• General safety hazards include holes, steep hills, sharp objects, and bodies of water, among many other ways for workers to get hurt.

When people think of hazards during hazardous waste and emergency response operations, they might picture clouds of toxic gases being released in the workplace, or puddles of sulfuric acid eating through rubber boots. The reality is often far more mundane, but just as lethal.

Hazardous waste sites and in-plant emergency response operations may contain numerous safety hazards, such as:

• Holes or ditches;
• Precariously positioned structures and objects, such as drums or boards that may fall;
• Sharp objects, such as nails, metal shards, and broken glass;
• Slippery surfaces;
• Steep grades;
• Uneven terrain;
• Unstable surfaces, such as walls that may cave in or flooring that may give way;
• Falls from ladders and scaffolding;
• Powered equipment with moving parts and unexpected startup;
• Motor vehicle hazards, such as being struck or backed into by a vehicle;
• Friction that causes blisters, rashes, and burns; and
• Drowning.

Some safety hazards are a function of the work itself. For example, heavy equipment creates an additional hazard for workers in the vicinity of the operating equipment.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) can impair a worker’s agility, hearing, and vision, which can result in an increased risk of an accident. Stress and fatigue can play a role as well.

Accidents involving physical hazards can directly injure workers and can create additional hazards, such as increased chemical exposure due to damaged PPE or the danger of explosion caused by the mixing of chemicals. Site personnel should constantly look out for potential safety hazards and should immediately inform their supervisors of any new hazards so that mitigative action can be taken.

It is worth noting that according to a report by the Worker Education and Training Plan of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS WETP Response to the World Trade Center (WTC) Disaster, most response worker injuries at the 2001 World Trade Center disaster site were blisters and eye injuries, followed by headaches and sprains or strains. This demonstrates that general safety hazards are important and cannot be ignored at an emergency response site.