A+ 2024/2025
HRAC - ✔️✔️Hazard recognition, hazard assessment and hazard control
Hazard Recognition - ✔️✔️The systematic task of identifying all hazards present or
potentially present in a workplace. It's always the first step of any HRAC process.
Hazard Assessment - ✔️✔️Workers and employers which of the hazards needs to be
addressed most urgently.
Hazard Control - ✔️✔️The process used to establish preventative and corrective
measures implemented to eliminate or mitigate the effect of the hazard.
Hierarchy of Controls - ✔️✔️A system used to control workplace risks. It's a step by step
approach to eliminating or reducing risks ranking from most effective to least.
Five Controls in Hierarchy of Controls - ✔️✔️1. Elimination
2. Substitution
3. Engineering Controls
4. Administrative Controls
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Elimination - ✔️✔️Removes the hazard from the worksite
Substitution - ✔️✔️Replaces something that produces a hazard with something that does
not.
Engineering Controls - ✔️✔️Modifications to the workplace, equipment, materials or work
processes that reduces workers exposure to hazards.
Administrative Controls - ✔️✔️Changes to work process, policies, training or rules
designed to reduce exposure to hazards.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - ✔️✔️Equipment worn by workers designed to
protect them if they come in contact with hazard.
Physical Hazards - ✔️✔️Noise and vibration, temperature, radiation and ergonomics.
When is noise harmful to workers? - ✔️✔️Three characteristics affect when noise
becomes a hazard: frequency, duration and loudness. Noise can lead to permanent
hearing loss.
,When does vibration become harmful to workers? - ✔️✔️When a worker comes into
contact with vibration causing energy to be transferred to the worker. There are two
common types of vibration that are important to
OHS: whole body vibration and segmental vibration.
Whole Body Vibration - ✔️✔️When a workers entire body experiences shaking due to
vibration. Can lead to lower spine damage or even internal organ damage.
Segmental Vibration - ✔️✔️When only parts of the body are affected by vibration. Most
common and concerning form is hand-arm vibration.
When does temperature become a hazard? - ✔️✔️When temperature extremes prevent
our bodies from properly self regulating we experience thermal stress. Temperatures
that are too high can cause heat stroke and temperatures that are too low can cause
hypothermia.
Radiation - ✔️✔️Any energy emitted from a source including heat, light, x-rays,
microwaves and more. It is categorized in two forms: ionizing and non-ionizing.
Ionizing Radiation - ✔️✔️Radiation with enough strength to remove electrons from a
molecule as it passes through. The electron loss causes the molecule to become
positively charged (ion) Ex/ X-rays, gamma rays.
Non-ionizing Radiation - ✔️✔️Does not ionize molecules but can have other affects. Ex/
microwaves, ultraviolet, radio waves.
Ergonomics - ✔️✔️"Fit the job to the worker, not the worker to the job" Ergonomics seeks
to ensure that the design of the work matches the anatomical, physiological and
psychological needs of the worker. A common health affect of ergonomics is repetitive
strain injuries (RSI).
Noise and vibration controls - ✔️✔️Most effective: elimination, substitution or engineering
controls. Most common yet least effective are time restrictions or PPE.
Temperature Controls - ✔️✔️Most effective control is limiting exposure to hazardous
temperatures. Other controls include relocating work, installing heating/cooling devices,
work-rest cycles, preventing working alone and minimizing manual effort.
Radiation Controls - ✔️✔️Most effective: engineering controls. Other controls include
PPE and substitution.
Ergonomic Controls - ✔️✔️Most effective: engineering controls, administrative controls.
, How do chemical hazards affect the human body? - ✔️✔️cause harm to tissue or
interfere with normal physiological functioning when they enter the body. Some
chemicals irritate tissue while others poison our system or organs.
Four points of entry for chemicals - ✔️✔️1. respiration (most common)
2. absorption through skin (also most common)
3. ingestion
4. through cuts in skin
Biological Hazards - ✔️✔️Organisms or product of organisms (ex/ blood, feces) that harm
human health. Three types: fungi, viruses and bacteria. Insect stings, bites, poisonous
plants and animals and allergens are also hazards.
OELs - ✔️✔️Occupational Exposure Limits.
Critiques of how OELs are set - ✔️✔️- OELs assume a standard employment relationship
with single employer and 8 hour shifts.
- Many workers have multiple jobs and are exposed to chemicals at both jobs.
- These combined exposures may exceed OEL
- OHS regulations do not require employers to consider other exposures at other jobs or
in the community.
- Most OELs are set for young, healthy men but standards applied to both genders.
- OELs don't take into account varying individuals sensitivities to chemicals.
Precautionary Principle - ✔️✔️When a substance is suspected of being harmful to
workers, the public or the environment but there is no scientific consensus on the
question, so those seeking to use the substance must prove it's not harmful.
Pyscho-Social Hazards - ✔️✔️Stress and fatigue, violence, bullying and harassment and
working alone.
5 major sources of stress - ✔️✔️1. job characteristics such as workload, pace and
working conditions
2. level of responsibility in workplace including clarity of their role
3. job security, career development, promotions
4. problematic relationship with supervisor, co-worker including harassment and
discrimination
5. overall organizational structure and climate.
4 ways workers respond to workplace harassment and bullying - ✔️✔️1. Exit - quits or
transfers
2. Voice - speaks up
3. Patience - does nothing and hopes it improves
4. Neglect - does nothing