A description of a key principle associated with the topic

A key principle associated with medical and first aid considerations for public assemblies is determining the type of public assembly and associated risk levels. Depending on these two factors, it will determine what level of medical/first aid equipment is needed on-scene of the event. According to an article by Arthur Hsieh, there are several factors during an event that can have an impact on public safety. These include weather, age, drugs and alcohol, location, timing, and potential for violence (Hsieh, 2020). For example, an outdoor event in Florida in July would require different precautions than one in December because of extreme heat. An event hosting an older crowd has a greater risk of falls, slips, or health emergencies than a children’s event. A heavy metal concert would be more likely to attract alcohol and drug users and violence versus a Little League World Series game. All of these factors have an impact on how many medical personnel should be on scene, whether basic life support (BSL) or advanced life support (ASL) are preferred, and what other first aid services should be offered on scene.

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice associated with the topic or a prevailing theory

The World Health Organization notes characterization of risk in determining the extent of medial/first aid at an event. Their chart characterizes risk from minimal to severe, and understanding what can happen at each level is an important practice for those frequently involved in the implementation of large events or public assemblies. Minimal risk is characterized by little or no consequences (World Health Organization, 2015). This could include no injuries or very small ones such as cuts/abrasions. The next level is minor, characterized by low risk of injury or illness (World Health Organization, 2015) such as the potential for broken bones, food poisoning, etc. Next is moderate, characterized by having the potential for death or serious injury (World Health Organization, 2015). This could include a carnival event. A major risk event is characterized by substantial loss of life or injury (World Health Organization, 2015) which could include an event at which the likelihood of alcohol/drug overdoses are prevalent. Lastly, risks classified as severe include extreme loss of life or serious injury (World Health Organization, 2015) which could be attributed to an act of terrorism. The WHO characterization of risk is applicable when looking at medical and first aid considerations because it can help determine appropriate courses of action and what medical devices/personnel should be nearby and ready to go. A second practice associated with medical and first aid considerations is the event classification matrix that scores event risk on a 0-6 scale, with 0 being the least risk and 6 being the most (Avery, 2020). This looks at characteristics such as weather, attendance, predicted alcohol consumption, crowd age and intent, and transport time to hospital to determine how high risk the event is and the associated medical and first aid components that should be present at the given event (Avery, 2020). The three levels of event risk are high, intermediate, and low. High-risk events (5-6) should have a licensed physician and ALS equipment on-site (Avery, 2020). By having ALS equipment on site at events that are expected to produce a significant amount of injuries (i.e. an event in which a high amount of drugs and/or alcohol is being consumed), the probabilities of death decreases as patients can be treated sooner. Especially if transport time to a hospital is not reasonable and risk is inherent to the event, this will be very important for public safety. An intermediate risk event (3-4) should have a mix of BLS/ALS components and should consider appropriate staff, stations, and equipment based on the nature of the event (Avery, 2020). It is always better to be prepared and ready for any feasible incident to occur, which is why medical and first aid considerations are a necessary factor at places of public assembly. A low risk event (0-2) should have BLS equipment ready to go. Looking at the event classification risk matrix is an important practice when assessing medical and first aid considerations. It gives event organizers a proper gauge on the safety of their event, an idea of what could happen (extreme weather, overdose, various injuries, etc.), and time to prepare safety stations for maximum patron safety.

A recognized or potential mitigation/elimination tactic or rationale for the theory/practice  

To mitigate the risk of an event, it must first be considered if the risks are avoidable or not. Some may be, such as moving an outdoor event indoors if the location is under a severe storm warning. Some risks, however, are unavoidable, such as the use of drugs and alcohol at an EDM concert, for example. The use of drugs at these festivals could be considered a part of the environment, and precautions are not typically taken to eliminate the drug use but instead to monitor the use of ‘safe’, non-poisoned drugs (Avery, 2020). This is why the event classification matrix is such a helpful practice for medical and first aid considerations. The matrix helps determine what risks are avoidable and which ones are not and can therefore help mitigate extreme occurrences (i.e. death) by having appropriate personnel and equipment on-scene to handle an emergency. Each public assembly occurrence should also have an emergency action plan (EAP) if there is to be an emergency requiring medical attention/first aid. The EAP assigns specific roles to various staff members so they know what their course of action and duties are in a situation. Especially for high risk events, the EAP is necessary to ensure there is no chaos or confusion on part of anyone during a situation. By looking into the World Health Organization’s risk classification system, it can help determine the depth and scope of the EAP. For example, if risk at an event is minimal the EAP will not have that many components because the extent of an injury may simply be a cut or a broken bone. However, if the perceived risk is to be severe (an example being the potential for an act of terrorism), there would have to be strict EAP guidelines and assurance that everyone could do their part.

