The ability to evaluate of hazards and risks is a fundamental skill of the OHS professional. Many hazards and risks are common across different workplaces and sectors of industry, but even the most unique hazards and risks are assessed and controlled following a common set of principles. A general understanding of hazards in the workplace includes methods of hazard identification and analysis, and basic knowledge of hazard-specific legislative requirements.
An OHS professional should demonstrate thorough understanding of the following concepts:
– Process and task safety analysis methods
– Complex hazard analysis methods
– Knowledge of exposure standards and their application
– Hazard-specific legislation and standards
In the context of job-specific hazards an OHS professional should be aware of:
– Basic underpinning science to understand the hazard’s behavior, how it creates risk, how it causes damage, and how it can be controlled
– Mechanisms of damage, injury and health outcomes, including those leading to material unwanted events
– How the hazard occurs in a manufacturing environment
– Risk factors