Biological risk- How to manage biological hazards in the workplace..

No workplace is free from biological hazards. They exist in most workplaces that involve working around other people, unsanitary conditions, in labs, or in the environment. A biological safety hazard is a substance produced by an organism that may pose a threat to human health. Anything that can cause harm to people, animals, or infectious plant materials can be considered a Biological Hazard.

When it comes to the workplace, these hazards can consist of the common cold, viruses, insect infestations, animal illnesses, fluids from other animals or people and fungi. Depending on the type of work environment, some professions may be more exposed to biological hazards than others.

Understanding what biological hazards are and how to prevent them is the only way to ensure a safe work environment.

How to identify if something is a biological hazard?

Hazard identification

Any risk that comes from people, plants, and animals can be considered biological hazards. Some examples of biological hazards are:

• Mould and Fungi
• Blood and Body Fluids
• Sewage
• Airborne pathogens such as the common cold
• Stinging insects
• Harmful plants
• Animal and Bird Droppings

Once biological hazards have been identified, it is important to put together a safety plan to mitigate the risks. While putting together this plan the employer should consult employees in the workplace.

Hazard assessment

Questions to ask about Biological Hazards when assessing your workplace

• Are the employees working around other people who may have a contagious disease or sickness?
• Do the employees work with or around animals and insects?
• Is the workspace clean and clear of mould and fungi?
• Are the employees working around potentially hazardous pathogens or biological materials such as sewage?
• If the employees are around biological hazards, do they have the proper protective equipment to be safe?
• Are there any “sharp” materials that need to be cleaned regularly and properly and/or disposed of safely and securely?

Hazard Management

When a biological hazard is present in the workplace, it is of crucial importance that management initiates protocol and implements policies for protecting employees. This could be as simple as providing training on the hazard and educating the workers or it could involve removing the threat altogether. For example, if the threat is exposure to viruses due to sick employees, implement a policy excluding employees sick with a virus from coming to work. If the nature of the threat is an insect infestation, hire an eradicator to take care of that issue.

Hazard Control

It is important to address and warn about biological hazards in the workplace or else we may find more than a few issues like less productivity from workers because they become constantly ill from frequent biological hazard exposure.

Once the biological hazards are identified in the workplace it is important to eliminate as many as possible as well as reduce their risk to employees. By implementing controls in the workplace, the risk of biological hazards can be greatly reduced and in some cases, eliminated completely. Two types of controls that can be used to address biological hazards are administrative and engineering controls.

The industrial sectors will have to implement special preventive measures to protect against biological infections, legislation introduced standardized procedures, staff training specifications and provide information on possible hazards, analyze workers’ behaviour, hygiene and conduct regular health monitoring procedures and aim at eliminating risks to worker health and safety.

Be Safe, Stay Safe !!

Article by Dr.Yashoda Tammineni,

MSc, Ph.D.

HSE, HOD at NIFS