A presentation for training Safety Committees and others with accident prevention duties. This format replaces the "checklist inspection" with a method that stresses "what can happen" - a job analysis approach to safety audits.

1. Hazard Recognition Training
The “What if…” of Accident
Prevention
Allen Jingst, CIE
Safety / Ergonomics Consulting

2. What is “Hazard Recognition”
 A method to identify workplace hazards.
 An observation tool for understanding how
both unsafe conditions and actions occur.
 Hazard Recognition goes “beneath” the
obvious hazards to their underlying causes.

3. Why Hazard Recognition?
 Facility Inspections -  Hazard Recognition -
– Focus is mostly on – Universally applicable.
unsafe conditions. – Uses a questioning
– However, Unsafe format, rather than a
Actions account for checklist or audit.
most workplace – Can be used to
hazards. augment or better
– Requires an in-depth address other facility
knowledge. inspection methods.
– Limited by “checklist – Provides a “Pro-active”
approach”. approach.

4. Hazard Recognition Concept
 Key Concept / Question:
– What hazard Causes exist here?
 Look for Causes in a given work situation:
– General duties of a Job .
– Specific Tasks within the job.
– Workstation or site.
– Work method or process.
 Ask “What if…?”

5. The Basic Causes of Hazards
Falls - Struck by -
Striking against - Caught -
Contact by / with - Inhalation / Ingestion -
Over-exertion - Cumulative Trauma -

6. Falls -
 On the Same Level
– Slip due to…
– Trip due to…
– Haste, slope, etc.
 To a Lower Level
– Balance / posture
– Slip or Trip due to…
– 3 points of contact?
– While performing
another task.

7. Struck by -
 The object provides the force or action, such as the
following:
– A Moving Object strikes the worker...
• Misdirected Hand Tool; Workpiece that is
dislodged; Point of Operation area in a machine.
– A Flying Object is projected toward a worker...
• Foreign body in the Eye is typical.
– A Falling Object drops from above...
• Can you give an Example?

8. Striking against -
 The Object is
stationary and the
person provides the
force or motion.
– Hand slips from tool.
– Worker rounds a
corner and strikes a
stack of boxes.
– Tiger Woods strikes a
golf ball.
– Donald Duck’s irate
brother attacks a PC!

9. Caught -
 In, On or Between - Stationary and / or Moving
Objects
– Caught In: Worker trapped in confined space.
– Caught On: Pant leg snagged by a loose steel cable
end, leading to fall.
• Note: The Fall might be accident type, but the “underlying
cause” is the Caught On hazard.
– Caught Between: Hand crushed between pinch rollers
on a conveyor.
 Many machine and equipment accidents involve
Caught - type hazards.

10. Contact by / with -
 The substance or
object’s composition
or nature is inherently
Hazardous.
 The substance or
object may be
Hazardous only in
certain situations or
when specific
conditions are met.

11. Contact by / with -
 Electricity
– Voltage, amperage, etc.
 Cold or Heat
– Skin contact / body.
 Chemicals
– Skin contact hazard.
 Noise / Vibration /
Shock
– Intensity + Duration

12. Inhalation / Ingestion -
 Similar to Contact as the substance has an
inherent hazard.
– However, the substance must be internalized to
be hazardous or toxic.
 Some substances are both contact and
inhalation / ingestion hazards.
– Remember, you can be “unexpectedly” exposed
to these hazards (e.g. airborne toxins settle on open
beverages or food).

13. Over-exertion -
 Situations or conditions that create or cause
the need for more force, strength or
endurance than the person is capable of
performing.
 Manual Materials Handling - whole body:
– Lifting, Lowering, Pushing, Pulling, Carrying.
– Underlying Causes of Manual Handling -
• Weight or force, Posture & position, Frequency and
duration of task, Location of object handled.

14. Over-exertion -
 Other forms of Over-exertion include:
– Hands - type of grasp and grip force.
– Overhead or above - shoulder work.
– Physically demanding work -
• Shoveling, carrying long distances.
– Extensive tool use.

15. Cumulative Trauma -
 Repeated motions -
– Every few seconds
– Every couple minutes
 In combination with
poor postures, difficult
hand grasps, etc.
 Generally involving
physical stresses to
specific body joints.

16. Using Hazard Recognition -
 When Conducting Facility Inspections -
– People
• Observe the worker’s motions, postures, sequence of job or
task steps.
– Equipment
• How do tools, machines and equipment create or act as a
source for hazards?
– Environment
• Floors, work surfaces, lighting, noise, other jobs.
– Management
• Does management act to correct, warn or train to minimize
hazards?

17. Hazard Recognition -
 How else is it Valuable?
– When Investigating Accidents.
– To determine the causes of a “Near Miss”
incident.
– For Job Safety Analysis .
– As a part of New Employee Training.
 Make it a part of Employee Hazard
Awareness!