Hazards index
Hazards are anything that can cause harm and every place of work has them. Understanding the hazards at your work can help you manage risks and keep workers safe and healthy.
This information will help you identify the hazards at your work and the steps you can take to reduce or remove risks for yourself and your workers.
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Health and wellbeing
Alcohol and other drugs
Alcohol and other drugs can affect a person’s health and ability to work safely.
9 January 2023 -
Hazardous chemicals; electricity; environment; health and wellbeing; material; plant, equipment and vehicle
Children in workplaces
Hazards to children in places of work carry the risk of injury, illness, or death. Workers and management can work together to reduce these risks.
18 August 2021 -
Health and wellbeing; mental health
Poor support
Poor support refers to tasks or jobs where workers have inadequate emotional and/or practical support from their supervisors and/or co-workers, inadequate training or information to support their work performance, or inadequate tools, equipment or resources to do their job.
24 October 2022 -
Hazardous chemicals; environment; material
Biological hazards
Biological hazards can cause risks to workers in a number of ways. This page has information about a range of biological hazards including bacterial and viral hazards and diseases from animals.
11 June 2020 -
Hazardous chemicals; environment; material
Core saws or drills
Using a core saw or drill (including rig-mounted and handheld core drilling) can generate respirable crystalline silica dust. When inhaled over time, the small particles of silica can irreversibly damage the lungs.
28 April 2023 -
Hazardous chemicals; environment; material
Stationary masonry saws
Using a stationary masonry saw to cut bricks, concrete blocks, pavers, tiles or other silica containing materials can generate respirable crystalline silica dust. When inhaled over time, the small particles of silica dust can irreversibly damage the lungs.
28 April 2023 -
Health and wellbeing; mental health
Traumatic events
Workers may be exposed to this hazard at work through investigating, witnessing, or being directly exposed to traumatic events or situations. This may include reading, hearing or seeing accounts of traumatic events. A person is more likely to experience an event as traumatic when it is unexpected, is perceived as uncontrollable, where there is a threat to life or safety or where it is the result of intentional cruelty.
24 October 2022 -
Hazardous chemicals; environment; material
Airborne contaminants
Workplace air can be contaminated by a range of airborne contaminants that are hazardous when breathed in.
27 April 2020 -
Health and wellbeing; mental health
Low job control
Low job control refers to work in which workers have little or no control over what happens in their work environment, how or when their work is done, or the objectives they work towards.
24 October 2022 -
Health and wellbeing; mental health
Low role clarity
Low role clarity refers to jobs where there is uncertainty about, or frequent changes to tasks and work standards; where important task information is not available to workers; or where there are conflicting job roles, responsibilities or expectations.
24 October 2022 -
Hazardous chemicals; electricity; environment; health and wellbeing; mental health
Casual workers
Casual workers can be employed directly by an employer or via a labour hire agency. In general terms, you should treat every casual worker as if they were one of your full-time workers.
3 November 2021 -
Health and wellbeing
Healthy workplace audit tool
Use the healthy workplace audit tool to assess workplace systems and environments and identify areas for improvement.
2 July 2021