an easily apparent and easy-to-understand trip hazard that we hope workers will avoid.

Another example is, the overhead bump hazard posed by a door with unusually low clearance can be addressed by posting a “Caution: overhead bump hazard” sign and waiting for a worker’s head injury when going through it. A more effective (but expensive) solution is to increase the height of the door.

Prevention of slips, trips and falls

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace such as slips, trips and falls?  The factors that cause poor or unsafe behaviour are present in the system without causing immediate threats but have the potential to be a step in an injury event. These include factors such as workplace design, work organization, management decisions, and environmental conditions such as weather, individual factors such as stress.

Injury prevention is most effective if we look beyond the obvious causes of the underlying causal factors. This more holistic approach is supported by studies suggesting that the most effective approach to preventing slips, trips, and falls is to take a multifaceted approach that includes improved hazard assessment, preventative design changes, training, management leadership, and increased attention to environmental factors.

• Keep the walkway clear of any obstacles or debris.
• Clean up baby spills or wet surfaces immediately to prevent slipping accidents.
• Place anti-slip mats or rugs in areas that have high traffic or where floors may be wet.
• Ensure proper lighting in all areas to prevent tripping hazards.
• Install handrails on stairs.
• Wear proper footwear.
• Follow proper safety procedures when using ladders,
• Conduct regular safety inspections to identify any potential hazards.
• Train employees to identify such hazards.

NOISE HAZARDS

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace such as noise? Here we will examine the nature of the hazard, and its health effects, and briefly consider effective control options. Noise is simply defined as sound energy moving through the air medium.

Human eardrums are designed to sense tiny changes in pressure and then transfer them through a network of three bones to the inner ear where tiny hair-like cells convert the vibrations into electrical impulses interpreted by the brain. Noise is always present around us.

Noise can damage the structures of our ears and lead to hearing loss. Noise can also cause other health effects due to its characteristics such as frequency, exposure time and intensity.

• Frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Sounds that extend beyond the low and high end of our hearing range are not registered by our brains (meaning we cannot hear them), but they can still damage our ears.
• Exposure time is the time a worker is exposed to noise. The time a worker is exposed to noise is important. However, as discussed below, even short-term exposure can cause damage, especially if the noise is sudden and at a high frequency.
• Loudness (or intensity) is the amount of energy that is being transported through the medium. Loudness is measured in decibels (dB). Noise above 85dB is generally considered dangerous to human hearing.

The widely accepted health effect of noise exposure is hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to noise hazards can also cause non-hearing health effects. It can induce a sensitive startle response to sound and cause changes in the endocrine and biochemical systems, nausea, headaches, and constricted blood vessels.  Acoustic trauma is caused by short and intense exposure to noise.

Noise hazards can cause long-term hearing damage, tinnitus, stress, and fatigue. To prevent these hazards, people take the following precautions:

• Wear hearing protection equipment when exposed to loud noise, such as earplugs or earmuffs.
• Use engineering control, such as sound barriers or acoustic insulation, to reduce noise levels in the workplace or home.
• monitor the noise level with a sound level meter to ensure that the level does not exceed safe levels.
• Establish a hearing conversation program in the workplace to educate employees on the effects of noise exposure and provide hearing protection.
• Use equipment that produces less noise whenever possible.

VIBRATION HAZARDS

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace such as vibration? A mechanical process often causes vibrations. Vibration becomes a hazard when workers come into contact with vibration, which causes energy to be transferred to the worker. Two types of vibration in the workplace are:

Whole body vibration occurs when a worker’s entire body experiences a jolt caused by contact with vibration.  The health effects of whole-body vibration include a general feeling of sickness, nausea, motion sickness, and increased heart rate. Prolonged exposure to whole-body vibration can cause lower spinal cord damage and sometimes internal organ damage.

Segmental vibration occurs when only parts of the body are affected by vibration. This is usually caused by higher-frequency vibrations. The most common and worrisome form of segmental vibration is hand-arm vibration. Hand-arm vibration results from the gripping of power tools such as jackhammers, saws, and hammer drills. An important aspect of hand-arm vibrations is that a tight grip is required to control the vibratory tool, but the tighter the worker’s grip, the worse the effects of vibration.

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (sometimes called Raynaud’s phenomenon or “white finger”) is caused by restricted blood and oxygen supply to the fingers and hands, causing damage to blood vessels and the nervous system.

