Lesson 2

Occupational health
and
safety
Unit 2; Hazard in the
Work area
> 6 main categories of hazards
-Biological Hazard
-Chemical Hazard
-Physical Hazard
-Safety Hazard
-Ergonomic Hazard
-Phycological Hazard 
 Unit 3; Precautionary
Measures
> Practice house keeping
>Use Correct Labelling
>Protect Yourself in Machinery
>Follow the Findings of the Risk Assessment
>Report any problems
>Wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment 
 Learning outcomes
At the end of this Lesson,
• Learner's can indentify the signs and symbols of
hazard and safety
• Can the enumerate the hazards and 6
precautionary measures
• Apply the precautionary measures while
working in their own workplace
 Unit 1; signs and symbols of
Hazard and safety
•Safety signs can be a tricky business. Some have words and a clear message,
while many rely on visual symbols to warn of potential danger.
•There are two different types of safety symbols: one refers to general safety
protocols, while the other is used specifically for labeling chemicals that may be
hazardous
•Signs and symbols are no substitute for training, but they do serve as important
reminders. They can be particularly helpful for workers who are not familiar with a
specific area or process. A simple sign with a safety symbol allows workers to
efficiently identify the potential hazard and make an immediate decision.
“HAZARD”
Hazard Symbols
 29 GHS Hazard Classes

Hazard classes are broken into 3 Types:

-Physical Hazard (17 Classes)

-Health Hazard (10 Classes)
-Environmental Hazard (2 Classes)
 Personal
Protection
Pictograms
 4 Key Types of Safety Symbols
Most safety signs and symbols fall into one of
four categories:
• Prohibition
• Warning
• Mandatory
• Emergency
Each category has its own specific colour and sign shape that remains consistent
around the world as per safety regulations.
 By getting to know the key characteristics of each type of symbol, you’ll be able
to easily identify whether a sign is asking you to stop doing something, start doing
something, take precautions, or advising you of emergency equipment or
facilities
Safety signs

SHAPES
COLOURS
POCKET GUIDES
Safety signs-SHAPES
Triangles
Circles
Squares or rectangles
A Circle with a 45
degrees diagonal
slash across the
middle from the upper
left to the lower right
 Safety signs-SHAPES

1. 2. 3. 4.

or
 Safety sign - colours
The colours used in workplace safety signs and symbols are red, yellow, blue and
green.
 Safety sign - Pocket Guides
Simple pocket guide Ex.
with at a glance guide
to the different colours
and symbols
used in safety signs
make excellent
reference material for
workplace safety
training and can be
issued as part of new
employee induction
training
Unit 2; Hazard in the
Work area
> 6 main categories of hazards
-Biological Hazard
-Chemical Hazard
-Physical Hazard
-Safety Hazard
-Ergonomic Hazard
-Psychosocial Hazard 
 unit 2; Hazard in the
Work area
The words ‘risk’ and ‘hazard’ are often used interchangeably.
However, if you are responsible for managing the health and safety
in your workplace, it’s important that you understand the
difference between them.
6 main categories of Hazards are;
• Biological
• Chemical
• Physical
• Safety
• Ergonomic
• Psychosocial
• Biological. Biological hazards include
viruses, bacteria, insects, animals,
etc., that can cause adverse health
impacts.
 • 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.
 Unit 3; Precautionary
Measures
> Practice house keeping
>Use Correct Labelling
>Protect Yourself in Machinery
>Follow the Findings of the Risk Assessment
>Report any problems
>Wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment 
 1. Practice Better
Housekeeping
You should always try to keep the premises tidy and free from
obstructions.Ensure you don’t block any fire exits, cut out switches, and other
things that you may
need in case of emergency. Avoid the need for trailing cables by conducting
activities closer to the plug socket. You should also maintain a tidy and
clutterfree work area at all times.
Furthermore, it’s your employer’s responsibility to ensure that the working
conditions are appropriate and fit for you to work in. As a result, you should
have adequate lighting and ventilation systems and your employer must display
current, undamaged safety signs
2. Use correct labelling
You can easily reduce the hazard of chemicals in unmarked
containers if you
ensure that all chemicals are correctly labelled at all times.
To reduce the risk of
chemical splashes and spills, you should also make sure that
chemicals are stored
in appropriate containers and the lids are tightly secured.
 3. Protect yourself in
machinery
Machinery is dangerous and your employer must train you in
how to use it
correctly. Follow their instructions and remember to turn off
all machinery after
use or if you leave it unattended. You must also fit the
appropriate screens and guards back onto machinery after
use and ensure that you fence off any
dangerous areas, such as pits.
 4. follow the findings of
the Risk assessment
By law, your employer must to carry out a risk assessment of your premises. This is
to identify any hazards and implement control measures to reduce them. The risk
assessment can be used to recognise a range of hazards, including:

• The risk of fire.

• Any task that requires lone working or working in confined spaces.
• Any slip, trip, or fall hazards.
• Hazardous substances, such as chemicals, and items, such as sharps.
5. Report any problems
You should report any problems to your employer. This
includes equipment
defects, missing or broken guards and screens, poor
housekeeping procedures,
obstructions, any accidents and near misses, and anything
else that you think is
putting your health and safety at risk. Your employer can’t
fix problems if they
don’t know about them.
6.Wear Ppe (personal
protective equipment
When your employer conducts the risk assessment they
should identify whether
you need to wear any personal protective equipment (PPE).
The type of PPE you
need depends on the task at hand. Common types of PPE in
workshops includes
eye protection, hearing protection, gloves, respiratory
protective equipment (like
masks), and overalls.
Thank you!!