Risk assessment training

Risk assessment key principles: defining a 'hazard'

A key part of risk assessment is identifying the hazards that occur in your work place.

It's really important to understand that 'hazard', by definition, is an entirely separate term from 'risk'. A 'hazard' can be defined as something which has the potential to cause harm.

Examples of hazards that you might find in the workplace are varied and numerous. Follow the links below to view examples of some common hazards for different work environments.

• Mechanical hazards



• Physical hazards



• Biological hazards



• Chemical hazards



• Ergonomic hazards



• Manual handling hazards



• Electrical hazards



• Stress hazards