A-1 Workplace Hazards Introduction
Safety is a part of the job. When you take a job, you have a safety obligation to your employer, co-workers, family, and yourself. By recognizing and understanding the hazards in your work area, you can prevent many accidents. Most accidents are preventable. Both employees and employers must take responsibility for making the workplace safe.
Learning Objectives
You must be familiar with the typical hazards that you may encounter in the workplace.
After completing this section, you should be able to describe:
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- The causes and results of workplace accidents.
- The short- and long-term hazards in the trades.
- General safety precautions and procedures.
- Emergency equipment and facilities.
- How a workplace safety policy is established.
- Lockout and tagout procedures.
- Ladder and scaffold usage.
You will be required to reference publications and videos available online at WorkSafeBC.
Terminology
The following terms will be used throughout this section. A complete list of terms for this section can be found in the Glossary.
- accident: An unplanned event that may or may not result in an injury or property damage (Section A-1.1).
- airborne hazards: Hazards made of tiny particles or gases that float in the air and can be breathed into the lungs. (Section A-1.3)
- angle of repose: The steepest angle that soil or sand can be piled without sliding or falling. In trenching and excavation work, knowing the angle of repose helps workers decide how much to slope the sides of a trench so the soil stays stable and does not collapse. (Section A-1.2)
- benching: A way to make a trench safer by cutting the sides into flat steps, like stairs. These steps help support the soil and reduce the chance of the trench walls collapsing while workers are inside. (Section A-1.2)
- egress: A safe way to get out of a place. It usually refers to doors, hallways, stairs, or exits that people use to leave a building quickly and safely, especially in an emergency. (Section A-1.2)
- hazard assessment: Identifying physical and health hazards in the workplace. (Section A-1.1).
- hydraulic shoring: A way to keep a trench safe by using metal supports pushed into place with hydraulic pressure. These supports press against the trench walls to stop the soil from collapsing while workers are inside. (Section A-1.2)
- indirect costs (of an injury): Often overlooked; costs can amount to up to four times the direct cost of the injury; include administrative time dealing with the injury and medical care, loss of production, raises in premiums, replacing the injured employee’s lost hours of employment by hiring another employee, loss of reputation and confidence in employees and clients, unwanted media attention, and more. (Section A-1.1)
- Job Safety Analysis (JSA): Each step of a task is examined for potential hazards. (Section A-1.1)
- off-gassing: The release of chemicals into the air from materials like paint, carpets, or new furniture. (Section A-1.3)
- musculoskeletal injuries (MSI): Injuries to muscles, joints, or tendons caused by lifting, repeating movements, or overworking the body. (Section A-1.3)
- short-term hazard: Any hazard that may cause injury and/or illness and that may be remedied in a short period of time. (Section A-1.2)
- Task Safety Analysis (TSA): Often used for routine or recurring tasks, which involves completing a pre-printed checklist. (Section A-1.1)
- timber and plank shoring: A way to keep a trench safe by using wooden boards and supports to hold up the sides of the trench. The wood is placed against the trench walls to help stop the soil from collapsing while workers are inside. (Section A-1.2)
- trench shields (or trench boxes): Prefabricated structures. These are not adjustable within the trench and are designed to protect the workers, should a collapse occur, whereas shoring is designed to prevent the walls from collapsing. (Figure 3, Section A-1.2)
- trench shoring: A way to hold up the sides of a trench so they do not fall in. Strong supports, such as metal or wooden panels, are placed against the trench walls to keep workers safe while they work inside. (Section A-1.2)
- trench sloping: A way to make a trench safer by cutting the sides at an angle instead of straight up and down. The sloped sides help stop the soil from collapsing into the trench. (Section A-1.2)
- Workers’ Compensation Boards (WCB): Independent agents that enforce provincial mandates in the area of workers’ health and safety and compensation. WorkSafeBC is the agent for WCB in British Columbia. (Section A-1.1)
