Work Health And Safety Hazards

Work health and safety hazards are easier to work through as categories than as a list, because categories stop you missing a whole class of risk.

• Physical. Noise, vibration, heat, radiation, electricity.
• Chemical. Substances, fumes, dusts.
• Biological. Infection, contaminated material, blood and body fluids.
• Ergonomic. Hazardous manual tasks, repetition, posture, workstation design.
• Psychosocial. Job demands, low control, poor support, bullying, harassment, exposure to trauma.
• Safety. Plant, vehicles, working at height, confined spaces.

The fifth is the one most registers handle poorly. It became an explicit regulatory requirement relatively recently, and many registers still carry one line about wellbeing with no owner and no control attached.

Psychosocial hazards must now be identified and controlled through the same process as any physical hazard. Safe Work Australia publishes guidance on all six categories. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s risk management system and work health and safety course.