Every employee deserves to work in a safe environment. But whether you’re a factory worker, an office employee, work in hospitality, or are a medical professional, there will be hazards in your workplace that can lead to injuries. They could even mean long-term health conditions or potentially life-altering consequences.
An understanding of workplace hazards is important for both employers and employees. Here, we explain what the four main types of hazards at work are, their potential impact on your safety, and their implications for personal injury claims.
What are the four main types of hazards?
A hazard is a source of potential harm in the workplace. While there are a huge range of potential hazards and they will vary between job and work settings, they are usually grouped into four main types: chemical, biological, ergonomic and physical hazards.
Chemical hazards
Chemical hazards stem from working with or around harmful substances that can cause adverse health effects, whether those are liquids, gases or solids.
Common workplace chemical hazards include:
- Cleaning products, some of which can be particularly dangerous if handled incorrectly
- Vapours and fumes from industrial processes
- Flammable materials, such as gasoline or solvents
- Pesticides used in agricultural settings
Chemical exposure in the workplace can lead to a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, skin conditions and irritation, poisoning, or even chronic conditions such as cancer. Employers must provide effective personal protective equipment (PPE) and employee safety training, and put processes in place to protect workers from chemical exposure including proper ventilation.
Biological hazards
Biological hazards arise from coming into contact with organisms and other biological materials that can cause diseases. These hazards are found in environments where workers encounter blood, other bodily fluids, and pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
The most common types of biological hazards in the workplace include:
- Blood and other bodily fluids
- Mould or animal droppings in maintenance work
- Insect bites during outdoor roles
- Viral outbreaks, such as influenza
The industries with the greatest risk of exposure to biological hazards include:
- Healthcare
- Schools and childcare facilities
- Nursing homes
- Emergency medical services
- Laboratories
- Correctional facilities
Biological hazards can lead to illnesses ranging from mild infections to severe, life-threatening conditions. Employers must implement robust hygiene practices, provide vaccinations where applicable, and ensure employees are trained to recognise and report potential biological risks.
Ergonomic hazards
Ergonomic hazards are conditions that can cause harm to someone’s musculoskeletal system – bones, muscles and joints – such as sitting at a desk for long periods in a way that causes muscle strain and back pain.
Unlike many other workplace hazards, ergonomic harm may not be immediately apparent but often develops slowly over time due to repetitive strain or prolonged improper posture.
Ergonomic harm comes from working in the wrong posture, moving incorrectly and from poor working conditions. The most common workplace ergonomic hazards are:
- Poorly designed workstations and/or improper seating
- Repetitive motions such as typing or lifting
- Prolonged periods of sitting or standing without breaks
- Carrying heavy items and moving incorrectly
The most frequently experienced symptoms of ergonomic injuries at work include back pain, joint stiffness, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Early intervention is critical to limit the potential harm of ergonomic risk. Employers should conduct ergonomic assessments to optimise workspaces and educate employees on proper body mechanics, sitting posture and ways to move at work.
Physical hazards
Physical hazards are sources of harm in the working environment that can directly cause injury to you, such as colliding into you or causing a trip. Some physical harms don’t even need to make contact with you to cause harm, such as excessive noise or damage from radiation.
Physical hazards at work can be wide-ranging, including:
- Heavy objects falling
- Misplaced items that cause trips
- Falls from height
- Excessive noise from machinery
- Extreme temperatures in outdoor or industrial environments
- Exposure to radiation, including UV rays for workers outdoors
- Hazards from poorly maintained equipment
Physical hazards can cause a wide range of injuries and harm, from sunburn of employees working outdoors without protection and hearing loss caused by noisy environments to serious injuries caused by faulty equipment.
Employers have a duty of care to protect all employees and contractors from physical hazards. They must undertake thorough risk assessments and implement the necessary safety measures according to the work and environment. This could be soundproofing, temperature control, regular maintenance or effective employee training.
Other types of common workplace hazards
While most hazards in the workplace fall within the above four categories, there are other hazards to be aware of, and some that may be relatively unique to your place of work. These can include electrical and fire hazards, and even hazards resulting from aggression and violence in the workplace.
Just as with the hazards above, your employer has a duty of care to keep you safe at work by identifying hazards and taking the proper steps to mitigate them.
Identifying and assessing workplace health hazards
Proactively identifying and managing workplace hazards is central to preventing accidents. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a simple, step-by-step approach that both employers and employees should be involved in:
- Gather information
Review records, reports and observations from employees to identify potential hazards in the workplace.
- Conduct risk assessments
Perform regular risk assessments to make sure all hazards are identified and steps are taken to mitigate them. Make sure non-routine tasks are also covered.
- Analyse the data and trends
By collecting hazard data in one place, underlying patterns and causes of workplace injuries and illnesses can be identified, and measures can be taken to address them.
- Evaluate severity and likelihood
Hazards can be ranked in terms of both how severe they are, and how likely they are to occur. Hazards can be categorised as: minor and unlikely to occur, minor and likely to occur, severe and unlikely to occur, and severe and likely. This ensures the most pressing hazards can be identified, prioritised and addressed with appropriate resources.
By adopting these steps – and by ensuring that employees are involved at all stages – employers can fulfil their legal obligations and create safer working environments.
Accident at work claims
Unfortunately, workplace hazards can still lead to accidents at work. If you’ve been injured at work due to your employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.
Contact us today and our expert legal team can advise you on your rights and help you make a personal injury claim, whether that’s a work-related disease claim, an industrial injury claim, a forklift injury claim, a mesothelioma and other asbestos-related claim, or another.
Call us on 0333 400 4445 or fill in a contact form and we’ll get in touch promptly.