Environment
Are there areas in your workplace that are too bright, dark, hot, cold, dusty, dirty, messy, wet, etc.? Is it too noisy, or are dangerous gases, vapors, liquids, fumes, etc., present? Do you see short people working at workstations designed for tall people?
An noisy work environment can cause hearing damage.
Examples of environmental hazards include the following:
- High-decibel machinery such as jackhammers, factory production lines with loud machinery may cause hearing loss.
- Heavy equipment like bulldozers and cranes operating simultaneously may make it hard to hear other workers.
- Non-ionizing UV radiation from welding: Welders exposed to ultraviolet light without proper eye and skin protection.
- Microwave emissions can leak from industrial microwave ovens or communication equipment. In medical settings, radiologists and technicians can be exposed to ionizing x-rays without adequate shielding.
- Radioactive materials in research labs can expose workers while handling isotopes for experiments without proper containment.
- High humidity in indoor pools, greenhouses, or food processing plants where high humidity can lead to mold and equipment corrosion. Mold growth can be hazardous in damp areas such as basements or poorly ventilated bathrooms.
- Extreme heat can stress workers in foundries, steel mills, or outdoor construction sites during summer causing heat rash, cramps, fainting, and exhaustion. Extreme cold in refrigerated warehouses or outdoor jobs in winter climates can create hypothermia, frostbite, trenchfoot, and chilblains.
- Low oxygen levels in tanks, silos, and sewers where oxygen levels can drop to hazardous levels. High oxygen levels above 23.5% can increase the risk of fires. Areas with toxic fumes in chemical plants or waste treatment facilities may contain toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.
- Office environments with non-ergonomic furniture can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
- Work areas with insufficient lighting causing eye strain and accidents.
Equipment
Equipment hazards include all machines with moving parts and electricity. Examples include:
Heavy equipment is always dangerous.
- Loose clothing, hair, or jewelry can get caught in rotating shafts and conveyor belts.
- Body parts can be caught between moving parts or between a moving part and a stationary object in presses, stamping machines, printing presses or manufacturing lines.
- Sharp edges or blades that can cut or sever body parts when using saws and shears in woodworking and metalworking.
- Body parts can be drawn into machinery, often between two rollers or belts when using rolling mills in steel production.
- Workers can be struck by moving parts or objects ejected from machinery such as robot swinging arms and ejected parts.
- Contact with live electrical components, faulty wiring, and exposed electrical terminals can lead to a flow of electrical current through the body.
- Burns can be caused by electricity passing through the body or arcing when working with high voltage equipment.
- Electrical faults may cause sparks or overheating, leading to fires or explosions.
- A sudden release of electrical energy through the air can occur while working on high-voltage switchgear and circuit breakers
- Fatal injuries may be caused by exposure to high levels of electrical energy when working on high-voltage lines and equipment without proper de-energization.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-6. Which hazard category includes exposure to excessive noise levels?
You forgot to answer the question!