Section 1 activities

Contents
Activity: Hazards at work
Activity: Reporting immediate hazards
Workplace activity: Risks in manual handling
Case study activity: Hazard control
Workplace activity: Apply the control hierarchy

Activity: Hazards at work

Consider some hazardous situations that could occur in your workplace and
in the performance of your duties.
Complete the table below by describing one example of an acute hazard and
one example of a chronic hazard:
An acute hazard
Hazard type Hazardous object or activity Risk

This is an acute hazard because:

____________________________________________________________

A chronic hazard
Hazard type Hazardous object or activity Risk

This is a chronic hazard because:

____________________________________________________________

Feedback
Your examples should describe an acute hazard that would present an
immediate danger and a chronic hazard that could have an effect over the
long term.
If you identified a hazard that currently exists in your workplace, discuss it
with your supervisor or other appropriate person.

Activity: Reporting immediate hazards

There are some instances when hazards need direct and immediate
reporting to ensure the safety of those in the workplace.

© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services

Queensland) 2007.
Briefly describe a scenario where a workplace hazard would need direct
reporting. What is the hazard? How would you report the hazard? Who
would you report to?

Workplace activity: Risks in manual handling

Choose three or more activities in your workplace that involve manual
handling. Identify an existing or possible hazard associated with each, for
example, a box that is heavier than normal. Use a Risk Priority Chart to rate
each potential hazard.
 What is the risk rating?
 How urgent is the action required?
 Can you think of any changes you could make that would lessen the
risk of injury?
Ask your supervisor or mentor about how decisions are made on acceptable
levels of risk in your workplace.

Case study activity: Hazard control

Your co-worker has a broken chair in her office. If someone leans back in it,
it could overbalance. Other staff members have suggested that she:
 dispose of the chair
 replace the chair with another
 put the chair in a storeroom so that no one uses it
 ask Office Services staff to fix it
 provide instructions on how to use it safely
 provide knee and elbow pads, crash helmet and a pillow.

Identify the hazard, assess the risk, and choose an appropriate action.
Provide some information about how you made decisions and arrived at the
appropriate action.

Feedback
The broken chair is a hazard. There is a high level of risk in that it may
cause an injury. The suggestions relate to steps in the hierarchy of hazard
control. Depending on your specific workplace situation, you may have
reached Step 4.
Step on hierarchy Solution
1. Eliminate No. Disposing of the chair may
eliminate the problem; it leaves
nowhere for clients to sit.
2. Substitute No. A substitute chair does not solve
the problem. There is still a broken
chair to consider.
3. Isolate Better. Putting the chair in the
storeroom, with a sign on it to warn
others, will prevent further use.

© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services

Queensland) 2007.
 But could the storeroom become
cluttered with broken chairs that
workers could trip over?
4. Engineer Best. Asking Office Services staff to
repair the chair is a good solution.

5. Administrate

6. Provide PPE

This example demonstrates the effectiveness of the applying the hierarchy

of hazard control. Your workplace may have specific procedures for
maintaining, repairing or disposing of equipment that you would need to
follow.

Workplace activity: Apply the control hierarchy

Choose three hazards you might encounter in your workplace and work your
way through the hazard control hierarchy to find the most appropriate
solution for each.
Create a table like the one below to show how you worked through the
hierarchy.
Hazard Step on hierarchy Solution
e.g. Leaking urn 1. Elimination 1. Mop the floor.
dripping water on 2. Isolation Water continues to
floor drip.
3. Substitution
2. Put up wet floor
sign until it is
fixed.
3. Replace urn.

© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services

Queensland) 2007.