Workplace Hazards Series: Biological Hazards

Preventing Workplace Injuries from Biological Hazards 

No workplace is immune from biological hazards. They can appear and disappear due to a variety of factors so it is important for one to be prepared for them in the workplace. In part 3 of 7 in our Workplace Hazards series, we are covering biological hazards. 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. They exist in most workplaces that involve working around other people, in unsanitary conditions, in labs, or in the environment.

Examples of biological hazards in the workplace

Any risk that comes from the biosphere – people, plants, and animals – can be considered biological hazards. These hazards pose health risks to employees and require proper identification and control Common biological hazards in work environments include:  

• Mold and fungi 

• Blood and body fluids 

• Sewage 

• Airborne pathogens such as the common cold 

• Stinging insects 

• Harmful plants 

• Animal and bird droppings 

Once all biological hazards have been identified, it is important to develop a safety plan to mitigate the risks. While creating this safety plan, the manager should consult employees and lone employees in the workplace as well as answer the following key questions. 

Workplace biological hazard assessment questions

To properly assess biological hazard risks throughout your workplace, consider the following questions: 

1. Are my employees working around other people (or animals) who may have a contagious disease or sickness? 

2. Do my employees work with or around animals and insects? 

3. Is the workspace clean and clear of mold and fungi? 

4. Will my employees be working around potentially hazardous pathogens or biological materials such as sewage? 

5. If my employees are around biological hazards, do they have the proper protective equipment to be safe? 

6. Are there any “sharp” materials that need to be cleaned regularly and properly and/or disposed of safely and securely? 

Once all biological hazards have been identified and documented, it is important to eliminate as many as possible and reduce their risk to employees. By proactively implementing safety measures and controls in your workplace, the risk of biological hazards can be significantly reduced and in some cases, eliminated.  

Biological hazards in high-risk industries 

There are some industries that face a much higher risk of exposure to biological hazards due to their work environments and processes. However, understanding these risks is essential for successfully implementing safety controls that effectively protect workers. 

Healthcare and medical laboratories 

Frequent exposure to blood, body fluids, and airborne pathogens makes healthcare workers especially vulnerable to biological hazards. 

Waste management and sanitation 

 Employees handling sewage, waste, and contaminated materials face risks from bacteria, viruses, and harmful fungi. 

Agriculture and forestry 

 Workers are exposed to animal droppings, stinging insects, and hazardous plants, which can lead to allergic reactions or infections. 

Biotechnology and research facilities 

Labs working with biological agents must manage risks related to experimental pathogens and biohazardous materials. 

Engineering and Administrative Controls for Biological Hazards 

Implementing controls into the workplace that are threatening worker safety can manage the biological hazards or eliminate them entirely. These hazard controls can be broken down into engineering controls and administrative controls. 

Engineering controls reduce risk for workers through physical means. Examples of engineering controls for biological hazards include regular cleaning, disinfecting, and decluttering of the workplace, pest prevention/extermination, mandatory PPE and safety equipment requirements, and proper disposal of materials and items that may pose a biological risk. 

Administrative controls reduce risk by changing work processes and activities to make workers safer. Some examples of administrative controls include allowing proper sick leave to employees, requiring regular check-ins, providing immunization programs, limiting exposure to potential biological safety hazards, and training staff to work safely around these biohazards. 

Once administrative and engineering controls have been implemented, it is important to revise your safety strategy at least once a year and every time the workplace conditions change. For some workplaces, the changing of the seasons can affect these controls so it is important to regularly monitor the biological conditions that your employees are working in. 

Biological hazard risks for lone workers 

Working alone makes people more vulnerable to biological safety hazards because they may not be able to seek help as quickly and as easily. Additionally, some biological hazards are hard to identify. If the employee is working outside, there is an added risk of exposure to biological hazards. For example, a worker who is allergic to bee stings may experience a severe allergic reaction and might be unable to call for help. In this situation, a lone worker monitoring system such as SafetyLine can help the employee send an emergency alert, requesting immediate help to their location.  

Manage and mitigate hazards before a worker is harmed 

Biological hazards can be elusive. They can appear and disappear in short periods of time, so it is essential to know how to safely mitigate and manage them. Educate your lone workers and team about these occupational biological hazards so they can identify them before they hurt someone within the organization.  

Taking these proactive steps to manage biological hazards, not only protects employee health, but also helps support compliance with occupational safety regulations – and promotes a solid culture of workplace safety. For more information on workplace safety hazards make sure you check out our 7-part series on the topic as well as download our Hazard Assessment Guide below:

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FAQs

• How does SafetyLine help protect lone workers from biological hazards?

  SafetyLine provides real-time monitoring and emergency alert systems that allow lone workers to quickly request help if they encounter a biological hazard, such as a severe allergic reaction or exposure to harmful pathogens. 

• Can SafetyLine detect when a worker is exposed to a biological hazard?

  While SafetyLine doesn’t detect biological hazards directly, it enables workers to check in regularly, receive reliable monitoring, and trigger emergency alerts if they feel unwell or are in danger, ensuring a rapid response. 

• What features of SafetyLine are most useful for managing biological risks?

  Key features for biological risks include automated check-ins, man-down detection, GPS location tracking, and customizable emergency protocols; all of which help ensure workers are safe and accounted for in environments with biological risks. 

• Is SafetyLine suitable for industries with high biological hazard exposure, like healthcare or sanitation?

  Yes. SafetyLine is designed for high-risk industries and can be tailored to meet the specific safety needs of healthcare, sanitation, agriculture, and other sectors where biological hazards are common. 

• How can SafetyLine support compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations?

  By documenting worker activity, check-ins, and incident responses, SafetyLine helps organizations maintain compliance with safety regulations and demonstrate due diligence in protecting employees from biological hazards.