A method of applying the mitigation/elimination tactic

A method of applying a risk assessment is to do a facility inspection before the event. This can help determine if there are any falling/trip hazards, if and how weather can be an issue, if the facility is appropriate for the demographic (for example, you would not want to host an event for wheelchair-bound individuals in the sand), and more. A facility inspection can help determine the avoidable and unavoidable risks and can perhaps determine if the venue should be changed in the best interest of public safety. A method of applying the emergency action plan would be to run a drill with all members of the emergency response team before the event. Going back to the EDM concert example, maybe a scenario is run in which a patron experiences an overdose. On-scene EMTs would retrieve the individual and bring them to a critical care medical station. As this would be a high-risk event by the event classification matrix, the individual would probably then be treated by appropriate personnel and equipment. By running a practice scenario, the EAP can be practiced and the mitigation of a real overdose during the event would go a lot smoother. There would be no question as to what medical and first aid services would be needed, and there would be appropriate personnel on-scene to take care of the situation.

A citation

1. Avery, B. (2020). Health, Medical, and Safety: Best Practices for Mass Gatherings [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/jordi/Downloads/Health-Medical_Event-Planning.pdf
2. Hsieh, A. (2020, May 28). EMS coverage for mass gatherings and public events. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/incident-management/articles/ems-coverage-for-mass-gatherings-and-public-events-KQdJ0H4MfeULbEtS/
3. World Health Organization. (2015). Public Health for Mass Gatherings: Key Considerations [PDF]. Retrieved from WHO_HSE_GCR_2015.5_eng.pdf

Public assembly risk considerations related to spectators, participants, staff, and vendors.

 A description of a key principle associated with the topic;

A key principle in regard to risk considerations for those involved with public assemblies is fire safety. There is always a risk of a fire in any situation but in a public assembly where many lives are involved security and proper training on fire safety is paramount. In an event where there may be fireworks or pyrotechnics involved there is an additional fire risk involved. The operator for the pyrotechnics holds the overall responsibility in safely using them.

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice associated with the topic or a prevailing theory;

     The NFPA 1126 standard for use of pyrotechnics before an audience provides safety training and guidance on appropriate measures to take when dealing with pyrotechnics in front of a large gathering. There needs to be at least one license holder on hand with adequate training although all members of the staff should be well equipped with this training.  

A recognized or potential mitigation/elimination tactic or rationale for the theory/practice;

                       Fire alarms systems used to detect fires shall they occur can help to mitigate the hazard. Making sure fire alarm systems are functioning are also part of the training and setup for an event with pyrotechnics involved. Portable fire extinguishers should also be present should they need to be used by trained personnel in the event of an emergency. Make sure to type up all loose wires and make sure that there is only one plug in per outlet. These are risks that can cause sparks, leading to fires. Furthermore, the best elimination tactic is doing a run through before events and keeping all running wires separate from each other. This would be placed on both maintenance and fire protection crews to do a run through before events and after as well.

A method of applying the mitigation/elimination tactic; and,

                       All events using pyrotechnics are required to have a trained professional in direct supervision of the pyrotechnics operator at all times. This is not a suggestion but a requirement. In doing so the hope is that the likelihood of a fire occurring is lessened with supervision taking place during the display. There should also be a written checklist that has to be run through in order for an event to occur. Making these sweeps through mandatory might seem tedious, but it can be life or death if an accident occurs. Citation        

Fire safety in public assemblies. (2004). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-in-living-and-entertainment-spaces/Nightclubs-assembly-occupancies/Fire-safety-in-assembly-occupancies

Preventing a Home Electrical Fire. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://www.thehartford.com/about-us/junior-fire-marshal/electrical-fire-safety

A description of a key principle associated with the topic

A key principle associated with the theories of accident/ancient causation is determining the type of event and audience that will be in attendance at the event. Without knowing the type of event, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what the potential risks would be. This information is necessary because different crowds act differently at different events. An example of this could be music genres in concert. If someone is at an EDM concert they should expect to see some head-banging, but mainly some fun dancing. If that same person then went to a Metal concert, they should expect to see mosh pits and fist fights. With out knowing the type of event or audience, event staff struggle to prepare for potential accidents they could experience.

