Question

What is a hazard? Define it.

Answer 1

A hazard is an object, situation or behavior that has the potential to cause harm in terms of injury, ill health, or damage to property or the environment. Health and safety hazards exist in every workplace. Some are easily identified and corrected, while others create extremely dangerous situations that could be a threat to the worker’s life or long-term health. In particular, occupational hazards include all those work activities and processes involving the worker, raw materials, and processing activities such as operating machinery and handling chemicals. Most occupational hazards are inactive or have a low potential of actually occurring; the risk of harm is largely theoretical. However, once a hazard becomes active, it can generate an emergency situation.