Health and Safety Practices in the Workplace

Lesson 1

Introduction
Health and safety of every worker should be a priority. Safety and Security procedures will have to be
implemented in the workplace. Dining halls and bakeries, though not considered as high risk areas, still need to be
given attention as hazards may still occur.

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Determine the following terms and explain
2. Discuss the importance of hazards and risk in the workplace
3. Make use of the PPE when working in the laboratory area.

Topic Outline

1. Definition of terms
2. Hazards and Risk
3. Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing

Try this!
Identify the following terms:
Internal medicine 1.A remedy counteracting a prison.
PEE(Personal protecrive equipment) 2.Refers to device worn by workers to protect them against hazards in the
work environment
Safety 3.Free from danger, risk, or injury.
Bacteria 4.A simple single cell microorganism.
Toxic substance 5.A poisonous substance that makes you sick.
Risk 6.Is a chance or probability that a person will be harm.
Air cargo 7.Carried by air
 See if you can do this!

Answer the following items:

1. Define the following: (1 pt. each)

a. Sanitation
The process of making something sanitary, as by cleaning or disinfecting.
b. Occupational Hazard
An occupational hazard is a hazard experienced in the workplace. Occupational hazards can
encompass many types of hazards, including chemical hazards, biological hazards (biohazards),
psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards.

c. Hazard
A hazard is an agent which has the potential to cause harm to a vulnerable target. Hazards can
be both natural or human induced. Sometimes natural hazards such as floods and drought can
be caused by human activity.
d. Molds

e. Grounded
The definition of grounded is someone or something stable, sincere, practical or firmly
established, or an aircraft or pilot that is being kept from flying. An example of grounded is
someone who reacts calmly in a crisis.
2. What are the types of workplace hazards? Define each (1 pt each)

Biological. Biological hazards include viruses, bacteria, insects, animals, etc., that can cause
adverse health impacts. For example, mould, blood and other bodily fluids, harmful plants,
sewage, dust and vermin.

Chemical. Chemical hazards are hazardous substances that can cause harm. These hazards can
result in both health and physical impacts, such as skin irritation, respiratory system irritation,
blindness, corrosion and explosions.

Physical. Physical hazards are environmental factors that can harm an employee without
necessarily touching them, including heights, noise, radiation and pressure.

Safety. These are hazards that create unsafe working conditions. For example, exposed wires or
a damaged carpet might result in a tripping hazard. These are sometimes included under the
category of physical hazards.

Ergonomic. Ergonomic hazards are a result of physical factors that can result in musculoskeletal
injuries. For example, a poor workstation setup in an office, poor posture and manual handling.

Psychosocial. Psychosocial hazards include those that can have an adverse effect on an

employee’s mental health or wellbeing. For example, sexual harassment, victimisation, stress and
workplace violence.