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice associated with the topic or a prevailing theory

There are multiple theories associated with accident causation. There is the Domino theory which states that an injury is caused by the preceding factors. This means that the moments and actions that one makes before an accident are what caused it. Another theory is the Human Factor Theory which states that a chain of events caused by human error will lead to an accident. This essentially means that what someone does is what will lead to an accident, not the forces around them. Another applicable theory is the Incident Theory which is a build off of human factors but accounting for system failure and err. Another theory is the Epidemiological Theory which studies the relationship between environmental factors and disease and can be used to study causal patterns in a relationship. This theory is used to study how everything interacted to cause the accident. Another theory that is applicable is the Systems Theory which states accidents arise from interactions among humans, machines, and the environment. All of the forces interacted in such a way that it caused a problem. The final theory is the Combination Theory which states accidents may/may not fall under one model and that they result from factors from multiple models. This is the one that most people agree upon when looking at the cause of an accident.

A recognized or potential mitigation/elimination tactic or rationale for the theory/practice 

When trying to figure out the root cause of an accident, these theories can each be applied in some way or another to find the cause of an accident. Using these theories, companies can then trace the data to the root cause and fix it so that it will not happen again. An example of this as it pertains to public assemblies would be if a stage fell apart in the middle of an event. By looking at the damage organizations are able to see the cause of the problem and change it so that it does not happen again. Unfortunately, it is hard to predict an accident to happen unless something seems out of place. These theories if studied properly can give employees the information they need to plan out how the assembly will be run correctly and with minimal risk. The main tactic that can be used is the pulley system in order to prevent stage collapses during outdoor shows. One of the worst stories was at the Indiana State Fair where a massive windstorm caused the collapse of the stage killing several people. Outside of clearing people out in time, the stage did not have the proper backdrop with holes through them to allow wind to go through. Furthermore, the stage should be tied down with attachments so that it does not lean one one, but can be supported from all angles.

A method of applying a mitigation/elimination tactic

By studying Systems Theory in this example, employees are able to see how people, machines, and the environment are all interacting. This gives employees insight of how to set up the event to properly protect all three areas. If the assembly is a music concert, the stage shouldn’t be too close to the crowd in case it collapses, and the crowd should stay away from the stage because they could make the stage collapse, and both parties need to be wary of the weather because rain could cause injuries to people or machines. In the event that a problem happens, event planners can accurately forecast potential risks before they happen through use of the Domino Theory. If it is supposed to rain, then event planners will be able to lay out tarps to prevent people from slipping or getting electrocuted. These theories each work differently to help event planners account for risk.

A Citation

1. Avery, B. (2020). Theories of Accident Causation [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from   file:///C:/Users/jordi/Downloads/Theories_of_Accident_Causation.pdf 2. Duffy, S. “Theories of Accident Causation.” Powerpoint, academic.csuohio.edu/duffy_s/Section_03.pdf.

2. Avery, B (2021). Intro to Risk Management; “EMBOK Facets and Applications” 2016

A description of a key principle associated with the topic

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice associated with the topic or a prevailing theory

Recognized potential mitigation/elimination tactic

Method of applying a mitigation/elimination technique

Multiple methods can be used to apply the EMBOK model. One method is to use the EMBOK as a planning tool.

• The model can be put into a chart form to help assign tasks to people or departments.

• It can also be used to create a timeline or calendar for any event by showing what phase of the model to be in by a certain date.

• Checklists can be used with the EMBOK model as well, especially in the implementation stage, to show which tasks are done or need to be done.

• Using the domain classification of the EMBOK model, analyses can be done to find

strengths/weaknesses in each department and mitigate tasks. Organizations can

additionally use the EMBOK models domains to create a classification system for

themselves.

• The EMBOK model can also be used to create criteria for each

department or phase of the event management process.

Citation

1. Avery, B (2021). Intro to Risk Management

A Description of a Key Principle Associated with the Topic

Use of an Applicable Regulation, Standard, and/or Practice Associated with the Topic or a Prevailing Theory

A Recognized or Potential Mitigation/Elimination Tactic or Rationale for the Theory/Practice

A Method of Applying the Mitigation/Elimination Tactic

A Citation

A Description of a Key Principle Associated with the Topic

A key principle associated with this topic is that regulations, standards, and practices are codified and published so that parties are on notice and up to date on what is and is not legal. They describe the standards that administrative agencies adopt and how such laws will be enforced. An example of this is the Fire Marshal’s office in a particular county having its own regulations and rules for enforcing safety and how they investigate but, the state in which they county resides outlines statutes to comply with fire investigations. They exist for the purpose of enforcing safety, quality, and etc. it also outlines the necessary signage and terminology required based on the probability and severity of injuries. Practices may be established by authorities or internally by a company’s management team.

