Managing hazards in a business is fundamental to maintaining the safety of employees. Under UK law, employers have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of all employees. This means it’s an employer’s responsibility to identify the hazards facing their employees and implement measures to mitigate them.
It's fairly common for employees (and in many cases, management) to be unaware of the hazards they face regularly. Those who haven't encountered an accident often feel they aren't at risk. Additionally, many workers become accustomed to an unhealthy or unsafe workplace due to working in that environment for an extended period.
The best way to prevent injuries or illness in a workplace is to identify the hazards that could cause injury or illness and fix them. Splitting hazards into categories (such as physical, safety, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychological) can be beneficial. It helps employees understand the hazards faced within their role and provides employers with an understanding of what safety procedures should be implemented.
PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Physical hazards affect those working in industries such as construction and manufacturing. These include moving machinery parts, excessive noise levels, extreme temperatures, radiation, falls from heights, and falling objects. These hazards can cause injuries, lead to hearing loss, and result in illnesses.
You can identify physical hazards by conducting a thorough risk assessment. After completing a thorough risk assessment, regularly checking your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight new physical hazards which require management attention.
SAFETY HAZARDS
Safety hazards relate to unsafe working conditions, inadequate safety protocols, and improper use of equipment or machinery. These include slippery floors, inadequate emergency exits, lack of proper signage, unguarded machinery, and electrical hazards.
Safety hazards can result in accidents, injuries, and even death if not addressed correctly. It is vital for employers to ensure safety measures are in place, adhered to, and regularly reviewed to reduce the risk of safety hazards. Regularly reviewing your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight gaps in safety protocols which require managements immediate attention.
CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chemical substances that can cause harm or adverse health effects, such as dangerous chemicals, radioactive materials, and toxic gases, can be present in industries such as manufacturing, construction, cleaning, and healthcare.
Chemical hazards are extremely dangerous due to the risk of exposure through various means. Appropriate training, signage, and storage can reduce the threat to employees. However, it is essential for staff to be aware of and provided with the correct PPE and ventilation. Regularly reviewing your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight issues with ventilation, storage and / or training which requires management attention.
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
Ergonomic hazards in the workplace lead to discomfort, strain, or injury. These are often caused by poorly designed workstations, repetitive motions, or manual handling. Employees that work long hours in front of computer screens can also experience eye strain and headaches.
Often not noticeable at first, ergonomic hazards can result in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as back pain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck and shoulder strains. These hazards can be prevented by enforcing regular breaks and implementing a positive safety culture to boost morale and team spirit. Regularly reviewing your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight issues in employee posture that can be rectified with equipment such as ergonomic chairs, standing desks, footrests, computers, mice, or keyboards.
BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
These hazards originate from living organisms or their byproducts, often present in settings such as cleaning, healthcare, laboratories, and agricultural environments. Exposure to dangers such as diseases, viruses, fungi, parasites, medical waste, bites, and faecal matter can pose extreme dangers to employees.
These hazards can be controlled by implementing proper cleaning procedures and correctly storing and disposing of hazardous materials. The use of PPE, such as gloves, masks, and protective clothing, is vitally important in these circumstances and should always be provided to employees as an additional layer of defence against these hazards.
PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
People often associate workplace hazards solely with physical hazards. Those who work in retail and community-based work often face the risk of finding themselves in difficult, emotionally abusive situations. Additionally, certain employees such as charity and social workers often deal with vulnerable individuals, facing the risk of encountering physically threatening behaviour.
These hazards can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and emotional strain, affecting both an employee's mental health and job satisfaction. To address these hazards, employees should receive training on conflict resolution, mental health support, and a dynamic risk assessment should be carried out to give employees the skills needed to manage difficult situations. Regularly reviewing your staff with TakeAIM can highlight issues an employee may face, enabling management to increase the frequency of training and support.
TakeAIM: Your Partner in Safety
TakeAIM can help you examine your work environment, the tasks your workers do, and the machinery and equipment used in your workplace. Not only can you use TakeAIM to highlight workplace hazards, but you can also complete maintenance checklists, daily pre-start checklists for equipment, and even complete maintenance logs to receive regular updates on repairs. This helps management ensure all is in safe working order at the click of a button.
It's fairly common for employees (and in many cases, management) to be unaware of the hazards they face regularly. Those who haven't encountered an accident often feel they aren't at risk. Additionally, many workers become accustomed to an unhealthy or unsafe workplace due to working in that environment for an extended period.
The best way to prevent injuries or illness in a workplace is to identify the hazards that could cause injury or illness and fix them. Splitting hazards into categories (such as physical, safety, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychological) can be beneficial. It helps employees understand the hazards faced within their role and provides employers with an understanding of what safety procedures should be implemented.
PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Physical hazards affect those working in industries such as construction and manufacturing. These include moving machinery parts, excessive noise levels, extreme temperatures, radiation, falls from heights, and falling objects. These hazards can cause injuries, lead to hearing loss, and result in illnesses.
You can identify physical hazards by conducting a thorough risk assessment. After completing a thorough risk assessment, regularly checking your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight new physical hazards which require management attention.
SAFETY HAZARDS
Safety hazards relate to unsafe working conditions, inadequate safety protocols, and improper use of equipment or machinery. These include slippery floors, inadequate emergency exits, lack of proper signage, unguarded machinery, and electrical hazards.
Safety hazards can result in accidents, injuries, and even death if not addressed correctly. It is vital for employers to ensure safety measures are in place, adhered to, and regularly reviewed to reduce the risk of safety hazards. Regularly reviewing your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight gaps in safety protocols which require managements immediate attention.
CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chemical substances that can cause harm or adverse health effects, such as dangerous chemicals, radioactive materials, and toxic gases, can be present in industries such as manufacturing, construction, cleaning, and healthcare.
Chemical hazards are extremely dangerous due to the risk of exposure through various means. Appropriate training, signage, and storage can reduce the threat to employees. However, it is essential for staff to be aware of and provided with the correct PPE and ventilation. Regularly reviewing your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight issues with ventilation, storage and / or training which requires management attention.
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
Ergonomic hazards in the workplace lead to discomfort, strain, or injury. These are often caused by poorly designed workstations, repetitive motions, or manual handling. Employees that work long hours in front of computer screens can also experience eye strain and headaches.
Often not noticeable at first, ergonomic hazards can result in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as back pain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck and shoulder strains. These hazards can be prevented by enforcing regular breaks and implementing a positive safety culture to boost morale and team spirit. Regularly reviewing your workplace with TakeAIM can highlight issues in employee posture that can be rectified with equipment such as ergonomic chairs, standing desks, footrests, computers, mice, or keyboards.
BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
These hazards originate from living organisms or their byproducts, often present in settings such as cleaning, healthcare, laboratories, and agricultural environments. Exposure to dangers such as diseases, viruses, fungi, parasites, medical waste, bites, and faecal matter can pose extreme dangers to employees.
These hazards can be controlled by implementing proper cleaning procedures and correctly storing and disposing of hazardous materials. The use of PPE, such as gloves, masks, and protective clothing, is vitally important in these circumstances and should always be provided to employees as an additional layer of defence against these hazards.
PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
People often associate workplace hazards solely with physical hazards. Those who work in retail and community-based work often face the risk of finding themselves in difficult, emotionally abusive situations. Additionally, certain employees such as charity and social workers often deal with vulnerable individuals, facing the risk of encountering physically threatening behaviour.
These hazards can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and emotional strain, affecting both an employee's mental health and job satisfaction. To address these hazards, employees should receive training on conflict resolution, mental health support, and a dynamic risk assessment should be carried out to give employees the skills needed to manage difficult situations. Regularly reviewing your staff with TakeAIM can highlight issues an employee may face, enabling management to increase the frequency of training and support.
TakeAIM: Your Partner in Safety
TakeAIM can help you examine your work environment, the tasks your workers do, and the machinery and equipment used in your workplace. Not only can you use TakeAIM to highlight workplace hazards, but you can also complete maintenance checklists, daily pre-start checklists for equipment, and even complete maintenance logs to receive regular updates on repairs. This helps management ensure all is in safe working order at the click of a button.
Related Products
Unlimited TakeAIM Inspections
Unlimited TakeAIM Credits enables your registered users to complete unlimited inspections on any checklist on the TakeAIM app. These credits will be a..
£6,000.00
5000 TakeAIM Inspections
5000 TakeAIM Credits enables your registered users to complete 5000 inspections on any checklist on the TakeAIM app. These credits will be available t..
£750.00
500 TakeAIM Inspections
500 TakeAIM Credits enables your registered users to complete 500 inspections on any checklist on the TakeAIM app. These credits will be available to ..
£130.00
250 TakeAIM Inspections
250 TakeAIM Credits enables your registered users to complete 250 inspections on any checklist on the TakeAIM app. These credits will be available to ..
£75.00
100 TakeAIM Inspections
100 TakeAIM Credits enables your registered users to complete 100 inspections on any checklist on the TakeAIM app. These credits will be available to ..
£32.50
50 TakeAIM Inspections
50 TakeAIM Credits enables your registered users to complete 50 inspections on any checklist on the TakeAIM app. These credits will be available to us..
£17.50