Hazard has been defined by different persons and groups, from different contexts and perspectives.
However, this article aims to pinpoint the main elements in the definition that qualify what a hazard is and also highlight some misunderstandings associated with some definitions.
Let us see the major definitions –
What Is Hazard?
Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS):
A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm, or adverse health effects on something or someone. A hazard is the potential for harm or an adverse effect (for example, to people as health effects, to organizations as property or equipment losses, or to the environment).
Sometimes the resulting harm is referred to as the hazard instead of the actual source of the hazard. For example, the disease tuberculosis (TB) might be called a “hazard” by some but, in general, the TB-causing bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) would be considered the “hazard” or “hazardous biological agent”.
Wikipedia:
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.
Health & Safety Authority (HSE):
When we refer to hazards about occupational safety and health the most commonly used definition is ‘A Hazard is a potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons’. The terms Hazard and Risk are often used interchangeably but this simple example explains the difference between the two.
Health and Safety Executive:
A hazard is anything that may cause harm; these can be hazards to physical health such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer, or to mental health – if, for example, the common causes of work-related mental ill health e.g. demands, control, and support for individuals are not properly managed in the workplace
In another definition:
A hazard is said to be a source or a situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health, damage to property, damage to the environment, or a combination of these. Hazards at work may include noisy machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals, electricity, working at heights, a repetitive job, or inappropriate behavior that adversely affects a worker’s safety and health.
If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the risk would be minimized.
The aim of highlighting the different definitions was to create a background.
If you have read the different definitions closely, you will notice the words that have been used to describe HAZARD; SOURCE, AGENT, SITUATION, AND THING.
None of the definitions is wrong in the true sense, but in my opinion, some are not complete as it does not cover what hazard is in totality.
We have been talking about unsafe acts and unsafe conditions as the major cause of accidents in the workplace which is correct.
Here is my line of arguments – What is a Hazard
- Act is carried out by a human being and THING refers to an inanimate object- So saying that a hazard is any THING does not portray the human factor in the HAZARD CREATION.
- Most definitions do not bring in the place of PROCESS in the definition. For instance, referring to a hazard as an AGENT or THING does not give the full description of what a hazard is; also comes from the literal meaning of the words.
Read Also: 6 Major types of hazards you should know
I believe hazard should cover the thing, person, place & process. Still coming from the literary perspective, and the only word that could cover all parameters is SOURCE.
Hence, Hazard can better be defined as a potential SOURCE OF HARM AND DAMAGE TO PERSONS, EQUIPMENT, OR the ENVIRONMENT.
Based on my assertion, I want to define hazard in my own way, fixing the different ingredients:
What is Hazard to Me
A hazard is A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF HARM which could result in injury, ill health, or damage to person(s), property, or the environment.
NOTE: Anything can be a hazard depending on its current state.
For example, a vehicle in its parking state is not a hazard, but when moving, it constitutes a hazard. The same can be said about a person in his sober state; in a sober state he is no hazard, but when intoxicated with mentally altering substances, he will become a hazard to persons around him.
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