Chapter 1: Occupational Safety Hazards

Occupational safety and health is an area concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of
people engaged in in work or employment. The goals of occupational safety and health programs
include to foster a safe healthy work environment. Occupational safety and health (OSH) is
increasingly recognized by governments and international organizations as an important part of
public health. Occupational safety hazards are natural risks present in certain workplaces. Millions of
workers are at risk from exposure to physical, chemical, biological, or psychosocial hazards or a
combination.

Occupational health risk can be described as the possibility of suffering health impairments
from exposure to a hazard that originates in the working environment. The tem hazard typically refers
to the source of a risk.

Occupational safety and health can be important for moral, legal, and financial reasons. In
common-law jurisdictions, employers have a common law duty (reflecting an underlying moral
obligation) to take reasonable care for the safety of their employees. Good OSH practices can also
reduce employee injury and illness related costs, including medical care, sick leave and disability
benefit costs.

Workplace Hazards
Although work provides many economic and other benefits, a wide array of workplace hazards
also present risks to the health and safety of people at work. These include but are not limited to,
"chemicals, biological agents, physical factors, adverse ergonomic conditions, allergens, a complex
network of safety risks," and a broad range of psychosocial risk factors.

Physical and Mechanical Hazards

Physical hazards are common source of injuries in many industries. They are perhaps
unavoidable in certain industries but over time people have developed safety methods and procedures
to manage the risks of physical danger in the workplace.
 Falls
 Machine related – (burns, cuts, shear, stab)
 Confined spaces or having limited openings for entry and exit
 Noise
 Electrical injuries
 Temperature extremes

Biological and Chemical Hazards

These are substances used at work that are potentially hazardous to health. People can be
exposed to hazardous substances by being used directly in work activities, generated during work
activities, naturally occurring substances, and biological agents.
 Bacteria
 Virus
 Fungi - Mold
 Blood-borne pathogens
  Tuberculosis
 Heavy Metals
 Solvents
 Petroleum
 Fumes
 Highly-reactive chemicals
 Fire, conflagration and explosion hazards
Psychosocial Hazards
Psychosocial hazards are related to the way work is designed, organized and
managed, as well as the economic and social contexts of work and are associated with
psychiatric, psychosocial and/or physical injury or illness. Linked to psychosocial risks
are issues such as occupational stress and workplace violence which are recognized
internationally as major challenges to occupational health and safety.
 Precarious work contracts
 Increased worker vulnerability due to globalization
 New forms of employment contracts
 Feeling of job insecurity
 Aging workforce
 Long working hours
 Work intensification
 Lean production and outsourcing
 High emotional demands
 Poor work-life balance

The terminology used in OSH varies between countries, but generally speaking:

 A hazard is something that can cause harm if not controlled.

 The outcome is the harm that results from an uncontrolled hazard.
 A risk is a combination of the probability that a particular outcome will occur and
the severity of the harm involved.

“Hazard”, “risk”, and “outcome” are used in other fields to describe e.g. environmental
damage, or damage to equipment. However, in the context of OSH, “harm” generally
describes the direct or indirect degradation, temporary or permanent, of the physical,
mental, or social well-being of workers. For example, repetitively carrying out manual
handling of heavy objects is a hazard. The outcome could be a musculoskeletal disorder
(MSD) or an acute back or joint injury.
Common Work-Related Injuries in the Food Service Industry
1. Burns – an injury from contact with hot surfaces of equipment, flames, hot
food, liquids and others.
2. Cuts – a skin opening from an accidental incision of sharp objects can cause
exposure to blood-b0rne pathogens such as Hepatitis B and HIV.
3. Slips, trips, and falls – open ranges, stove doors, kitchen doors, trolleys,
stairs, defective ladders, foot stools, and wet, cluttered, or slippery floors are
common causes of injuries.
4. Fires – Accidental ignition of hot oils and greases, paper materials coming
into contact with hot stoves and ovens, faulty electrical equipment, wet
electrical equipment, and appliances are the usual causes of fires.
5. Ergonomic risks – injuries from repetitive motions; unchanging and/or
poor posture
when seating, kneeling, and standing; incorrect lifting techniques; and
forceful motions or grips on objects cause ergonomic risks.
6. Cleaning chemicals – cleaning products such as bleaches, oven cleaners,
floor cleaners, stainless steel cleaners, and ammonia solutions may require a
use of rubber gloves. If there is a risk of splashing chemicals near the eyes, a
face mask or goggles may be necessary. Skin irritation, dermatitis, or throat
irritation may arise from the frequent use of soap and detergents.
7. CO poisoning – carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of
solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels, such as charcoal, and causes death if there is
improper ventilation.
8. Heat stress – heat exhaustion and heat stroke can result from prolonged
exposure to hot equipment.
9. Cold stress – hyperthermia and similar risk can result from working in walk-
in refrigerators and freezers for prolonged periods of time, or handling frozen
food without preventive measures.

Reasons for Occupational Safety and Health Standards

The reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards are
as follows:
10.Moral – No employees or others associated with the work environment
should have to risk injury at work.
11.Economic – many governments realize that poor occupational safety and
health
performance results in extra costs for the state. Private companies also sustain
costs in the event of incidents at work.
3. Legal – OSH requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal
law; it is accepted that without the extra encouragement of potential;
regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their
implied moral obligations.