Hazards by themselves don’t cause injuries.  The contact with hazards through energy transfer can cause harm to people, the environment or the plant.   The energy can be kinetic, potential, thermal, electrical, elastic, gravitational, magnetic, radiant, sound, nuclear or mechanical.   IF the energy can be eliminated, THEN there would be no injury or illness.   Once all hazards are identified, the risk of harm to personnel, property or the environment can be determined.

A multi-layer approach (see below) can be used to mitigate the hazard - eliminate or reduce exposure.  As pictured below, much like the “Swiss Cheese” model use by James Reason, hazards (harm to people, the plant or the environment) would need to pass thru several layers of defensed to become an event.   Controls to the right require increased supervisor and worker participation.  While those to the left required increased organization participation.

Unfortunately, there are small to large flaws (holes in the Swiss cheese model) that increase the potential for an event of consequence. Increased worker and supervisor wariness (a healthy uneasiness) is needed at the work site. The elimination or reduction in hazards necessitates increased organization participation.