Here are some precautions to consider to minimize vibration hazards:

1. Limiting exposure time: reduce the exposure time to vibrating equipment or machinery as much as possible to reduce the risk of injuries or damage.
2. Use anti-vibration gloves: use anti-vibration gloves, anti-vibration chairs and anti-vibration mounts as they are specifically designed to reduce the impact of vibration on the body.
3. Equipment maintenance: proper maintenance and repair of machinery can help to reduce excessive vibration exposure.
4. Training: training works on specific techniques and strategies to reduce exposure to vibrations such as proper posture while using vibrating equipment can help reduce the risk of injury.
5. Health checkup: regular medical checkups for workers who are regularly exposed to vibration at work can detect the symptoms of vibration-related injuries early to get timely medical attention.

By taking these precautions, vibration hazards in the workplace can be reduced and the safety and well-being of workers can be maintained.

TEMPERATURE HAZARDS

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace such as extreme temperature? Under normal circumstances, the body interacts with its environment to maintain a core body temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius. When the environment becomes too hot or cold, our bodies have a hard time generating or shedding enough to maintain temperature homeostasis.

When extreme temperatures prevent our bodies from properly self-regulating, we experience heat stress. Temperatures that are too high can lead to heat stroke. Early signs of heat stroke include fatigue, dizziness, confusion, lightheadedness, nausea, and sudden, unexplained mood changes. Prolonged exposure causes fainting and death. Heat stroke can cause damage to the muscles, heart, kidneys, and brain.

Humidity interferes with the body’s ability to shed heat (through sweating) and can therefore lower the temperature at which heat stress occurs. Conversely, when temperatures are too low, we can experience hypothermia. Initial symptoms of hypothermia include dizziness, fatigue, nausea, sudden elation, or irritability. Pain in the extremities and severe chills may also occur. Advanced hypothermia can cause frostbite frozen extremities, and unconsciousness leading to death. The wind can intensify the effects of the cold, as it moves heat away from the body.

Thermal comfort is the condition in which a person wearing normal clothing feels neither too cold nor too warm.

The most effective control to prevent heat stress is to limit worker exposure to dangerous temperatures. However, it can be difficult to determine what temperature is too hot or cold for work to occur.

ELECTRICAL HAZARDS

How can you prevent physical hazards in the workplace such as electrical hazards? The industrial, trade and construction sectors are the ones that lead year after year in the ranking of the number of accidents due to electrical contact, the consequences of which can be fatal for the worker. That is why today in our blog we are going to show some of the most important preventive measures to avoid electrical risks at work.

Electrical hazards are a type of physical hazard and pose a risk of serious injury or death in the workplace. Electrical energy can enter the body which may cause electric shocks or electrocution. The effects of an electric shock on the human body can be very serious and are also often associated with indirect injuries such as falls from a height or blows from materials and tools. How then to prevent electrical risks at work?

Protection of workers against electrical risk

• First of all, it is necessary to assess the risks that it may pose to the worker. All work on an electrical installation must be carried out without voltage.
• The employer must ensure that workers receive adequate training on electrical risk, as well as its prevention and protection measures.
• Never touch electrical equipment with wet hands or handles if you are standing in water.
• Inspect the equipment and wiring regularly for obvious signs of damage, wear or overheating to avoid fire.
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, safety glasses and face shields to reduce the risk of electrical burns.
• Avoid working on electrical equipment or wiring when you are tired, feeling unwell, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

RADIATION HAZARDS

Radiation hazards can occur in a variety of settings including medical facilities, nuclear power plants and industrial sites, exposure to,   radiation can cause long-term health problems, including cancer and genetic mutation. The following are some precautions to prevent radiation hazards:

• Shielding: utilize materials such as lead or concrete to block radiation.
• Time: minimize exposure time to reduce the risk of radiation exposure.
• Distance: increase the distance from the source of radiation to decrease the amount of exposure.
• Protective equipment: Always wear PPE such as radiation suits and gloves.
• Follow safe work practices: Always follow established safety protocols and training provided by the employer or safety organisation.
• Monitor radiation level: use radiation detection equipment to monitor and measure radiation levels.

Conclusion

Noise vibration, temperature and radiation are measured and monitored.  These detection meters can provide accurate level measurements in real time. However, the meters cannot assess a worker’s susceptibility to noise/vibration, temperature and radiation exposure, nor the degree of damage sustained from the exposure. Controlling risks is a complex task.

Use a hierarchy of control, the most common, but least effective, controls are training, distance, break, reduced exposure time and PPE. This is my answer to how can you prevent physical hazards. Similarly, workplace hazards can be reduced and the safety and well-being of workers can be maintained.