Use of an Applicable Regulation, Standard, and/or Practice Associated with the Topic or a Prevailing Theory

One of the biggest parts of this would be the portion that deals exclusively with terminology, signage, and marking requirements that are meant to keep people out of danger. The signage, terminology, and markings are different based on the severity of harm and the probability of an accident occurring.

• Instructional signage
  • Informs how to act in certain areas, what to expect, and where to go
  • Describes behavior, rules, or tasks
  • Graphics and/or typographics
• ADA Compliance signage
• Warning signage
  • Redirect people away from performing unsafe acts
  • OSHA 29 CFR 1910.145
    • DANGER- white on red on black
      • Used to indicate immediate danger
    • WARNING- black on orange
      • Used to warn against hazards
    • CAUTION-black on yellow
      • Used to warn against potential hazards
    • SAFETY- white on green
      • Used where there is a need for general instructions
  • ANSI Standard, Z535.4-2007
    • Probability of Accident if Hazardous Situation is not Avoided and Probability of Death or Serious Injury if Accident Occurs
      • WILL & WILL
        • Danger
      • WILL & COULD
        • Warning
      • COULD & WILL
        • Warning
      • COULD & COULD
        • Warning
    • If Worst Credible Severity of Harm is Moderate or Minor Injury
      • For all Probabilities
        • CAUTION
    • If Worst Credible Severity of Harm is Property Damage
      • Preferred
        • NOTICE
      • Alternate
        • CAUTION

A Recognized or Potential Mitigation/Elimination Tactic or Rationale for the Theory/Practice

A recognized or potential mitigation/elimination tactic or rationale would be to ensure that employees and staff are properly trained and informed on all of the regulations, standards, and practices that company and higher authorities have in place. This would ensure that everything is done to the standards that it is supposed to. Also, ensuring that all signage, terminology, and markings are consistent and that no misunderstanding can occur. Making sure that signs are easily interpreted and that there is no room for misinterpretation is key to safety and the prevention of accidents that could have been otherwise avoided.

A Method of Applying the Mitigation/Elimination Tactic

A method of applying the mitigation/elimination is completing a facility inspection prior to the event occurring. This would make sure that all signage, marking, and terminology around the event is correct and is simple, yet descriptive. You should also have your employees complete a practice/run-through day or scenario to see how they respond to the standards, regulations, and practices in place and to ensure that they are fully knowledgeable on all of them. This makes sure that they are able to keep things running exactly how they are supposed to be. They should also be knowledgeable about all of the areas where patrons are not allowed and the most dangerous areas. They should patrol these areas often to ensure there is not trespassing or unauthorized personnel in those areas to help reduce the risk of injury and even death. Teaching employees what to do in the event of an emergency will also aid in the mitigation in the event that something occurs.

A Citation

• Avery, B. (2020). Regulations, Standards and Practices
• Avery, B. (2020).  Display and Patron Acknowledgement of Signs

Description of Key Principle: Typology of Risk

Typology of risk management refers to specific ordinances, regulations, and standards that events must adhere to and consider when conducting a venue. In order to understand more about the typology of risk, we must understand what are ordinances and regulations.

• Ordinance:
  • An ordinance is a local law that is passed by municipal governing authorities. Enforcement measures include penalties.
• Regulation:
  • standards and rules adopted by administrative agencies that govern how laws will be enforced. Regulations are used with the same force as laws and used to enforce laws.

There are four different types of risk that were discussed throughout this course: objective risk, subjective/perceived risk, virtual risk, and inherent/real risks:

• Objective risk: The experts’ or scientists’ definition of risk, who (in theory) make probability risk assessments in an unbiased, unemotional manner, usually based on statistical evidence.
• Subjective/Perceived risk: The laypersons, or non-expert assessment, which can be biased or distorted by a person’s preconceived views, emotions, experiences, or a lack of information. Subjective risk can be controlled through skill, judgment, and equipment.
• Virtual Risks: The areas which are contested between research and people’s direct experiences, or even perceptions of fear.
• Inherent/real risks: the risks associated with the activity, but which cannot be removed without destroying the essence of the activity.

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice

There are multiple standards that have been focused on in respects to risk management in public assemblies. The standards we focused on the most were OSHA, NFPA 101, NFPA 102, ANSI Z535, ASTM 1673, DOT/MOT,  FEMA, and ICC.

