Hazard Identification
Root Causes
Incidents happen very often in agricultural workplaces. Often, the cause of these incidents is hazards. These hazards are referred to as “root causes” because the hazard itself resulted in the incident. Examples of root causes are improper training, disorganization, and improper storage of chemicals.
Near Misses
Often times near misses occur in the workplace. A near miss is an unplanned event that could potentially result in human injury, but it does not.
Identifying Hazards
OSHA outlines six steps for identifying hazards.
1. Collect existing information about workplace hazards to ensure risks are understood.
2. Inspect the workplace for safety hazards.
3. Identify any health hazards in the workplace.
4. Develop a clear place for incident reporting and investigation.
5. Identify hazards associated with emergency and non-routine situations.
6. Characterize the nature of identified hazards, identify interim control measures, and prioritize the risk for control.
