Be a Hazard Hunter

Hazards can be found almost everywhere in the workplace, and there are many different types. Some common hazards you may face on the job include:

• Eye, face, and head injuries
• Cuts, punctures, fractures, and abrasions
• Electrical shock
• Injuries to your hearing
• Contact with hazardous chemicals
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Back injuries
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD)

Furthermore, statistics show that in the workplace:

• An injury occurs every 18 seconds.
• 2,500 eye injuries occur daily.
• 33,000 workers receive disabling injuries annually from falling on the stairs.
• Approximately 10,000 employees die every year in job-related accidents.
• 1,500 workers are killed every year from falls.
• MSDs account for half of reported occupational illnesses.

All this means that to help keep yourself injury-free, you need to be constantly aware of the possible hazards that threaten your safety. Fortunately, if you take the time to look, hazards aren't that hard to identify. For example, be alert to anything that simply doesn't look, smell, or feel right. Look for unsafe acts as well as unsafe conditions. Examine the substances, equipment and situations that are part of your job. Think ahead-about what you're working with, what you'll be doing, where you'll be going, what could go wrong. And make safety a part of your job-all day, every day