NSC:

Hazards are all around us both on and off the job. While some hazards might seem minor, from a burnt-out bulb to a cord stretched across a walkway, they can all create risks. But if we can identify hazards early, they can be reported and addressed to prevent injury and illness.

Keeping a watchful eye for safety is a skill we can all work on. The Campbell Institute at NSC offers research on visual literacy and the safety benefits of “learning to see.” As organizations mature along their safety journeys, risk assessments must also take a more sophisticated form. The Campbell Institute also offers a three-part white paper series on serious injury and fatality prevention.

Some hazards exist that can’t necessarily be seen, of which we should also be aware. These include impairment hazards. NSC promotes employer policies and procedures that define workplace impairment as anything that could impede one’s ability to function normally or safely, regardless of cause. Impairment can be caused by chemical factors, such as legal or illegal substances; physical factors, like fatigue; and psychosocial factors, like mental distress and stress. Learn more about impairment hazards.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are also very pervasive, affecting nearly one-quarter of the global population, and they are complex. They can include tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, ruptured or herniated discs, and sprains — just to name just a few.

 

NIOSH:

Recognizing hazards in the workplace is a first step to preventing injury and death. NIOSH offers several tools to help workers and employer identify hazards.

• EXAMiner is a PC-based application that allows mineworkers to search for hazards by performing a virtual workplace examination.
• The NIOSH Sound Level Meter mobile appis a tool to measure sound levels in the workplace and provide noise exposure parameters that empowers workers and employers to help reduce occupational noise-induced hearing loss.
• The NIOSH Lifting Equation mobile application, NLE Calc, is a tool to calculate the overall risk index for manual lifting tasks to reduce the incidence of low back injuries in workers.
• The Aerial Lift Hazard Recognition Simulator helps prevent falls and other injuries and deaths related to aerial lifts. From 2011-2014, 1,380 workers were injured and 87 died as a result of operating an aerial lift.
• The Youth at Work Talking Safety Curriculum is an engaging, free, data-driven classroom-based curriculum. It teaches teens to identify hazards in any workplace and other safety and health information.
• Direct reading technologies and devices using sensors can detect the presence of a chemical or physical hazard and identify a hazardous physical condition. For more information see the NIOSH Center for Direct Reading and Sensor Technologiesand the sensors category on the NIOSH Science Blog.
• Work-related fatigue can have serious consequences for worker health and safety. Fatigue detection technologies (FDTs) can help inform a fatigue risk management plan which can help keep workers safe. Learn how to select, implement, and set objectives for an FDT for your workplace.
• Firefighters are exposed to chemicals that could increase their risk of developing cancer. The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer is the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters. It is open to all firefighters, not just those with a cancer diagnosis.

After hazards are identified they can be prevented. A hierarchy of controls helps determine how to implement feasible and effective control solutions. One of the best ways to prevent and control occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities is to “design out” or minimize hazards and risks. NIOSH leads a national initiative called Prevention through Design (PtD). NIOSH, NSC, and the American Society of Safety Professionals present an annual PtD award honoring achievement in this area.