Hazard identification

Types of hazards
A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm or injury to a person or
damage to plant or property. Hazards can result from:

the work environment

the use of machinery and substances

poor work design

inappropriate systems and procedures.

Common types of workplace hazards can be categorised as follows:

physical (noise, lighting, temperature)

chemical (poisons, dusts, vapours, fumes, hazardous substances)

biological (viruses, plants, parasites, blood, other body fluids)

mechanical (slips, trips and falls, manual handling, plant and equipment)

electrical (shock, ignition, plant and equipment)

psychological (stress, repetitive work, shift work, violence/aggression).

Other hazards that are more specific to the event environment may include:

temporary structures (construction, stability, crowd capacity, collapse)

dangerous or flammable materials (projectiles, fireworks, vehicles, exhaust

fumes, open fires, gas cylinders)

movement of heavy equipment (uneven sites, vicinity of other personnel,

scheduling)

spectators (public access, egress, behaviour)

weather (rain, hail, wind, heat, thunderstorms).

Hazard identification methods

Using a range of hazard identification methods and strategies increases your ability
to accurately identify all potential hazards within an event environment or other work
place.
The hazard identification step of the risk management process must be carried out in
a timely manner which may be on a predetermined basis such as monthly, quarterly
or annually. For events, hazard identification must occur at all phases of an event
including venue handover, bump-in, and bump-out as well as during the event.
These methods provide a benchmark by which hazards are able to be identified and
are used in conjunction with observing the work environment and work activities
undertaken in that environment. These types of benchmark strategies and tools are

located within OHS standards, codes of practice and guidelines relevant to your
industry, workplace and work activities from commonwealth, state and territory OHS
agencies.
Identification strategy

When and how used

Tools

Workplace inspection

Routine basis: daily, weekly, monthly,

quarterly.
Visual checking and discussion with work
colleagues by the manager and an
employee

Checklist outlining all areas to

be inspected within the
workplace/site
(sample below)

Job safety analysis

General observation of work practices

during the course of the work or prearranged and conducted by Area
Supervisors and work colleagues
Each stage of the work practice is recorded
and hazards and control measures
identified within each stage. This ensures
that the job is carried out in the safest
manner possible.

Job analysis work statement

to record the major steps in a
job process, corresponding
hazards within each step and
control measures for each
step.
(sample below)

Plant and equipment safety

check

These are pre-operational checks

conducted by the person using the plant or
equipment.

Checklist, eg amusement
equipment checklist, vehicle
checklists, electrical
equipment checklists

Manual handling checks

Completed by the Area Manager/Supervisor

and employees on tasks that contain
manual handling. These checks are
conducted on a scheduled basis; at least
once per year is recommended.

Checklist to itemise manual

handling movements

Review of workplace injury

and illness

This is conducted by the Area Manager and

the members of the organisations OHS
consultation committee/representatives or
management in general.

Accident reports, sick leave

forms and Injury/illness
register to record all details of
injuries and illnesses that
occur in the workplace

Investigation of
incidents/accidents

An investigation is conducted by the area

supervisor and another work colleague after
an incident has occurred.

Accident reports, investigation

documents to record all
information pertaining to the
incident/accident

Complaints/notification of
hazards from employee,
volunteers etc

These can occur at any time during work

activities and anyone can make a complaint
or notification.

Hazard report form to record

the details of identified
hazards

Feedback through
consultation mechanisms

This occurs when work colleagues meet to

discuss OHS issues.

Minutes of meetings

Specialist hazard identification

The following hazard identification strategies are generally carried out by specialists.
Identification strategy
Ergonomic assessment

When and how used

An ergonomic assessment refers to an
assessment undertaken at an individuals
workstation to ensure that the workstation is
set up to meet the individuals physical
requirements so as to avoid injuries such as
neck and back strain, eye strain, fatigue etc.

