Hazard and Risk : OSH Answers - Canadian Centre for ...

Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard. It may also apply to situations ... Skiptomaincontent Skiptositeinformation Youarehere: Home OSHAnswers HealthandSafetyPrograms OSHAnswersFactSheets Easy-to-read,question-and-answerfactsheetscoveringawiderangeofworkplacehealthandsafetytopics,fromhazardstodiseasestoergonomicstoworkplacepromotion.MOREABOUT> DownloadthefreeOSHAnswersapp Searchallfactsheets: Search SEARCH Typeaword,aphrase,oraskaquestion HELP CLOSEALL Whatisahazard? Themeaningofthewordhazardcanbeconfusing.Oftendictionariesdonotgivespecificdefinitionsorcombineitwiththeterm"risk".Forexample,onedictionarydefineshazardas"adangerorrisk"whichhelpsexplainwhymanypeopleusethetermsinterchangeably.Therearemanydefinitionsforhazardbutthemostcommondefinitionwhentalkingaboutworkplacehealthandsafetyis:Ahazardisanysourceofpotentialdamage,harmoradversehealtheffectsonsomethingorsomeone.Basically,ahazardisthepotentialforharmoranadverseeffect(forexample,topeopleashealtheffects,toorganizationsaspropertyorequipmentlosses,ortotheenvironment).Sometimestheresultingharmisreferredtoasthehazardinsteadoftheactualsourceofthehazard.Forexample,thediseasetuberculosis(TB)mightbecalleda"hazard"bysomebut,ingeneral,theTB-causingbacteria(Mycobacteriumtuberculosis)wouldbeconsideredthe"hazard"or"hazardousbiologicalagent". Whatareexamplesofahazard? Workplacehazardscancomefromawiderangeofsources.Generalexamplesincludeanysubstance,material,process,practice,etc.thathastheabilitytocauseharmoradversehealtheffecttoapersonorproperty.SeeTable1.Table1ExamplesofHazardsandTheirEffectsWorkplaceHazardExampleofHazardExampleofHarmCausedThingKnifeCutSubstanceBenzeneLeukemiaMaterialMycobacteriumtuberculosisTuberculosisSourceofEnergyElectricityShock,electrocutionConditionWetfloorSlips,fallsProcessWeldingMetalfumefeverPracticeHardrockminingSilicosisBehaviourBullyingAnxiety,fear,depressionWorkplacehazardsalsoincludepracticesorconditionsthatreleaseuncontrolledenergylike:anobjectthatcouldfallfromaheight(potentialorgravitationalenergy),arun-awaychemicalreaction(chemicalenergy),thereleaseofcompressedgasorsteam(pressure;hightemperature),entanglementofhairorclothinginrotatingequipment(kineticenergy),orcontactwithelectrodesofabatteryorcapacitor(electricalenergy).PleaseseetheOSHAnswersonHazardIdentificationformoreinformation. Whatisrisk? Riskisthechanceorprobabilitythatapersonwillbeharmedorexperienceanadversehealtheffectifexposedtoahazard.Itmayalsoapplytosituationswithpropertyorequipmentloss,orharmfuleffectsontheenvironment.Forexample:theriskofdevelopingcancerfromsmokingcigarettescouldbeexpressedas:"cigarettesmokersare12times(forexample)morelikelytodieoflungcancerthannon-smokers",or"thenumberper100,000smokerswhowilldeveloplungcancer"(actualnumberdependsonfactorssuchastheirageandhowmanyyearstheyhavebeensmoking).Theserisksareexpressedasaprobabilityorlikelihoodofdevelopingadiseaseorgettinginjured,whereashazardreferstotheagentresponsible(i.e.smoking).Factorsthatinfluencethedegreeorlikelihoodofriskare:thenatureoftheexposure:howmuchapersonisexposedtoahazardousthingorcondition(e.g.,severaltimesadayoronceayear),howthepersonisexposed(e.g.,breathinginavapour,skincontact),andtheseverityoftheeffect.Forexample,onesubstancemaycauseskincancer,whileanothermaycauseskinirritation.Cancerisamuchmoreseriouseffectthanirritation. Whatisariskassessment? Riskassessmentistheprocesswhereyou:Identifyhazardsandriskfactorsthathavethepotentialtocauseharm(hazardidentification).Analyzeandevaluatetheriskassociatedwiththathazard(riskanalysis,andriskevaluation).Determineappropriatewaystoeliminatethehazard,orcontroltheriskwhenthehazardcannotbeeliminated(riskcontrol).TheOSHAnswersdocumentonRiskAssessmenthasdetailsonhowtoconductanassessmentandestablishpriorities. Arethereothertermsusedtodescribetheseprocesses? Itiscommontoseetheprocessofidentifyinghazardsandassessingthecorrespondingrisktobedescribedinvariousways,including“hazardassessment”,“hazardandriskassessment”,“allhazardsriskassessment”,etc.Regardlessoftheterminologyused,thecriticalstepsaretomakesuretheworkplacehastakenasystematicapproachthatlooksforanyhazards(existingorpotential),hastakeappropriatestepstodeterminethelevelofriskofthesehazards,andthentakenmeasurestocontroltheriskoreliminatethehazard.DocumentationfromCCOHSwillusetheterms“hazardidentification”and“riskassessment”todescribetheprocessoffirstlookingforhazards,thendeterminingthelevelofriskfromthathazard.Hazardcontroldescribesthestepsthatcanbetakentoprotectworkersandtheworkplace. Whatisanadversehealtheffect? Ageneraldefinitionofadversehealtheffectis"anychangeinbodyfunctionorthestructuresofcellsthatcanleadtodiseaseorhealthproblems".Adversehealtheffectsinclude:bodilyinjury,disease,changeinthewaythebodyfunctions,grows,ordevelops,effectsonadevelopingfetus(teratogeniceffects,fetotoxiceffects),effectsonchildren,grandchildren,etc.(inheritablegeneticeffects)decreaseinlifespan,changeinmentalconditionresultingfromstress,traumaticexperiences,exposuretosolvents,andsoon,andeffectsontheabilitytoaccommodateadditionalstress. Willexposuretohazardsintheworkplacealwayscauseinjury,illnessorotheradversehealtheffects? Notnecessarily.Toanswerthisquestion,youneedtoknow:whathazardsarepresent,howapersonisexposed(routeofexposure,aswellashowoftenandhowmuchexposureoccurred),whatkindofeffectcouldresultfromthespecificexposureapersonexperienced,therisk(orlikelihood)thatexposuretoahazardousthingorconditionwouldcauseaninjury,ordiseaseorsomeincidencecausingdamage,andhowseverewouldthedamage,injuryorharm(adversehealtheffect)befromtheexposure.Theeffectscanbeacute,meaningthattheinjuryorharmcanoccurorbefeltassoonasapersoncomesincontactwiththehazardousagent(e.g.,asplashofacidinaperson'seyes).Someresponsesmaybechronic(delayed).Forexample,exposuretopoisonivymaycauseredswellingontheskintwotosixhoursaftercontactwiththeplant.Ontheotherhand,longerdelaysarepossible:mesothelioma,akindofcancerintheliningofthelungcavity,candevelop20yearsormoreafterexposuretoasbestos.Oncethehazardisremovedoreliminated,theeffectsmaybereversibleorirreversible(permanent).Forexample,ahazardmaycauseaninjurythatcanhealcompletely(reversible)orresultinanuntreatabledisease(irreversible). Whattypesofhazardsarethere? Acommonwaytoclassifyhazardsisbycategory:biological-bacteria,viruses,insects,plants,birds,animals,andhumans,etc.,chemical-dependsonthephysical,chemicalandtoxicpropertiesofthechemical,ergonomic-repetitivemovements,impropersetupofworkstation,etc.,physical-radiation,magneticfields,pressureextremes(highpressureorvacuum),noise,etc.,psychosocial-stress,violence,etc.,safety-slipping/trippinghazards,inappropriatemachineguarding,equipmentmalfunctionsorbreakdowns. CLOSEALL DocumentlastupdatedonJuly10,2020 Addabadgetoyourwebsiteorintranetsoyourworkerscanquicklyfindanswerstotheirhealthandsafetyquestions. GETTHEBADGE What'sNew CheckoutourWhat’sNewlistingtoseewhathasbeenaddedorrevised. Needmorehelp? ContactourSafetyInfoLine 905-572-2981 Tollfree1-800-668-4284 (inCanadaandtheUnitedStates) ASKAQUESTION Telluswhatyouthink Howcanwemakeourservicesmoreusefulforyou?Contactustoletusknow. RelatedProductsandServices YoumayalsobeinterestedinthefollowingrelatedproductsandservicesfromCCOHS: Databases CanadianenviroOSHLegislation(plusStandards) Courses Health&SafetyTrainingforManagersandSupervisors HazardIdentification,AssessmentandControl BusinessCaseforHealthandSafety Publications ImplementinganOccupationalHealthandSafety(OH&S)Program JobSafetyAnalysisMadeSimple Disclaimer Althougheveryeffortismadetoensuretheaccuracy,currencyandcompletenessoftheinformation,CCOHSdoesnotguarantee,warrant,represent orundertakethattheinformationprovidediscorrect,accurateorcurrent.CCOHSisnotliableforanyloss,claim,ordemandarisingdirectlyor indirectlyfromanyuseorrelianceupontheinformation.