Workplace hazards

In order to work safely, you must know the kinds of hazards to which you may be exposed and how to minimize the risk of injury. When hazards are identified and assessed they can be addressed quickly, reducing the hazard potential.

These hazards may be of an obvious nature—presenting immediate danger—or they may be very subtle and cause damage through exposure over a longer period of time. For example, many workers in noisy environments gradually lose their hearing without even being aware of the loss. This can be high- or low-frequency hearing loss, depending on the intensity or amount of exposure.