Tools
Checklist to itemise
appropriate ergonomic
working conditions

The assessment is usually carried out

initially at the employment of a worker and
on an annual basis to ensure that safe
working conditions are maintained.
Site safety audit

An audit conducted on a specific area or

activity or on a companys OHS
management system. This could include:
OHS responsibilities, risk management
process, work processes, tools and
equipment safety requirements, OHS
training, OHS reporting and recording.

Audit documentation outlining

all areas of the organisations
OHS management system

While this can be conducted by

management it is usually conducted by
external OHS auditors on an annual or biannual basis at the request of an
organisations executive management.
Environmental monitoring

Environmental monitoring is usually carried

out by specialists in their selected
environmental field. The fields may include
hazardous substances, confined spaces,
soil contamination, asbestos, noise and pest
control.

Environmental reports

Recording hazards
Once hazards have been identified they must be recorded and workplaces have a
hazard register that allows all relevant information to be recorded.
It is helpful to distinguish the hazard from the associated safety risk and the possible
outcome that may result if the hazard is left unchecked. Defining the three separately
will assist in the next phase of the process (i.e. risk assessment).
Event hazards may be considered as follows.

Hazard
(description of hazard and
location)

Safety risk
(consequences from the
hazard)

Possible outcomes
(if the hazard is not
controlled)

Contractors working at
height to install rigging
and equipment

Falling

Death

Climbing equipment failure

Permanent injury

Use of fork lift with other

personnel in the event
area

Person being hit by vehicle

Death

Exhaust fumes from

exhibition display, eg cars

Exhaust build up

Exhaust inhalation

Crowd crush

Death or injury

Boxes left in main

doorway

Trip hazard

Medical attention required

Wet floor from spilled

liquid

Slips and falls

First aid

Permanent injury

Burns if liquid is corrosive

Hazard identification tools

Two common hazard identification work tools are detailed below.

1 Workplace OHS inspection checklist

A workplace inspection checklist represents all the potential hazards that may be
apparent in a particular work environment by listing them on the checklist. The
checklist is then used to record whether the potential hazard is within the work
environment.
The checklist on the following page is a sample only and could be adapted for a
specific work or event site.

Workplace OHS inspection checklist

Date of inspection:
Inspection conducted by:
Inspection ratings:

Yes = all safety

measures being
followed No
hazards

No = safety
measures not
being followed
identified hazard

N/A = the question/issue is

not applicable for the
inspection being carried
out.
Give a reason for rating in
this category.

Inspection criteria
1. Access and exits
Are access and exit points to
and from event area clear and
free from obstruction?
Are access and exits clearly
marked?
Are access and exits well lit?
2. Emergency procedure
Are emergency procedure
developed and communicated
to all staff?
Are emergency exits clearly
marked and free from
obstructions?
Do employees know their role
and responsibilities in an
emergency?
Are correct fire extinguishers
available in the area and in
good working order?
3. First aid
Are first aid kits readily
available to all employees and
fully stocked?

NA

Comments

Are first aid personnel

available in the work area?
5. Chemicals
Are all chemicals stored and
labelled correctly?
Are chemicals stored
appropriately and kept to a
minimum?
Are procedures in place to
clean up any chemical spills?
Are gas cylinders stored
according to regulatory
standards?
Are chemicals in good working
order?
6. Electrical
Are all electrical leads checked
and tagged according to
regulatory requirements?
Are electrical leads used in a
safe manner?
Are electrical leads secured
appropriately to avoid trip
hazards?
7. Personal protective
equipment (PPE)
Is PPE equipment stored
appropriately?
Is PPE equipment in good
working order?
Are employees trained in the
correct use of PPE?
Are employees wearing PPE?
8. Manual handling

Are employees trained in safe

manual handling techniques?
Is mechanical lifting equipment
available for use by
employees?
Are employees using the
mechanical equipment?
Is team lifting practiced where
mechanical lifting devices are
not available?
9. Housekeeping
Is rubbish disposed of
appropriately at regular
intervals?
Is the area free from rubbish
lying around the site?
Are plant, tools and operational
materials packed away
appropriately and immediately
after use?
10. Work environment
Are the work areas free from
the glare of sunlight or
unshielded light?
Is the work space adequate for
the job undertaken?
Are shaded and sheltered
areas are provided?
Has a cleaning routine been
developed to maintain work
area in a hygienic standard?
Are personal wash areas
available and well maintained?
Are crowds controlled in
numbers and behaviour?
Is vehicle traffic controlled?

