24 PalletCentral • March-April 2016 palletcentral.com
Hazard analysis is the first step in a process to assess risk, by
identifying different types of hazards (both threats to safety and
hazards to health). A hazard is basically any condition, event or
circumstances that could lead to or contribute to an unplanned
and undesirable event. When evaluating the workplace, consider
mechanical hazards, chemical hazards, and environmental or
physical agents that could harm personnel in the absence of
controls. Examples include: electricity, mobile equipment, toxic
chemicals, air contaminants, combustible dust and asbestos.
Sometimes the terms "hazard" and "risk" sometimes get used
interchangeably but they are, in fact, different. Hazard is the agent
that could cause harm with sufficient exposure or dose, whereas risk
is the probability that exposure to a hazard would lead to a negative
consequence. In other words, Risk = Hazard X Dose (Exposure).
Once workplace hazards have been fully identified, a risk
management approach helps to prioritize those risks with the
SAFETY
