Hazard Awareness - General Safety A hazard is defined as a condition or changing set of circumstances that presents a potential for injury, illness, or property damage. The potential or inherent characteristics of an activity, condition, or circumstance which can produce adverse or harmful consequences. An accident is defined as an unfortunate event often the result of carelessness or ignorance. An unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance usually resulting in an unfavorable outcome. There are some keywords in these definitions: Unplanned; Unforeseen; Unfortunate; Unfavorable and most importantly POTENTIAL! The other day a person fell from a height of 25 feet. He was fortunate to...

Hazard Awareness The Little Things Count Most of us have probably heard the old saying, "It's the little things that count." There are many small things that influence our lives, and ignoring them can sometimes have serious consequences -- particularly when it comes to safety. We have all been trained to watch out for the big hazards that could harm us, but the little ones can sometimes cause serious injuries too. One company became very concerned when its accident frequency showed a large increase over a three-month period. Management began an in-depth check of systems, equipment, and material that are considered to be high-hazard:...