Employees and employers in New York both do their best to ensure that their working environments are clean, healthy, and safe. However, every workplace has its hazards. Some may be hiding in plain sight. Knowing how to identify these sources of injury can help you make your work truly safe.
Take One Step has divided workplace hazards into four primary categories. They consist of chemical, biological, ergonomic, and physical hazards. Chemical hazards include any chemical in liquid, solid or gas form that causes harm to human beings. Cleaning products, gasoline, and carbon monoxide are all chemical hazards. Biological hazards encompass all ranges of biological issues like insect bites, bacteria or germs, and bodily fluids. Ergonomic issues involve the impact of your working environment on your body. Examples include poor lighting, frequent lifting, or repetitive movement.
Finally, physical issues encompass most common workplace hazards. These are the hazards physically present in a workspace. Heavy or unguarded machinery, electrical cords or wires that aren’t properly maintained, loud noises, vibrations, ladder or scaffolding work, spills, and tripping hazards all fall under this category. Most workplaces have at least one or two of these things at some point, especially when it comes to spills or tripping hazards.
When you’re working to maintain a safer workplace environment, you want to keep an eye out for all four of these hazard types. Other hazards exist outside of these categories as well, and vigilance is the best way to ensure that the possibility of accidents is minimized.
