Identify hazards in the workplace

Perform safety audits and inspections on workplaces and workplace equipment. Ensure that they meet safety regulations and identify hazards and risks.

identify a hazard in the workplace
classify hazards in the workplace
find hazards in the workplace
diagnose hazards in the workplace

skill/competence

cross-sector

Identify hazards in the workplace is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Railway infrastructure inspector: Railway infrastructure inspectors are responsible for checking the conditions of railways. They monitor compliance to health and safety standards and inspect the infrastructure to detect damage or flaws. They analyse and report on their findings to ensure railway conditions are maintained at a safe level.
Occupational health and safety inspector: Occupational health and safety inspectors perform workplace audits to ensure compliance with government and environment legislation. They also investigate work accidents. Occupational health and safety inspectors interview employees to ensure the work environment is compliant with health and safety rules, inspect the physical work site and analyse legal paperwork.
Agricultural inspector: Agricultural inspectors monitor agricultural operations in farms and other agricultural facilities. They inspect activities such as health and safety measures, costs and production processes to ensure that workers and their activities comply with proper legislation and standards. Agricultural inspectors also analyse and report on their findings.
Food safety inspector: Food safety inspectors carry out inspections in food processing environments from a food safety standpoint. They are part of official control bodies who check and control food products and processes to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing safety and health.
Metal production supervisor: Metal production supervisors oversee the day-to-day working process and activities of the labourers in a metal fabrication factory. They supervise staff, create work schedules, maintain a safe work environment and serve as the first, most accessible management representative for the workers to contact when there is need.
Food production manager: Food production managers oversee and monitor production and have overall responsibility for staffing and related issues. Hence, they have a detailed knowledge of the manufacturing products and their production processes. On the one hand, they control process parameters and their influence on the product and on the other hand, they ensure that staffing and recruitment levels are adequate.
Steam turbine operator: Steam turbine operators operate and maintain machinery which generates power. They ensure the safety of the operations and monitor operations to detect problems, and react to emergency situations.
Crosscut saw operator: Crosscut saw operators use a manual crosscut saw. Crosscut sawing is used for ‘felling’ and ‘bucking’ trees, or taking off the limbs to obtain logs. Crosscut sawyers may also work with smaller crosscut saws in a workshop to make manual cuts.
Welding coordinator: Welding coordinators supervise the workflow of welding applications. They monitor welding processes performed by other welders, supervise the staff, being sometimes responsible for vocational training. They also weld particularly demanding parts. Welding coordinators ensure that the necessary welding equipment is ready for usage. They mostly coordinate welding applications and related professional activities.
Welding inspector: Welding inspectors examine the connections and bonds between metals. They utilise visual tools and electrical instruments to inspect and ensure the quality and safety of connections. Welding inspectors ensure that all related welding activities, plans and materials follow the appropriate guidelines, in accordance with safety regulations. In addition to working in the field completing their examinations of welding projects, inspectors spend time in an office setting compiling their reports.

