The Invisible Hazards
When managing the work health and safety in your workplace it’s important to remember that not all hazards are visible to the naked eye. This is because work processes can release invisible dust, gases, fumes, vapours, mists, and micro-organisms into the environment. This means that the air at work could be hazardous to you and or your workers in certain circumstances.
The Clean Air. Clear Lungs campaign that Safe Work Australia is currently running is aimed at raising awareness about occupational lung diseases. This national campaign seeks to educate persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), such as employers or small business owners, on how to eliminate or manage the risk of their workers developing an occupational lung disease.
Occupational lung diseases are conditions of the respiratory system caused by workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals and dusts. Some of these include the following –
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- Mesothelioma
- Work related Asthma
- Pneumoconiosis (silicosis and Asbestosis)
There are a broad range of lung diseases that may be acute, sub-acute, or chronic, and either malignant, non-malignant, or infectious in nature.
It is important to systematically review your workplace in line with legislative guidance. This is to ensure that the risk management processes are enacted to identify all hazards in the workplace and ensure that the controls are in place and remain effective.
The risk management wheel to the right is taken from the Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks and is a quick visual of the safety practices that are required to take place in your business.
Contact us to arrange a confidential free introductory call about how we can help you reduce your risk exposure. Give us a call on 07 5655 4047 for more info. Our safety consultant services cover Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Darling Downs, and Granite Belt areas.