Top 9 Most Common Hazards In The Workplace

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Every workplace in the US is mandated to follow an Occupational Health and Safety code of conduct to ensure employee security and well-being. However, workplace hazards are becoming more and more common these days. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4,764 fatal workplace injuries were recorded in the United States in 2020, and the number continues to rise. 

Whether it’s an office or a construction site, each unique workplace has its own unique set of risks. As a result, employees have to be vigilant and careful in ensuring their health and safety when working in these environments. From minimal falls to major fire incidents – all types of workplace hazards remain a serious risk to employees. Therefore, it would be best to stay updated with the most common workplace hazards to make informed decisions about your safety.

Educate yourself about the potential hazards in workplaces to understand how to take precautionary measures. Here are the top nine most common hazards that occur in workplaces today:

1. Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos fibers are common in consumer, automotive, industrial, and other construction projects. Three common types of asbestos can have a severe impact on your health:

• brown (amosite)
• blue (crocidolite)
• white (chrysotile)

According to Cancer.net, approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma (cancer linked to asbestos exposure) per year in the US. Military professionals and construction workers have the highest percentage of developing this cancer and interacting with other risk factors as their job description is closely associated with asbestos exposure. Once you interact with asbestos fibers, you initially experience severe difficulties in breathing and other bodily functions. These symptoms later develop into serious diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, pleural disease, and asbestosis. Since there is no cure for the diseases asbestos causes, it is ranked as a serious workplace hazard that requires careful consideration.

2. Slip And Falls

When a workplace environment features uneven floors, loose cables, disorganized furniture, etc., workers are more prone to slipping and falling at work. If employers do not take care of these risks and neglect to implement an ideal safety regulation process, accidents continue to occur in the office. For example, a simple wire or wet floor can often result in a serious fall leading to serious injuries or even accidental deaths. The US Occupational Safety & Health Framework mandates owners and authority figures to ensure their employees’ safety in all conditions and circumstances. The management is encouraged to make sure spills are wiped clean, equipment is fixed in place, cables are sorted well, and other physical conditions of the work environment are organized to limit slip and fall accidents.

3. Electrical Accidents

Almost all workplaces require electricity to function, but the management must take care of live and faulty wiring that can harm people directly or indirectly. According to The Spruce, standard circuits in homes and offices carry a voltage ranging from 120V to 240V. Any current flow of more than 50V can harm a human by running a potentially lethal current through the body. In addition, faulty equipment, electrical failures, poor maintenance of electrical installations, and lack of electrical hazard-rated protection can cause severe workplace electrical accidents. Therefore, employers must safeguard their workplace environment by taking compulsory safety electrical precautions.

4. Widespread Fire

When buildings and office spaces are built with poor safety precautions, they become more prone to harm by fires. Having fire alarms, smoke detectors, escape plans, and fire extinguishers are basic safety precautions to keep workplaces safe from fire. However, most management staff do not test the functionality of these tools and techniques frequently. Therefore, they fail to deliver the desired result in times of need. It explains why there were 115 victims of fires and explosions in workplaces in 2018. Employers need to maintain these fire-fighting equipment and strategies to handle emergencies better. Suppose your job revolves around interacting with flammable material, electrical equipment, and other tasks closely associated with flames. In that case, you must ask the management to provide you with fire-resistant workwear and fire prevention training.

5. Confined Spaces

Working in smaller spaces like tanks, vats, sewers, drains, ducts, and poorly ventilated areas can be dangerous. Interacting with harmful chemicals and unpleasant work conditions in confined areas can increase the risk of workplace injury and death. Escaping from confined spaces when exposed to poisonous gasses, fires and explosions, violent personnel, and more can also be problematic. Therefore, you must avoid working in confined spaces unless it is necessary. If your job description makes avoiding confined spaces impossible, you must follow safety protocols and proper training instructions to safeguard yourself in case of emergencies.

6. Ergonomic Stress

If your job requires you to put repetitive stress on your body, your workplace introduces you to ergonomic hazards. This type of hazard can be difficult to identify compared to other apparent risks mentioned in this list. Ergonomic hazards refer to repetitive movements that affect your posture, back, knees, and other body parts. It can cause fatigue and severe pain in the short term. However, ergonomic hazards can introduce your body to serious medical impairments and injuries in the long term. Therefore, management must pay special attention to the comfort of their employees by purchasing ideal furniture or allowing extended hours as breaks so they can avoid a long period of strain on their bodies. Doing so does not necessarily make employees slack off but enhances their productivity as workers feel more comfortable in the workplace.

7. Chemical Reactions

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, approximately 32 million workers in 3.5 million workplaces in the US are regularly exposed to harmful hazardous chemicals. You may also be interacting with these chemicals in your workplace in the form of cleaning products, fuel, flammable materials, and other vapors and fumes. No matter what state (solid, liquid, or gas) a chemical presents itself in, it can still severely damage your health. Workers often report skin burns and irritations, eye injuries and blindness, and breathing issues after encountering unidentified chemicals in workplaces. Therefore, management must do all it can to dispose of harmful chemicals properly and protect its workforce from being exposed to chemical leaks and breakdowns. 

8. Biological Interaction

In recent times, the Covid-19 pandemic has provided humans with an elaborate example of biological hazards occurring in all public places, including offices. However, several other biological agents present in workplaces can cause severe illnesses and diseases in employees. These biological hazards spread through physical contact, while others are transmitted via sneezing or coughing. Relevant workplace authorities must make sure that they maintain clean and hygienic work environments to guarantee the health and safety of employees. In case an employee encounters viral infections, workplaces must have policies and regulations to offer sick leaves and ensure the protection of the workforce.

9. Noise Pollution

Regularly interacting with loud noises in the workplace can cause permanent damage to your hearing. Loud noises are most common in factories, construction sites, and airports. Management personnel of these workplaces must ensure implementing careful protective measures to safeguard their employees from hearing loss caused by explosions, gunfire, heavy machinery, etc. If you work in a noisy workplace, you may want to invest in protective gear to prevent the noise from reaching a harmful level.

Conclusion

When company management spends little money on hazard prevention, they save big on expenses but later suffer legal costs, workman’s comp, office repairs, etc. While the hazards mentioned above present a list of most common dangers managers must safeguard employees against, the list of workplace hazards is exhaustive. Officials must identify risks unique to their workplaces by hiring consultants and professionals. They must also establish safety protocols, invest in preventive equipment, employ safety campaigns, and offer employees emergency training to deal with unforeseen hazardous occurrences. If your workplace doesn’t take care of any of these preventive measures, make sure you voice your concerns to respective authorities as soon as possible. Stay safe!