Recognized Versus Unrecognized Hazards Toolbox Talk

Recognized Versus Unrecognized Hazards Safety Talk

It’s important to be able to recognize hazards in the workplace. There are so many different hazardous situations that can present themselves, which is why it’s important to have training that enables you to recognize harmful situations.

Just because you’ve worked at a company for several years doesn’t mean you’re at any less risk of encountering hazardous conditions. New employees are sometimes more aware than experienced ones because they’re often less complacent on the job.

Which one do you think is more dangerous: hazards that you are able to recognize, or ones that go unrecognized?

The dangers of unrecognized hazards

Are you trained to recognize jobsite hazards? That is an important part of beginning a job with different harmful situations. Letting hazards go unrecognized can result in injuries or even fatalities. It is very important for the safety of yourself and your fellow employees to have the proper training to be responsible on the job.

Often, when someone has been working the same job for many years, they get complacent. Usually not on purpose, but it can happen without you even realizing it. For the safety of everyone working, it is vital that you stay aware of the hazards that can occur. No matter how long an employee has been on the job, all hazards should be addressed.

The dangers of being complacent

There are many different dangerous situations that can happen on a construction site. Once you have attended safety training over and over again, it becomes less effective on you. Long time employees become comfortable with the risks that their job possesses.

Injuries and fatalities are two of the main hazards that can happen. In a time crunch, corners may be cut. However, it just takes one time for that hazardous condition to lead to an incident.

Common hazards present while working construction

There are many different hazards that can be present on construction sites. All employees should know how to spot hazardous situations and take action.

Common hazards that can occur while working in construction are:

Slips, trips, and falls

When work is being performed on a construction site, there will be many slip, trip, and fall hazards present, including uneven ground, materials in way, and different surface conditions. Tripping over a board or piece of equipment for example can result in a twisted ankle.

It is important to keep a tidy work environment to cut down on the number of hazards that are present. You can stay organized and prevent slips, trips, and falls by:

• Putting tools away after use

• Parking heavy equipment in proper spaces

• Marking uneven ground

• Marking trenches

Slips, trips, and falls are hazardous situations that can cause severe injuries. Many workers have endured broken bones, sprains, and strains.

Loud noises

Loud noises are a normal occurrence on a construction site. There are bangs, clings, and dings that happen all of the time. These noises that are sharp and sudden can cause hearing problems for employees. Loud, repetitive noises like those caused by heavy machinery can also cause issues.

If noises are unexpected and startle the employee, it can cause them to be distracted. Distraction can lead to injuries on a construction site.

Employees should wear hearing protection to help minimize damage and protect their hearing

Electrocution

Construction zones are often in areas with electrical wires—either below ground or above—that can create a hazard of electrocution and injury. Electrocution has been the reason for many work related deaths.

It is important to take the time to recognize where all electrical wires are located. Then, take the correct electrical safety measures to be as safe as possible when working around them. Each employee would benefit from basic knowledge of working with electricity.

Heavy equipment and moving vehicles

There are normally a lot of different tasks going on all at once on a construction site. That includes moving vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment. When workers walk near moving equipment, it can result in struck-by incidents.

This can be avoided by having zoned areas. That way, you can minimize the chance of someone not being noticed and getting hit. There are also hazards of these pieces of equipment tipping or rolling. If safety precautions are in place to help protect them, it can make these situations safer.

Collapsing structures

There are many different scenarios for construction work. Not only are you building structures, but you are also tearing them down. If someone is in the wrong place at the wrong time, the structure could collapse on them.

Employees need to know the hazards that these structures can possess. That way, they can spot a situation that needs to be addressed.

Site inspections should be conducted frequently, and schedules should be adhered to.

The importance of hazard communication & reporting

It doesn’t matter the number of years that you have been at your job. It’s important to report and take action in hazardous conditions. Your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your coworkers depends on it.

Just because an incident hasn’t occurred doesn’t mean a hazard isn’t present. All it takes is one mistake for someone to get seriously injured or even killed.

There are a few ways that you can go about reporting a hazardous situation at your job. If the situation is urgent, address it at the moment. Life or death situations require an immediate response. Otherwise, notify a supervisor of your concerns. The supervisor can then proceed with the necessary actions. Then, a meeting can be arranged to address the issues that are present.