What does it mean to identify hazards at work?
A hazard is anything at work that could harm someone. You identify hazards by walking the workplace, asking your workers, checking incident and near-miss records, and reading supplier information such as safety data sheets. In Queensland, regulation 34 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) requires a duty holder to identify reasonably foreseeable hazards that could give rise to risks to health and safety.
That is the first step of managing risk, and it comes before any risk assessment or control. If a hazard is never spotted, nothing gets done about it. This guide shows you where the law sits, six practical ways to find hazards, a checklist by category, and what to do once you have a list. It does not repeat our guides on the top hazards on construction sites or how to eliminate hazards.
What the law says about identifying hazards
- Regulation 34 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) is the duty to identify hazards. It applies to a person conducting a business or undertaking (a PCBU), which in everyday terms is the employer, contractor or business owner running the work.
- Section 19 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) is the primary duty of care. A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and of other people affected by the work. You cannot do that without knowing what the hazards are.
- Section 49(a) of the Act says consultation with workers is required when identifying hazards and assessing risks. Section 47 sets the general duty to consult (so far as is reasonably practicable), and section 48 says what consultation involves: sharing information, giving workers a reasonable chance to raise issues and having their views taken into account.
- Section 28 of the Act gives workers their own duties, including taking reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others. A simple way for workers to report hazards makes that practical.
The How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021 is the Queensland approved code that explains the process. A code of practice is not law, but under section 275 of the Act it can be used as evidence in a prosecution of whether a duty was met, and a court can rely on it when deciding what was reasonably practicable. Most of the methods below come from it.
Six ways to find hazards
1. Walk the workplace and watch the work
Inspect regularly and observe how the work is really done, not how the procedure says it is done. Look at the work area, the tools and equipment and how well they are maintained, how people work together, and anything that has changed. Hazards are not always obvious: some are always there, some only turn up in busy periods, and some harm people slowly over time.
2. Ask your workers and health and safety representatives
The people doing the job know what nearly went wrong last week. Ask about concerns, near misses and incidents that never got written up. Some hazards, such as bullying or harassment, are hard to raise face to face, so offer a confidential or anonymous way to report them.
3. Look at your records
Go through injury and incident reports, near misses, workers’ compensation claims, complaints, sick leave, staff turnover and the results of earlier inspections or investigations. If someone has been hurt doing a task, a hazard exists that could hurt the next person.
4. Read what the supplier gives you
Safety data sheets (SDS) cover hazardous chemicals, and instruction manuals cover plant and tools. Read them before the product is used on site, and check what hazards come with new, second-hand or hired equipment.
5. Talk to suppliers, clients and other contractors
Tight deadlines, unclear roles and the way products are packed or delivered can all create hazards. Where more than one business has a duty about the same thing, section 46 of the Act requires each to consult, cooperate and coordinate with the others so far as is reasonably practicable.
6. Check industry and regulator information
Regulators, industry associations, unions and technical specialists publish information about the hazards common to particular kinds of work. Check what applies to your trade before you start a new type of job.
Hazard checklist by category
The code of practice says hazards generally arise from five aspects of work and how they interact: the physical work environment; equipment, materials and substances used; work tasks and how they are performed; work design and management; and workplace interactions or behaviours. Use the table as a prompt on your walk-through, then add what is specific to your site.
| Category | Ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Manual tasks | Is anyone lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling or holding awkward positions? Is there repetitive work or vibrating equipment? |
| Falls, slips and trips | Is anyone working at height or near an unprotected edge or opening? Are floors wet or uneven? Are cords, materials or rubbish in walkways? Could anything fall onto people below? |
| Plant, machinery and vehicles | Are there moving parts without guards? Do forklifts, trucks or mobile plant share space with people on foot? Are tools and equipment in good condition? |
| Electricity | Are leads damaged or overloaded? Is equipment used in wet areas? Is anyone working near overhead or underground power lines? Is portable equipment inspected and tagged as required (see test and tag requirements in Queensland)? |
| Hazardous chemicals and dust | Is there an SDS for every chemical? Are products stored and labelled properly? Is cutting or grinding creating dust? Could asbestos be present in an older building? |
| Noise | Are loud tools, plant or processes used where people work nearby? |
| Heat, cold and weather | Is anyone working outdoors in the heat or sun, in hot enclosed spaces or in cold conditions? |
| Radiation | Is anyone exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun, or to welding arc flash? |
| Biological | Is there mould, stagnant water, waste, animals or insects, or contact with micro-organisms? |
| Fire and emergencies | Are exits clear? Are flammable materials stored safely? Is hot work being done? Does everyone know the emergency plan? |
| Psychosocial | Are job demands very high or support poor? Is there bullying, harassment, violence or aggression from the public? Are workers exposed to traumatic events? |
| Work environment | Is there room to move without obstruction? Are lighting and ventilation adequate? Are amenities clean and available? |
| Change | Has anything changed: a new site, new equipment, hired gear, new contractors or a new way of working? |
Write the hazards down
List every hazard you find, including the ones you already know about and are dealing with, so nothing slips through. Keep the list and update it at the next inspection. A written record also shows you looked. Use our free hazard report form so workers can report what they see, and keep a short checklist built for your own workplace rather than a generic one.
What to do after you find a hazard
Deal with danger straight away
If someone is in immediate danger, move them to a safer place first, then fix the problem urgently. Afterwards, ask why it happened, because that often uncovers more hazards.
Assess the risk when you need to
Many hazards have well-known controls, and the code says you can simply put the controls in place without a formal assessment. Do a risk assessment when you are unsure how the hazard could cause harm, when several hazards could combine, or when something changes at the workplace. Some high risk activities need one by law, for example entering a confined space (regulation 66 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)). Our guide on when to carry out a risk assessment covers this, and the free risk assessment template gives you a simple format.
Control the risk
Under regulation 35 you must eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable. If you cannot, you must minimise them so far as is reasonably practicable. Regulation 36 sets the order for minimising a risk:
- Substitute the hazard with something that gives rise to a lesser risk, isolate it from people, or use engineering controls.
- If a risk remains, use administrative controls such as procedures, training and signage.
- If a risk still remains, provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and make sure it is used.
You can combine controls when one is not enough. Our guide to eliminating hazards goes through the top of that list, and our hazard management policy template helps you set out who does what.
Keep the controls working and review them
Regulation 37 says a control must be maintained so that it stays effective: fit for purpose, suitable for the nature and duration of the work, and installed, set up and used correctly. Regulation 38 requires you to review and, as necessary, revise controls. You must do so when a control is not working, before a change that could create a new or different risk, when a new hazard or risk is identified, when consultation shows a review is needed, and when a health and safety representative asks for one.
Common mistakes
- Only looking for hazards after someone is hurt.
- Skipping the crew. Without consultation you miss what they see every day, and section 49 requires it.
- Forgetting tasks done rarely, such as maintenance, cleaning and breakdowns.
- Leaving out psychosocial hazards because they are harder to see than a trip hazard.
- Not writing anything down, or never going back to the list.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the current law or talk to WorkSafe Queensland for your situation.
Templates for this job
Ready-to-edit Word and Excel templates for Queensland workplaces. Start with the free one.
Free WHS templates and updates
Get new Queensland templates, free resources and WHS law updates by email. Unsubscribe any time.
You're on the list. Grab the free SWMS template while you're here.