How do health and safety incidents affect your business? If a worker is injured or becomes ill, what kind of disruption does it cause? Is your productivity affected? What’s the effect on other workers in terms of workload or psychological health and well-being?

People are the foundation of every business. So, managing occupational health and safety (OHS) effectively is critical for success. Unmanaged risks to worker health, safety, and well-being directly undermine your organization’s mission, potential for growth, and long-term resilience. That’s why it’s essential to be fully aware of hazards, develop strategies to reduce risks, and promote a culture that keeps your workers protected.

Whatever sector you operate in, or the nature of your activities, protecting the people who work for you from OHS risks requires good planning and continuous oversight. Implementing a robust OHS management system is a proven way to prevent accidents and ill health, and to protect your organization’s long-term viability through its most valuable asset—its people.

What is an OHS hazard?

People often aren’t aware of the range of hazards relating to work. An OHS hazard is any work-related situation, activity, or process that can harm people. OHS hazards range from frayed wiring to working at height to chemicals to inadequate resources or unmanageable workloads. Hazards not eliminated or otherwise controlled result in OHS risks.

Common health and safety risks include:

Mental health issues: Stress, anxiety, and burnout significantly impede performance, leading to decreased productivity, low morale, and serious physical health conditions.

Exhaustion: Chronic fatigue and overwork result in increased accidents, errors, and long-term health concerns such as high blood pressure and heart disease, affecting the overall efficiency of the business.

Communicable health conditions: Illnesses like the flu or Covid can spread quickly if preventive measures aren’t in place, leading to widespread absenteeism and significant disruption in operations or lower performance.

Noncommunicable health conditions: Work-related illness can arise from many environmental and infrastructure factors, including poorly managed water and ventilation systems, unsafe food handling, preparation, or storage, and factors such as exposure to chemicals or radiation. Illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can also arise from poor OHS management, ultimately increasing absenteeism and healthcare costs.

Work-related injury: Injuries caused by unsafe work conditions and practices vary but include issues such as back damage, repetitive strain injury, and life-changing or fatal injuries. All of these can lead to significant absenteeism, downtime, legal liabilities, and a drop in employee morale.

OHS risks are much more than worker safety issues. Unmanaged, they can affect everything from employee retention to your company’s productivity and reputation. Eliminating hazards and tackling risks head-on not only protects your team but also boosts motivation, reduces downtime, and keeps your business running smoothly.

Types of hazards

Workplace hazards are present in every environment, from heavy industry to the quietest office. Effective hazard identification—i.e., understanding the different types of hazards that exist—is essential for conducting a thorough risk assessment.

Here are six key types of workplace hazards every business should be aware of.

Safety hazards: The obvious but critical risks—slippery floors, heavy machinery, electrical equipment, working at height or in confined spaces—demand regular safety inspections and risk assessments to ensure every precaution is in place.

Chemical hazards: From hazardous fumes to flammable liquids, chemical safety is a top priority. Proper handling, storage, and ventilation are essential for reducing exposure to these potentially toxic workplace hazards.

Physical hazards: Exposure to extreme temperatures, radiation, loud noise, and poor lighting poses significant health hazards. These conditions might not cause immediate harm but can have serious long-term effects if not addressed.

Ergonomic hazards: Tasks like heavy lifting, prolonged sitting, or repetitive motion can lead to strain injuries and musculoskeletal issues. Ergonomic risk assessments and adjustments help to maintain comfort and productivity, and prevent chronic debilitating conditions.

Biological hazards: Often overlooked, organic threats like bacteria, molds, animal waste, and blood-borne pathogens require careful hazard analysis and specific controls to prevent or mitigate health risks.

Psychosocial hazards: Stress, harassment, bullying, and discrimination fall into this category. Addressing psychosocial risks is essential for well-being and fostering a supportive workplace culture.

The cost of workplace hazards

Unmanaged occupational risks come with obvious costs: work disruption, medical care, staff replacements, equipment repairs, and higher insurance premiums. Legal fines and prevention-fund contributions also add to the financial burden.

Aside from the direct costs of workplace illness or injury, employers must also consider the less obvious yet significant consequences. These include:
• Lost productivity: An employee’s absence can reduce productivity and place additional strain on colleagues, potentially delaying important projects. Incidents in the workplace, including accidents that result in injury or near misses, disrupt day-to-day operations and lower performance.
• Recruitment and training costs: Recruiting and training new staff or temporary replacements adds costs to ensure business continuity.
• Rising insurance premiums: Frequent accidents or ill health can drive up insurance premiums, increasing long-term expenses.
• Administrative costs: Health and safety issues result in extra expense for managing investigations, claims, and accident-related documentation.
• Company image: Workplace illnesses and accidents can tarnish a company’s reputation, affecting client trust, investor confidence, and public perception. Damaged reputation can also lead to difficulty in recruiting quality employees.

