Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Incident Control

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Incident Control

Effective occupational health and safety management requires proactive risk identification and structured incident control. Canadian HR professionals must lead systematic hazard assessments, deploy the Hierarchy of Controls, enforce chemical classification standards under WHMIS 2015, and manage incident investigations that uncover root causes to prevent workplace injury recurrence.

---

Hazard Identification and Categorization

A hazard is any object, situation, practice, or behavior with the potential to cause physical injury, occupational illness, or property damage. HR leaders classify workplace hazards into five core categories:

1. Physical Hazards: Factors within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. Examples include unshielded machinery, excessive noise, extreme temperatures, ionizing radiation, working at heights, and slip/trip hazards.
2. Chemical Hazards: Airborne or surface chemical substances capable of causing acute poisoning, skin irritation, respiratory illness, or long-term systemic diseases. Examples include toxic vapors, organic solvents, heavy metals, synthetic acids, and asbestos fiber exposures.
3. Biological Hazards: Organic substances and biological agents that pose threats to human health. Examples include viruses, airborne bacteria, bloodborne pathogens, mold spores, fungi, insect bites, and biohazardous medical waste.
4. Ergonomic Hazards: Physical factors in the environment that create strain on the musculoskeletal system. Examples include improper workstation setup, heavy manual lifting, repetitive strain motions, extreme force requirements, and poor posture.
5. Psychosocial Hazards: Organizational hazards that impair psychological well-being and mental health. Examples include workplace harassment, bullying, chronic excessive workload, lack of role clarity, organizational restructuring stress, and exposure to traumatic events.

---

Risk Assessment & Prioritization Methodology

Risk is the probability or likelihood that a hazard will cause harm, combined with the severity of potential consequences. HR professionals utilize Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Determining Controls (HIRADC) frameworks.

Risk levels are typically quantified using a risk scoring formula: $\text{Risk Score} = \text{Probability (P)} \times \text{Severity (S)} \times \text{Exposure (E)}$

The Hierarchy of Controls

The Hierarchy of Controls is an internationally recognized framework that establishes an order of preference for managing workplace hazards. Controls at the top of the hierarchy are inherently safer and more effective because they eliminate or isolate the hazard at the source, rather than relying on worker compliance.

1. Elimination (Most Effective)

Physically removing the hazard from the workplace entirely. Examples include automating a hazardous manual lifting task or eliminating toxic chemical stripping by adopting mechanical blasting.

2. Substitution

Replacing a dangerous material, process, or machine with a less hazardous one. Examples include substituting solvent-based industrial paints with water-based coatings or replacing lead solder with tin-based alternatives.

3. Engineering Controls

Redesigning equipment, structures, or processes to isolate workers from the hazard. Examples include installing machine safety guards, local exhaust ventilation hoods, acoustic noise enclosures, or interlocked safety switches.

4. Administrative Controls

Establishing organizational policies, work procedures, and scheduling changes to reduce exposure duration. Examples include job rotation schedules, safe operating procedures (SOPs), safety training workshops, and restricted access zones.

5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE - Control of Last Resort)

Providing personal protective gear to shield workers from residual hazards. Examples include respirators, hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toed boots, and fall-arrest harnesses. PPE is considered the least effective control because it does not alter or reduce the hazard itself, relies entirely on continuous human compliance, and fails completely if damaged or ill-fitting.

---

WHMIS 2015 / GHS Standards

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS 2015) incorporates the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) into Canadian federal and provincial OHS legislation. WHMIS protects workers handling hazardous products through three primary elements:

1. Standardized Hazard Pictograms

WHMIS 2015 utilizes nine red-diamond hazard pictograms designating specific physical hazards (e.g., Flame, Gas Cylinder, Exploding Bomb, Corrosion) and health hazards (e.g., Skull & Crossbones for acute toxicity, Health Hazard for carcinogenicity/mutagenicity, Exclamation Mark for irritation).

2. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs - 16 Standardized Sections)

WHMIS 2015 mandates that Safety Data Sheets contain exactly 16 standardized sections in a strict numerical sequence, replacing the outdated 9-section MSDS format:

Employers must ensure SDSs are readily accessible to all workers in the workplace and update SDSs immediately upon receiving new significant hazard data from suppliers.

3. Labeling Requirements

• Supplier Labels: Required on containers received from manufacturers. Must feature product identifier, supplier identifier, red-diamond pictograms, signal word ("Danger" or "Warning"), hazard statements, precautionary statements, and SDS references.
• Workplace Labels: Required when a hazardous chemical is decanted (transferred) into a secondary container, or when a supplier label becomes unreadable. Must state product identifier, safe handling instructions, and explicit reference to the SDS.

Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

When a workplace incident, injury, or near-miss occurs, HR must oversee an objective, structured investigation. The primary goal of an incident investigation is fact-finding, not fault-finding—identifying systemic weaknesses to prevent recurrence.

Distinguishing Immediate Causes from Root Causes

• Immediate Causes (Surface Symptoms): Unsafe acts (e.g., worker failing to wear safety goggles) or unsafe conditions (e.g., oil spilled on the warehouse floor).
• Root Causes (Systemic Management Failures): Underlying organizational deficiencies that allowed unsafe conditions or acts to exist. Examples include inadequate preventive maintenance budgets, lack of training protocols, poorly designed procedures, or production pressure prioritizing speed over safety.

Root Cause Analysis Techniques

1. The 5 Whys Method: Iteratively asking "Why?" five consecutive times to drill down from an immediate symptom to the foundational management flaw.
2. Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram: Categorizing potential contributing factors into six structural branches (6 Ms): Manpower/People, Machinery, Materials, Methods, Measurement, and Milieu/Environment.

                               ISHIKAWA (FISHBONE) DIAGRAM
   MANPOWER/PEOPLE             MACHINERY              METHODS
         │                        │                      │
         ├── Lack of Training     ├── Worn Seal          ├── No SOP
         └── Fatigue              └── Missing Guard      └── Overtime Speed
─────────┴────────────────────────┴──────────────────────┴─────────────[ INCIDENT ]
         ┌────────────────────────┬──────────────────────┬─────────────
         ├── Solvent Exposure     ├── Budget Cut         ├── Poor Lighting
         │                        │                      │
   MATERIALS                   MEASUREMENT            MILIEU / ENV

---

Statutory Incident Reporting Mandates

Under Ontario OHSA Section 51 and 52 (and equivalent provincial statutes), specific statutory reporting timelines apply based on incident severity:

Critical Injury or Fatality (OHSA s. 51 / O. Reg. 834)

A critical injury is defined as an injury of a serious nature that: places a life in jeopardy, produces unconsciousness, results in substantial loss of blood, involves the fracture of a leg or arm (or multiple fingers/toes), involves the amputation of a leg, arm, hand, foot, finger, or toe, or consists of burns to a major portion of the body, or causes loss of sight in an eye.

• Immediate Notification: The employer must notify the MLITSD inspector, the JHSC, and the trade union immediately by telephone or telegram.
• Written Report Timeline: The employer must submit a detailed written report of the circumstances to the MLITSD within 48 hours.
• Scene Preservation: The incident scene must be preserved untouched until released by an MLITSD inspector, except to save life, relieve suffering, or prevent catastrophic property damage.

Occupational Illness or Non-Critical Lost-Time Injury (OHSA s. 52)

• The employer must provide written notice to the JHSC and trade union within 4 days of learning of an occupational illness or lost-time injury.