HAZARDS IN WORKPLACE

Gordon Nyakiti Kenya School of Agriculture P.O. 1909 10100 Nyeri

INTRODUCTION
Occupational anything connected with a persons job or profession Health state of being physically and mentally fit Safety state of being safe and protected form danger or harm Occupational health and safety - is health and safety that is connected with a persons job or profession.

WORKPLACE HAZARDS Definition

Hazard - is any condition or situation that has potential for causing harm or damage to exposed persons or property. Risk - the probability/likelihood of occurrence of an adverse effect from a substance on pple or environment combined with the magnitude of the consequence of that adverse effect. Dangerous situation or condition whose risk is high.

EFFECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL/WORKPLACE HAZARDS

Occupational accidents which result

into personal injury, death and damage to properties.

Occupational diseases and other work

related diseases

RECOGNISING HAZARDS
Hazards may be easily recognized in 3 ways
Five common senses

Using modern work environment

monitoring tools.
Experience
Hazards not recognized cannot be evaluated and controlled

1. Five Senses
Sense of smell alerts a person to the

presence of a wide range of chemicals and other substances. Sense of hearing alerts one to the presence of high levels of noise or defect in machinery Heat and cold can be recognized through feeling Eyesight is a very important in identifying hazards through observation. Taste can enable one to recognize a problem in what is being taken orally.

TYPES OF HAZARDS
Hazards are often grouped into six types as follows.

Mechanical hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological hazards Physiological/ergonomics hazards Psychological/ social factors

Mechanical hazards
Machines that are unguarded, poorly

designed, or manufactured, or maintained. Mobile machines-traffic accidents Poorly designed Tools and Equipments Condition of floors and gangways Unprotected workstations at a height Poor house keeping

Mechanical hazards.
The direct causes of the accidents include the following;
contact with dangerous rotating parts of machines, trappings by in running nips of machinery, entanglement, explosions, ejections, falls of persons and hit by falling objects

PHYSICAL HAZARDS.
These are forms of energies; Noise-noise induced hearing loss and ear irritation Vibration- vibration white fingers (dead hand) Ionizing Radiation- x-rays, gamma raysleading to mutation and cancers Non-ionizing Radiation - UV eye arccataracts Light- glare- eye strain

PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Extreme hot temperatures- heat stress, heat

exhaustion Extreme cold temperatures- frost bite High Pressures and low Pressures decompression sickness. Electrical energies- electrocution, electric fog and electric shock
Adverse health effects may occur as a result of

excessive exposure to the above forms of energies.

Chemical hazards
Chemical substances can be found in

the work environment in the following states; solids, dust, liquids, gases, vapours, mists, fumes etc. Examples of chemicals used at work are; pesticides, insecticides solvents, fertilizers, metals, acids, alkalis etc

Routes of access to body

Skin absorption. Ingestion Inhalation

Effects of exposure.
Local effects such as burns or irritation

at the point of contact.

It can also be transported to other parts

of the body and affect the body system.

The body response may be immediate or take a long time.

Effects to health
Irritation Asphyxiation (oxygen starvation) Systemic poisons eg lead Nervous system in various ways.

Cancers eg benzene cause leukaemia

and asbestos causes cancer of the lungs (Mesothelioma). Allergic reaction Possible damage the reproductive system and non-heritable birth defects

Other effects
Explosions e.g. solvents, cooking gas,

petrol may cause fire

Environmental damage. Harm living

organisms such as plants, animals, insects, fish etc

Biological hazards
Bacteria Viruses Moulds- found on hay and baggase Animals bites and kicks Animal products Plants- such as pollen Insect bites- eg bee and wasp Vegetable dust- cotton dust and sisal

Physiological/ergonomics hazards
Work station design Badly positioned switches Work organization-shift work etc Heavy weights- strength to task Wrong lifting postures Monotonous work Underage-child labour

Psychological/ social factors

Ignorance Over/under supervision Poor human relations Long working hours Inadequate training and instruction Terms and conditions of employment Sexual harassment Violence Drug abuse Stress Personalizing issues

END