Workplace hazards and risks
Key takeaways
- A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm; a risk is the likelihood that the hazard actually causes harm, combined with the severity if it does.
- Workplace hazards fall into five categories: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 is Kenya's primary OSH statute: employers must ensure the safety, health and welfare of everyone at work, register workplaces with DOSHS and report specified accidents and dangerous occurrences. The Work Injury Benefits Act separately covers compensation.
- Occupational Safety and Health Standards are the specific technical requirements that give practical effect to the legal duties, and the yardstick an inspection or audit is measured against.
- Hazardous materials are segregated, kept in labelled sealed containers in a ventilated area with spill containment; hazardous waste is classified, collected by licensed handlers, treated and recorded; PPE is chosen for the specific hazard.
A quality management technician inspects processes and materials closely enough to be exposed to the same hazards a safety officer watches for, so this unit starts with recognising those hazards before it moves to controlling and programming around them.
Hazard and risk
OSH legal requirements
In Kenya, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 is the primary statute, requiring employers to ensure the safety, health and welfare of everyone at work, to register workplaces with the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS), and to report specified accidents and dangerous occurrences. The Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) separately covers compensation for employees injured at work.
Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS)
OSHS are the specific technical requirements, machine guarding, ventilation limits, exposure thresholds, fire safety provisions, that give practical effect to the broader legal duties above, and against which an inspection or audit (see the chapter on OSH programmes) is actually measured.
Storing hazardous materials
- Segregating incompatible substances (e.g. oxidisers from flammables)
- Using appropriately labelled, sealed and corrosion-resistant containers
- Storing in a well-ventilated, temperature-controlled area away from ignition sources
- Maintaining spill-containment measures (bunding, absorbent material) around storage
Disposing of hazardous waste
- Identifying and classifying the waste before disposal
- Using licensed waste handlers for collection and transport
- Treatment (neutralisation, incineration) appropriate to the waste type before final disposal
- Maintaining disposal records for regulatory compliance and traceability
Personal protective equipment
Self-check
(a) Distinguish a hazard from a risk, with one workplace example of each. (3 marks)
(b) Name the five categories of workplace hazard listed in this chapter, with one example of each. (5 marks)
(c) State two duties the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 places on employers, and one purpose of the Work Injury Benefits Act. (3 marks)
(d) State four requirements for storing environmentally hazardous materials safely. (4 marks)
(e) A laboratory stores an oxidising chemical next to a flammable solvent on the same shelf. Identify the storage principle violated and the risk this creates. (3 marks)
(f) State three types of PPE and the specific hazard each protects against. (3 marks)
Show worked answer
(a) A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, such as a chemical spill risk. A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will actually cause harm combined with the severity if it does, such as the chance and consequence of that spill actually occurring and injuring someone.
(b) Physical hazards (noise, extreme temperature); chemical hazards (toxic or corrosive substances); biological hazards (bacteria, viruses); ergonomic hazards (poor posture, repetitive strain); psychosocial hazards (work-related stress, harassment).
(c) The Act requires employers to ensure the safety, health and welfare of everyone at work, and to register workplaces with DOSHS (also to report specified accidents and dangerous occurrences). The Work Injury Benefits Act covers compensation for employees injured at work.
(d) Segregating incompatible substances; using appropriately labelled, sealed and corrosion-resistant containers; storing in a well-ventilated, temperature-controlled area away from ignition sources; maintaining spill-containment measures around storage.
(e) This violates segregating incompatible substances, since oxidisers and flammables must be kept apart. The risk is that if the oxidiser and the flammable solvent come into contact, through a leak or spill, the oxidiser can dramatically intensify a fire or cause ignition that would not otherwise occur.
(f) Head protection (helmets) against falling or moving objects; respiratory protection (masks or respirators) against dust, fumes or gases; hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) against high noise levels. Any three.
Exam tip
The hazard/risk distinction is foundational and frequently tested directly: a hazard is the source of potential harm, risk is the chance it actually causes harm, do not use the two terms interchangeably in an answer.