Reducing OHS risks

Creating a healthy and safe work environment starts with a proactive mindset. By identifying OHS hazards and managing resultant risks, you can create a culture where health and safety are a shared priority among all employees. Here are five practical strategies to help you effectively address and minimize OHS risks in your organization.

1. Conduct a thorough hazard identification process and work with your team to uncover workplace risks specific to different roles. Regular safety inspections and incident reviews can reveal hidden dangers, from machinery issues to chemical hazards.

2. Once you’ve identified the hazards in all places where work is carried out—including employees’ homes, if relevant—implement controls to keep your people safe. Break down each risk as part of a risk assessment and list the measures needed to prevent illness and injury. Ensure the process includes identification of psychosocial risks and the root causes of conditions such as stress and lack of motivation. This might seem obvious, but many organizations, especially in low-risk environments, skip this vital step.

3. Put controls in place to ensure your plan works as expected. A strategy might look great on paper, but continual evaluation is key to ensuring it delivers in practice. Risks can change, based on the internal and external context you are operating in. Everything from introducing new product lines or services to staff turnover, extreme weather, political unrest, or economic downturns can require adjusting controls to manage risks.

4. Documenting your risk assessment results and ongoing OHS performance is important for tracking progress and ensuring legal compliance. Although it may not be required by law, detailed records of hazard identification, risk assessments, inspections, and corrective actions build trust and provide a valuable reference for future improvements.

5. Manage your OHS performance through ongoing monitoring, measurement, and evaluation. Ensure regular high-level reviews of the effectiveness of controls so you can take corrective action if necessary. Staying agile to address evolving risks lets you tackle new challenges before they affect your business.

Proactive risk management with standards

ISO provides assistance in building safe work environments. Global benchmarks like ISO 45001 offer ample resources to help organizations manage OHS and better protect workers. Taking a holistic approach and ensuring OHS is considered in every aspect of your business protects people and helps build a thriving organization.

Management system standards such as ISO 45001 don’t just help you comply with the law. They can transform how you approach risk, helping to create a work environment where health and safety is ingrained in everything you do.

Key requirements include:
• Understanding the context you operate in and issues that can affect OHS
• Demonstrating leadership and commitment to health and safety
• Regularly identifying hazards and assessing risks
• Involving workers in identifying issues and making decisions on how to address risks
• Providing necessary resources for OHS management
• Ensuring competence, training, and awareness
• Anticipating new or changed risks when changes are made in the organization
• Preparing for emergencies and having response plans
• Monitoring and reviewing OHS performance
• Continuously improving OHS performance

The result? A workplace that not only meets health and safety requirements but exceeds them, turning OHS risk management into a competitive advantage.

ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems

ISO 45003:2021: Psychological health and safety at work

How your business will benefit

Every enterprise can unlock the powerful benefits of investing in OHS. With just a few key improvements, businesses can eliminate or effectively reduce health and safety risks, increase profitability, and enhance employee motivation. Think of it as your secret weapon for growth and resilience. While the core motivators—protecting people, boosting productivity, and cutting long-term costs—apply to all organizations, the imperatives that drive them can be quite different.

Big corporations

Large organizations are under increasing pressure to uphold higher standards of corporate governance and transparency. With a market-driven economy and a more risk-aware society, many businesses recognize the significant benefits of OHS performance and integrating health and safety into overall strategy.

Benefits include:
• Enhancing the organization’s image, brand, and reputation
• Meeting corporate social responsibility commitments
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders
• Promoting investor confidence

Small enterprises

Small and medium-size enterprises are significantly more affected by poor OHS management. With a smaller workforce, the effects of ill health or injury are magnified, so taking a proactive approach to OHS management can bring big benefits. These include:
• Meeting the OHS requirements of business clients to secure and retain contracts
• Avoiding significant business disruption and loss of key staff
• Boosting employee motivation, commitment, and loyalty
• Ensuring access to affordable insurance coverage

Whether big or small, the key driver for investing in OHS is the shared goal of protecting people while supporting the organization’s long-term growth and sustainability.

A blueprint for resilience

Healthy and safe work environments aren’t just good for employees. They’re essential for business success. Effective risk management and good OHS performance not only maintain worker well-being but reduce costs. Leaders must remain mindful that short-term actions and objectives shouldn’t undermine long-term vision and sustained success. Strong leadership doesn’t just manage workplace risks; it transforms the organization, driving a supportive culture that prioritizes health, safety, and well-being, leading to better legal compliance and a thriving organization.

Published by ISO.