Has loud or constant noise

from activities been controlled?
11. Plant, equipment and
tools
Are all employees required to
use equipment and tools
trained in there use?
Are all equipment and tools
regularly maintained and in
good working order?
Does large equipment have a
designated area to be stored
which is clearly marked out on
the floor surface?
Is vehicle traffic controlled on
site?
12. Employee safety
Are employees trained in all
aspects of operational safety
within their job roles?
Do employees perform their
job roles safely?

2 Job safety analysis (JSA)

A job safety analysis (JSA) work statement is developed for work tasks that have a
medium to high level of risk of injury to individuals carrying out the work task and/or
those working in close vicinity of where the task is being carried out.
The purpose of the JSA statement is to provide a document that records the safest
way to undertake a work task. The development of the document must involve
consultation between the manager and the work group that is responsible for carrying
out the task. Once developed the task must be carried out by personnel according to
the JSA major steps and control measures.
The process of developing a JSA is undertaken in a four-step process:
1. Identify and record the major steps of the task.
2. Identify any hazards present in each step of the task.
3. Risk assess each hazard using a risk matrix.
4. Eliminate or provide controls for each hazard identified.
In this topic only the first two steps will be addressed:
1. Identify and record the major steps of the task
2. Identify any hazards present in each step of the task.
The following examples show a JSA statement, the basic details to be included and a
completed example. Other details that could be added to the form may include
training and instruction required for the job; references such as relevant regulations;
Australian standards, other work methods or codes of practice; tools and equipment
required; and any personal protective equipment required such as footwear, eye
protection, hearing protection, head wear and clothing protection.

Job safety analysis (JSA) Details to include

Company name:

Date:

Site name:

Permit required:

Contractor:

Approved by:

Activity:

Certificates of competency or licenses required by a

person undertaking the activity

Description of the work to be carried out

Job activities
List all of the tasks or operations carried out in your
area.
A task will describe the whole of an operation and will
usually be part of the production or service (eg the
operation of a machine, the production of a particular
product or the carrying out of a specific service).
You can identify the tasks by:
observing the work
discussing the work with the operator
drawing on your own knowledge or experience
a combination of the above.
To follow the flow of production for the work area, you
can record the tasks in their normal order of
occurrence.

Hazards
For each task ask yourself, or the investigation
team, what could be the effect on the safety or
health of the person carrying out that stage.
You can get answers by:

recalling past incidents

observing the conduct of the work

discussing it with the operator

a combination of the above.

Can the person be struck by or come into

contact with anything harmful?
Can the person be caught in, on or between
anything?
Can the person fall or have something fall on
them?
Can the person suffer a strain injury?
Is the person exposed to anything injurious such
as manual handling, electricity, chemicals etc?

Risk

Control measures

Job safety analysis (JSA) Example for operating a fork lift

Company name:

Date:

Site name:

Permit required:

Contractor:

Approved by:

Activity:

Fork lift licence

Operation of a fork lift

Job activities

OHS hazards

Undertake pre-start check of fork lift

Fork lift or parts of fork lift may be faulty

Access the fork lift

Competency of the operator

Ergonomic set up of the fork lift for visibility and
useability purposes

Start the fork lift

Unidentified mechanical faults

Pick up load

Unbalanced load leading to fork lift tilting or

tipping

Travel with loads

Speeding and decreased visibility collision

Loss of load tipping fork lift and damage to
goods

Set down loads

Loss of load tipping fork lift and damage to

goods
Load exceeding the safe working weight of the
set down point collapse of shelving

Park fork lift in appropriate bay

Inappropriate storage of fork lift can cause trip

hazards and knock injuries

Remove keys from fork lift

Unauthorised use of fork lift

Risk

Control measures