Article Contents
Introduction
In this article, we’ll define hazards and aspects and explain their importance in workplace safety and environmental management.
These definitions help lay the foundation for the creation of Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) and Health, Safety, and Environmental (HS&E) Plans. SWMS are designed to address both hazards and aspects on a project-specific level, and once hazards and aspects are defined, they can be incorporated into HS&E Plans.
Learn more about SWMS and how to add them to your HS&E Plans here.
Safety Hazards
Hazards refer to sources of potential harm or adverse health effects on people. Hazards are conditions or situations that could cause injury, illness, or damage. The key characteristic of a hazard is that it leads to harms—negative outcomes for individuals or groups.
Harms in this context refer to the direct negative effects a hazard can cause. For example:
| Hazard | Harms |
|
Working in the sun |
Can cause sunburn, heatstroke or skin cancer. |
|
Crocodiles |
Presence can lead to attacks, resulting in severe injuries or fatalities. |
|
Trenches |
Poses the risk of collapsing, which could lead to injuries like crushing or suffocation. |
|
Driving a vehicle |
Can lead to accidents, resulting in injuries or fatalities. |
| Lifting heavy objects |
Can lead to muscle strains or back injuries, which are physical harms to the worker. |
Environmental Aspects
Aspects refer to elements of an organisation’s activities, products, or services that can interact with the environment. Aspects are not inherently harmful to people, but they have the potential to cause impacts on the environment or surrounding community.
Impacts refer to the indirect or long-term effects that aspects can have on the environment. For example:
| Aspect | Impact |
|
Water usage |
Impact on resource sustainability. |
|
Energy usage |
Contribution to carbon emissions and environmental impact. |
|
Waste generation |
Influence on material disposal and recycling. |
|
Chemical storage |
Risk of leaks or spills. |
|
Noise pollution |
Effects on communities and wildlife. |