Categorizing Hazards

As you may be aware, working in a lab can be very dangerous.  Hazards have the capability of popping up out of nowhere, and this makes the lab a very dangerous place to work.  So, knowing that there is a plethora of hazards that can arise while in the lab, you may think to yourself if there is a way to classify or categorize hazards.  Well, that is what we will be discussing in this blog today.  first of all, what even is a hazard?  Well, according o the site http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hazard , a hazard is an unavoidable danger or risk, even though the hazard may be known and able to be pointed out.  Well, what is a risk defined as?  Not understanding the entire definition may give you a false understanding of what a hazard actually is.  According to the site http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/risk , a risk is the possibility of loss or injury.  So, now that we understand what a hazard can be defined as, how can these hazards be categorized?  Well, according to the site https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk.html , there are six different types of hazards.  These six types include biological hazards, chemical hazards, ergonomic hazards, physical hazards, psychosocial hazards and safety hazards.  Each of these six types or categories of hazards deals with a different thing or things.  Biological hazards refer to those hazards dealing with plants and animals, viruses, bacteria and humans.  So, if you hear of a hazard dealing with Chemical hazards are those hazards that have to do with the properties of the chemical, whether that be the chemical properties of the chemical or the physical properties of the chemical.  An ergonomics hazard can be described when something has repetitive movements or if there is a work station set up incorrectly.  A physical hazard can be those involving different pressures, radiation levels, and possibly even noise.  Hazards in the psychosocial category can be described as those hazards dealing with violence or stress.  The last category is a safety hazard.  Safety hazards are those that can be described or defined as a tripping or slipping hazard, possible malfunctions in any equipment as well as machinery that has not been guarded appropriately.  As you can see from the descriptions listed above, there are many different types of hazards that involve many different areas.  Yes, it is possible to have more than one hazard present in a lab at a time.  For example, if there are a lot of loud machines running, that are not properly guarded, that would be a noise hazard potentially if the noise is loud enough after being measured, as well as a safety hazard because the machinery does not have the correct machine guarding that is required.  It may seem difficult to know what a hazard is.  That is why using these six categories, you will be able to classify the hazards better and easier than before because you will know what types of things make a hazard belong to a certain category.  I hope this blog was helpful in providing information about different types, as well as how to categorize hazards.