Identify hazards in the workplace is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Container equipment assembly supervisor: Container equipment assembly supervisors monitor the assembly process of containers such as boilers or pressure vessels. They train and coach the workers involved in the assembly to achieve production goals.
Table saw operator: Table saw operators work with industrial saws that cut with a rotating circular blade. The saw is built into a table. The operator sets the height of the saw to control the depth of the cut. Particular attention is paid to safety, as factors such as natural stresses within the wood may produce unpredictable forces.
Precision mechanics supervisor: Precision mechanics supervisors oversee, train and manage workers who fit together complex parts of small-size machines such as measuring or control mechanisms.
Welding engineer: Welding engineers research and develop optimal effective welding techniques and design the corresponding, equally efficient equipment to aid in the welding process. They also conduct quality control and evaluate inspection procedures for welding activities. Welding engineers have advanced knowledge and critical understanding of welding technology application. They are able to manage high complex technical and professional activities or projects related to welding applications, while also taking responsibility for the decision making process.
Machinery assembly coordinator: Machinery assembly coordinators prepare and plan the manufacturing of machinery. They monitor the entire production process and ensure that individual assemblies and resources are provided on time.
Vessel assembly supervisor: Vessel assembly supervisors coordinate the employees involved in boat and ship manufacturing and schedule their activities. They prepare production reports and recommend measures to reduce the cost and improve productivity. Vessel assembly supervisors train employees in company policies, job duties and safety measures. They check compliance with applied working procedures and engineering. Vessel assembly supervisors oversee the supplies and communicate with other departments to avoid unnecessary interruptions of the production process.
Veneer slicer operator: Veneer slicer operators slice lumber into thin sheets to be used as a cover for other materials, such as particle board or fibre board. Veneer slicers may use various machines to obtain different cuts of wood: a rotary lathe to produce cuts peripendicular to the growth rings, a slicing machine to create plank-like cuts, or a half-round lathe which gives the operator the freedom to make a selection of the most interesting cuts.
Machine operator supervisor: Machine operator supervisors coordinate and direct workers who set up and operate machines. They monitor the production process and the flow of materials, and they make sure that the products meet the requirements.
Chemical engineering technician: Chemical engineering technicians transform raw materials in order to develop and test chemical products. They also work on improving chemical plant operations and processes.
Wood technology engineer: Wood technology engineers develop materials and components made of wood, construct production facilities and control and monitor the production. They also examine products and materials and advise customers.
Machinery assembly supervisor: Machinery assembly supervisors monitor the machinery assembly process. They train and coach assembly workers to achieve production goals.
Wood sander: Wood sanders smoothen the surface of a wooden object using various sanding instruments. Each applies an abrasive surface, usually sandpaper, to the workpiece to remove irregularities.
Incinerator operator: Incinerator operators tend incineration machines which burn refuse and waste. They ensure the equipment is maintained, and that the incineration process occurs in accordance with safety regulations for the incineration of waste.
Production supervisor: Production supervisors coordinate, plan and direct manufacturing and production processes. They are responsible for reviewing production schedules or orders as well as dealing with staff in these production areas.
Planer thicknesser operator: Planer thicknesser operators use machinery to shave wood planks to a uniform thickness. The machine usually planes both sides of the plank in one operation. They feed the plank into the machine carefully to prevent excess planing at the edge known as ‘snipe’.
Healthcare inspector: Healthcare inspectors visit healthcare facilities to ensure proper care is given to all patients in accordance with legal requirements. They also inspect if equipment, processes and staff operate adequately to prevent the spreading of infections and diseases.
Wood drying kiln operator: Wood drying kiln operators control the process of applying heat to moist or ‘green’ wood in order to obtain usable dry wood. Depending on the type of kiln, the drying operator will be responsible for moving the wood into and out of the kiln, temperature control, and ventilation.
Food technologist: Food technologists develop processes for manufacturing foodstuffs and related products based on chemical, physical, and biological principles and technology. They design and plan layouts or equipment, oversee staff, engage in controlling, and improve food technologies in food production processes.
Industrial engineer: Industrial engineers design a vast array of production systems aiming to present efficient and effective solutions. They integrate a varied number of variables such as workers, technology, ergonomics, production flows, and product specifications for the design and implementation of production systems. They can specify and design for microsystems as well.
Debarker operator: Debarker operators operate debarking machines to strip harvested trees of their bark. The tree is fed into the machine, after which the bark is stripped using abrasion or cutting.
Paper mill supervisor: Paper mill supervisors coordinate and monitor the operations at a paper mill during production of products such as corrugated board, cardboard boxes or padded envelopes. They ensure that production targets, such as quantity and quality of products, timeliness and cost-effectiveness can be achieved. They have a clear overview of ongoing processes, and take quick decisions to resolve problems.
Wood fuel pelletiser: Wood fuel pelletisers operate a hammer mill to turn wood waste products into pellets for use as fuel. The milled product is afterward pressed through a die, producing the standardised shape and size of a pellet.
Regulatory affairs manager: Regulatory affairs managers are in charge of regulatory and legal affairs in several sectors such as the healthcare, energy and banking industries. They oversee the development of products and services from inception to market release by making sure everything complies with the local legislation and meets regulatory requirements. They have experience in the different phases of regulatory processes and act as an interface between business and government legislation or regulatory boards.
Sawmill operator: Sawmill operators work with automated lumber mill equipment which saws timber into rough lumber. They also handle various sawing machines which further process the lumber in various shapes and sizes. These processes are nowadays often computer controlled.
