Hazards in the Workplace
Seeing and controlling hazards
A hazard is a potential source of harm; a risk is the likelihood and severity that harm will occur. Risk assessment identifies hazards, evaluates exposure and puts controls in place.
Hierarchy of control, from most to least effective: eliminate the hazard; substitute something safer; engineering controls (guards, interlocks, ventilation, extraction); administrative controls (procedures, permits, training, rotation, signage); and finally PPE. PPE protects only the wearer, depends on correct use and is the last resort - a favourite exam point.
Recognising hazardous situations: FOD on the ramp and in the hangar, unguarded pitot heat, pressurised systems, hydraulic fluid, fuel vapour, charged oxygen, high-voltage ignition, moving machinery, slip and trip hazards, unstable stands, working at height, and confined spaces needing a permit, gas test, attendant and rescue plan.
Complying with instructions: permits to work, isolation and tagging (lock-out/tag-out), entry control, local procedures and manufacturer's instructions are not optional. If instructions and the situation conflict, stop and escalate rather than improvise.
Reporting: report hazards, incidents and near-misses promptly and honestly; near-misses are free lessons. Confidential and voluntary reporting systems exist precisely because people fear blame. Safety first means the schedule and the customer are never a reason to take an unsafe shortcut, and everyone has the authority to stop work.
Traps
Watch for answers offering PPE where a guard, extraction or a procedure would do, and for the attitude that it is not my job to report it.
Rule of thumb: if you would not let a colleague do it, or would not do it with your family watching, stop and report it.