Workplace Safety Issues

The common types of safety hazards in the workplace are:

• Slips, trips and falls
• Being caught in or struck by moving machinery or other objects
• Fire and explosions
• Transportation and vehicle‐related accidents
• Confined spaces
• Violence

Slips, Trips and Falls

· Bad housekeeping and poor drainage can make floors and other walking surfaces wet and slippery.

· Electrical wires along the floor pose a tripping hazard.

· You can fall if you are not provided with fall protection equipment, guardrails, and safe ladders.

Caught In or Struck By Moving Machinery/Objects

· Machinery can cause injuries in different ways:

· You can get parts of your body caught in or struck by exposed moving parts if machines are not properly guarded, or not locked out when being repaired.

· You can be struck by flying objects from machines without protective guards.

Fire and Explosions

· Improper labelling, handling or storage of certain materials can pose a risk of fire or explosion.

· Every workplace should have an evacuation plan for getting people out of a building in case of fire and an alarm or alert system to quickly inform employees of an emergency.

· Every worker should be trained on what to do in case of an emergency.

Transportation and Vehicle‐Related Accidents

· Operators of vehicles and equipment can be injured or cause injury to pedestrians if equipment is unsafe or if adequate training has not been provided.

· You can be seriously injured or killed after being hit by a vehicle while repairing roads or doing other work in traffic zones. This danger exists when traffic is not properly routed and/or adequate barriers are not placed between the workers and the traffic.

Confined Spaces

· A confined space is an area with small openings for a worker to enter and exit and is not designed for regular work. Examples of confined spaces include manholes, sewer digestors and silos. There are many hazards in confined spaces.

· Workers can become unconscious and die from a lack of oxygen.

· There may be too much oxygen, or other chemicals that can catch fire or explode.

· Poisonous gases and vapors, such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide, may also build up in a confined space.

· Confined spaces can also pose physical hazards. They can be very hot or cold, very loud, or slippery and wet.

· Grain, sand or gravel can bury a worker.

Violence

· Violence on the job is a growing problem.

· Homicides are the second leading cause of workplace fatalities. Workplace violence includes physical assault as well as near misses, verbal abuse and sexual harassment.