Aircraft assembly supervisor: Aircraft assembly supervisors coordinate the employees involved in aircraft manufacturing and schedule their activities. They prepare production reports and recommend measures to reduce the cost and improve productivity such as hiring, ordering new equipment and implementing new production methods. They train employees in company policies, job duties and safety measures. They oversee the supplies and communicate with other departments to avoid unnecessary interruptions of the production process.
Chipper operator: Chipper operators tend machines that chip wood into small pieces for use in particle board, for further processing into pulp, or for use in its own right. Wood is fed into the chipper and shredded or crushed using a variety of mechanisms.
Wood pallet maker: Wood pallet makers create wood pallets for use in storage, shipping and manipulation of goods. Pallet makers operate a machine that takes in usually low-grade softwood planks treated with heat or chemicals and nails them together. The material and shape of the pallets, the treatment methods, and the number and pattern of nails used are all highly standardised to make exchange of used pallets possible.
Band saw operator: Band saw operators work with industrial saws that feature a continuous flexible blade revolving around two or more wheels. Band saws are most effective at producing irregular shapes.
Industrial maintenance supervisor: Industrial maintenance supervisors organise and supervise the activities and maintenance operations of machines, systems and equipment. They ensure inspections are done according to health, safety and environmental standards, and productivity and quality requirements.
Woodturner: Woodturners use a lathe to remove superfluous material from wood. The lathe turns the workpiece around its axis, as shape tools are used to obtain the desired shape.
Wood treater: Wood treaters apply treatments to wood to make it resistant to environmental factors like mould, cold, moisture, or staining. Treatments may also contribute to the colour of the wood. Wood treaters may use chemicals, heat, gasses, UV light, or a combination of these to treat wood.
Food grader: Food graders inspect, sort and grade food products. They grade food products according to sensory criteria or with the help of machinery. They determine the product’s use by grading them into the appropriate classes and discarding damaged or expired foods. Food graders measure and weigh the products and report their findings so the food can be further processed.
Wood production supervisor: Wood production supervisors monitor processes involved in the conversion of felled trees into usable lumber. They follow the production process and make quick decisions to resolve problems. ​They ensure that production targets, such as quantity and quality of products, timeliness and cost-effectiveness, can be achieved.
Metal product quality control inspector: Metal product quality control inspectors perform preventive and operational quality control on the metal products. They examine the materials at various stages to make sure it conforms to the desired standard, test the products, and send them back for repair if necessary.
Engineered wood board machine operator: Engineered wood board machine operators work with machines to bond particles or fibres made from wood or cork. Various industrial glues or resins are applied to obtain fibre board, particle board or cork board.
Paper engineer: Paper engineers ensure an optimal production process in the manufacture of paper and related products. They select primary and secondary raw materials and check their quality. In addition, they optimize machinery and equipment usage as well as the chemical additives for paper making.
Food regulatory advisor: Food regulatory advisors are extra-judicial or judiciary technical experts. They ensure food industry practices comply with the regulatory norms. They perform audits, make diagnosis and monitor activities of inspection. These experts have expertise in food processing, food analysis, quality, safety, certification, traceability. They update, review, and approve labelling designs, develop nutrition facts panels, and ensure that products and labels meet appropriate standards and regulations.
Nailing machine operator: Nailing machine operators work with machines that nail wooden elements together, usually hydraulically. They put the elements to be nailed in the right position, and monitor the process to prevent downtime.
Wood router operator: Wood router operators work with industrial routers to cut wood into the desired shape. Routers have a routing head that moves over the wood, going up and down to regulate the depth of the incision. Contemporary industrial wood routers usually are computer controlled for extremely fine and consistent results.
Civil engineer: Civil engineers design, plan, and develop technical and engineering specifications for infrastructure and construction projects. They apply engineering knowledge in a vast array of projects, from the construction of infrastructure for transportation, housing projects, and luxury buildings, to the construction of natural sites. They design plans that seek to optimise materials and integrate specifications and resource allocation within the time constraints.
Rolling stock assembly supervisor: Rolling stock assembly supervisors coordinate the employees involved in rolling stock manufacturing and schedule their activities. They prepare production reports and recommend measures to reduce the cost and improve productivity such as hiring, ordering new equipment and implementing new production methods. They train employees in company policies, job duties and safety measures. They oversee the supplies and communicate with other departments to avoid unnecessary interruptions of the production process.
Motor vehicle assembly supervisor: Motor vehicle assembly supervisors coordinate the employees involved in motor vehicle manufacturing and schedule their activities. They prepare production reports and recommend measures to reduce the cost and improve productivity such as hiring, ordering new equipment and implementing new production methods. They train employees in company policies, job duties and safety measures. They oversee the supplies and communicate with other departments to avoid unnecessary interruptions of the production process.
Wood assembly supervisor: Wood assembly supervisors monitor the various processes in the assembly of wood products. They have a thorough understanding of the production processes under their supervision and take quick decisions when required.
Special-interest groups’ official: Special-interest groups’ officials represent and act on behalf of special-interest groups such as trade unions, employer organisations, trade and industry associations, sports associations and humanitarian organisations. They develop policies and ensure their implementation. Special-interest groups’ officials speak for their members in negotiations about topics such as working conditions and safety.

References

1. Identify hazards in the workplace – ESCO