There is a saying that goes around in my industry and I’m sure you’ve heard it: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. This is certainly the case in any workplace. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, there were 2.6 million nonfatal workplace accidents and injuries occurring yearly across the nation’s private employment industry (i.e., about 2.8 people out of 100 get injured at work) each year from 2016 – present. And, if that weren’t enough, in 2021, 5,190 U.S. workers died on the job. When broke down, there were about 15 workplace deaths per day across the nation. Of these 15 deaths per day, approximately 3 were construction workers. (Some of you in the mold and soot remediation industries may be asking what this has to do with you, as many don’t associate themselves with the construction industry statistic, but it should be noted that most of the top 10 OSHA violations were general industry related, involving respiratory protection (and programs), faulty fall protection, and poor hazard communication – some of the very things that you deal with every day.) 

Hazard assessments may be understood as those processes and procedures upon which a “competent person” identifies and predicts hazards in the workplace. (OSHA defines the “competent person” as "one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them" [29 CFR 1926.32(f)]) This process may include things like (1) a walk-through survey of the work area (that looks for things like potential heat-related hazards, evaluation of products to be used in the workplace and their hazards, the presence and potential exposure to dust, mists, vapors, fumes, ergonomic hazards, etc.), (2) testing, measuring, and documentation of potential hazards (e.g., mold or soot sampling), and (3) planning and communicating all known, potential, or suspect hazards before and during work.

To overcome hazards in the workplace questions must be asked, like: “What are the risks?” and “Where are we at risk?” Risk assessment is an analytical method used to (1) analyze the known and potential hazards in the workplace, (2) define the safety (i.e., the probability that harm will not occur under a certain set of conditions) and risk (i.e., the probability that harm will occur) in the workplace, (3) determine the frequency and severity of hazard-related events/conditions, (4) determine the routes of exposure to each hazard, (5) develop a written description of the risk assessment process and findings, (6) provide for a plan for worker protection (e.g., what the appropriate containment barriers  and/or air filtration devices are, and what personal protective equipment is needed), and (7) other pertinent information. Upon such analysis and organization, the two questions we asked earlier (“What are the risks?” and “Where are we at risk?”) can be answered, workers (and others who may be impacted by the workplace) can be protected, as well as other desirable safety measures assured.