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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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  • Hazardous chemicals; environment; material

    Compressed air and blowers

    Using compressed air or blowers can make respirable crystalline silica dust that has settled become airborne. When inhaled over time, the small particles of silica can irreversibly damage the lungs.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Mental health

    Fatigue

    Fatigue is more than feeling tired and drowsy. At work, fatigue is a state of mental and/or physical exhaustion that reduces your ability to work safely and effectively.

  • Hazardous chemicals; environment; material

    Dowel drilling rigs for concrete

    Using dowel drilling rigs, also known as gang drills, to drill holes in concrete can generate respirable crystalline silica dust. When inhaled, the small particles of silica can irreversibly damage the lungs.

  • 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.

  • Health and wellbeing; mental health

    Bullying

    Work-related bullying in your place of work can affect your workers’ psychological and physical health and must be managed.

  • Environment; health and wellbeing

    Heat stress

    Working in hot and/or humid environments can be uncomfortable, but more importantly lead to a heat-related illness, which can be fatal. This page has information about the causes and sources of heat stress, types of heat-related illness and control measures.

  • Hazardous chemicals; environment; material

    Handheld and stand-mounted drills

    Handheld and stand-mounted drills, including impact and rotary hammer drills are used to drill holes in concrete, masonry and other silica-containing materials. This can generate respirable crystalline silica dust. When inhaled over time, the small particles of silica can irreversibly damage the lungs.

  • 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.

  • Health and wellbeing

    Healthy workers survey

    Use this survey to create a profile of your workforce’s health and wellbeing status.

  • 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.