OHS

• Occupational Health and Safety

  A cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health, and welfare of people engaged in work
• Goal of Occupational Health and Safety

  To promote a safe work environment
• Occupational Health and Safety Standards

  A set of mandatory standards which categorizes all safety orders being enforced
• Contents of Occupational Health and Safety Standards

  • Administrative requirements
  • General safety and health rules
  • Technical safety regulations
  • Other measures to eliminate or reduce OHS hazards
• Hazards


  Anything that can cause injury, illness, damage to property or loss of material
• Risks


  The chance of the worker being harmed by the hazard
• Chemical Hazard


  • Caused by the exposure to chemicals in the workplace
  • Using, storing, and disposing of chemicals (hazardous substances) can result in injury and illness if appropriate care is not taken
  • May be exposed by: inhaling vapors, fumes, dusts, mists, being absorbed into the body from direct contact, swallowing (ingesting), injecting into the body
• Chemical Hazards

  • Reactive
  • Toxins
  • Flammables
  • Corrosives
• Chemical Hazard Prevention

  Practicing proper chemical segregation in all labs, protective clothing and good housekeeping are also important for protecting your team
• Physical Hazard


  • An agent, factor, or circumstance that can cause harm with or without contact
  • Can be classified as type of occupational hazard or environmental hazard
  • Hazards include: ergonomic hazards, radiation, heat and cold stress, vibration hazards, noise hazards
• Physical Hazards

  • Noise
  • Projectiles
  • Heating devices
  • Slipping
• Physical Hazard Prevention


  Effective training and good housekeeping, staff should be trained in the proper procedures for lifting, pulling, and pushing, handling requirements for different equipment, safety policy can identify and protect the team
• Biological Hazard


  • A biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms primarily humans
  • Could include a sample of microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health and other animals
• Biological Hazards

  • Microbes
  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Genetically modified agents
• Biological Hazard Prevention

  Proper storage and protection are key to preventing a biological emergency, wearing appropriate protective clothing and keeping biological agents contained in the correct areas for minimizing exposure, appropriate housekeeping, such as disinfecting work surfaces and properly disposing of waste
• Electrical Hazard


  • A dangerous condition where a worker could make electrical contact with energized equipment or a conductor and from which the person may sustain an injury from shock, arc flash burn, thermal burn, blast injury
  • Hazards include: loose or improper connections, frayed appliances or extension cords, pinched or pierced wire insulation, cracked wire insulation
• Electrical Hazards

  • Fire
  • Shock
  • Malfunctioning electric equipment
• Electrical Hazard Prevention

  All power outlets should be equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters, flexible extension cords should also be well maintained and never used as a substitute for permanent wiring, electrical pendants can be used to keep cords out of the way
• Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)


  A device intended for the protection of personnel that will de-energize a circuit or portion of circuits
• Psychological Hazard


  • Any hazard that affects the mental well-being or mental health of the worker by overwhelming individual coping mechanisms and impacting the worker's ability to work in a healthy and safe manner
• Psychological Hazard Prevention

  Develop and regularly review hazard assessments related to psychological hazards, identify working alone and develop control strategies
• Risk Assessment


  A systematic examination of a task, job or process that you carry out at work for the purpose of identifying the significant hazards