ABSTRACT
A health hazard is any agent, situation, or condition that can cause an occupational illness. There are five types:
. Chemical hazards, such as battery acid and solvents
. Biological hazards, such as bacteria, viruses, dusts, and molds. Biological hazards are often called biohazards
. Physical agents (energy sources) strong enough to harm the body, such as electric currents, heat, light, vibration, noise, and radiation
. Work design (ergonomic) hazards
. Workplace stress
A health hazard may produce serious and immediate (acute) affects and symptoms. It may cause long-term (chronic) problems or may have long periods between exposure and the occurrence of the disease or illness (latency period). All or part of the body
may be affected. Someone with an occupational illness may not recognize the symptoms immediately. For example, noise-induced hearing loss is often difficult for victims to detect until it is advanced.
