What are workplace hazards?

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Workplace hazardous materials are objects or substances in the workplace that can pose a health risk to workers or others using a given area. The nature of these materials can vary substantially based on the nature of the workplace. Workplace hazardous materials in a biology lab or hospital commonly include chemical and medical waste, while hazardous materials on a construction site are more likely to exist in the form of building and engineering materials. Hazardous materials generally must be handled in a special way to avoid injury to workers or property. They could, for example, be disposed of or transported in specialized containers.

Many different types of workplace hazardous materials must be classified and marked with special symbols in a particular workplace according to government or other regulatory agency specifications. Canada, for example, has a Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), a system that indicates how different categories of hazardous waste should be marked. There are various symbols for materials that are, for example, toxic, radioactive, flammable, corrosive or highly reactive. Different governments, professions and organizations use different systems to indicate the hazards associated with hazardous materials in the workplace. The symbols used are usually easily understood whether you know the system completely or not; flammability, for example, is usually indicated by a flame symbol.

There are many special regulations governing the storage, use and disposal of hazardous materials in the workplace. These also tend to vary slightly based on your particular workplace location or the nature of the job. In the medical field, for example, it is important to properly dispose of medical waste because it could, in many cases, cause harm to anyone who may subsequently be exposed to it. Similarly, many different professions use flammable substances in significant quantities; it is important to ensure that these are transported in highly controlled environments to prevent fires. In some legal systems it is illegal to transport, store or dispose of hazardous materials in an unsafe manner.

While all regulations controlling the use of hazardous materials in the workplace are generally effective, they are not perfect and accidents do happen. In such cases, there are generally established methods and safety mechanisms in place to counter any harm or harm that hazardous materials may cause. Laboratories that work with flammable or corrosive chemicals, for example, tend to have showers and eye wash stations to quickly wash the harmful substance off a person’s skin and eyes. There are also procedures to dilute or neutralize spilled substances which are particularly harmful if highly concentrated.

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