• OSHA: Occupational health and safety administration
• NFPA 101: National Fire Protection Association, life safety codes
• ANSI Z535: Signage requirements
• NFPA 102: Temps or temporary membrane structures, larger than 10x10 installations and maintenance.
• ICC: International Code Council
• ASTM 1637: Lighting and walkway requirements. Permisibilities.
• DOT/MOT: Department of transportation and management of transportations plans.
• FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

A Recognized or Potential Mitigation/Elimination Tactic or Rationale for the Theory/Practice

• Identify:
  • Determine the facts and documenting internal and external risks
  • A continuing process that should be done periodically throughout the event.
• Analyze:
  • each risk is analyzed based on an assessment of likelihood and impact

Additional uses or Risk Matrices can be used to determine the inherent risk of an event by considering the typical impact and likelihood of the event occuring.

Methods of Applying the Mitigation/Elimination Tactic

When there are a lack of standards it is essential for businesses and organizations to avoid liability for public assemblies and control inherent risk. Ways to avoid liability include: legislation checks, manufacturers materials check, associations check, and case law checks.

Overview of the Risk Management Process:

1. Establish the context-Once in your place of work or your event setting, walk through your environment. See where people will be located and where staff will be as well. Keep a checklist with you as you begin the analyzing process.
2. Identify Risk-Throughout your walk throughs, begin to take note of where potential risks are located. Make sure to also note the seriousness of them and if they are likely to occur or not. This is important for us to understand how we would like to treat the risk.
3. Analyze Risk-As noted prior, this is where we would decide the level of risk there is per one found. It is important to not shy away from all methods of treatment when deciding how to analyze specific risks.
4. Evaluate Risk-The risks need to be ranked and organized, with a thoughtful list coming out so that there will be a proper use of resources dedicated to the right risks. It is important to consider whether or not the business would be hurt by each risk when building this list.
5. Treat Risk-There are several methods that can be used to treat risk. The first is avoidance, which is eliminating the risk all together, but often this is not fathomable. The next would be retention, this would be not touching the risk at all. In order to meet in the middle one could always transfer the risk. This can be done through waivers and different insurance companies.

Risk Planning is an essential mitigation tactic for all risk typologies. Avoiding 5 pitfalls can help elimiminate risk.

5 Pitfalls

1. Planning -last minute changes that go unchecked
2. Supervision - Do certain people need extra guidance
3. Communication - How are messages being relayed?
4. Site Selection - Purpose vs. non-purpose built
5. Activities - Venue Limitations

A Citation

• Avery, B. (2020). Risk Management Framework
• Avery, B. (2020). Intro-Risk Management
• Yu, J. (2020, October 07). 5 basic methods for risk management. Retrieved February 09, 2021, from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing-strategy/082816/methods-handling-risk-quick-guide.asp#:~:text=The%20basic%20methods%20for%20risk,the%20management%20of%20health%20risks.

A description of a key principle associated with the topic

The idea of Risk management is reducing and mitigating the risk associated with a particular event. Unfortunately, perfect risk management does not exist, and we need to plan on how we as a company will continue operations during or after an unplanned disruption. There are several incidents that can occur that would require a business continuity plan when running an event. Factors that can lead to the occurrence of a disaster is human behavior, environmental, design, and system and procedures. From random acts of terror to natural disasters, there always has to be a plan to act accordingly. The location of an event can factor into what incidents you should plan for. For example, an event in Florida would not be worried about potential earthquakes happening, but they would consider other meteorological instances. Each event and event coordinator has to consider how their event could be affected. The main idea of Business continuity is to expect the unexpected. In the event of a disaster, a coordinated continuity plan would:

• Define a response team
• Roles of each team and team member
• Response protocols
• Evacuation plans
• External resources
• Means of communication
• Aftermath response
• Public response
• Ect.

Some disasters are harder to predict than others and it is very important that a plan is in place to act accordingly. Team members should run drills and constantly be trained on potential disasters. A team must also be prepared for unprecedented instances such as COVID-19.

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice associated with the topic or a prevailing theory

The idea of a Business Continuity plan is very broad as it is hard to determine exactly what disaster you will be facing. For this reason, the standards and protocols that are to be followed are infinite. Protocols for a mass shooting will vary from a tornado, responding to COVID-19 will be different from a structural disaster. According to the Heinrich's accident pyramid the more accidents that occur the higher the likely hoof of a major accident occurring. Due to the vast number of threats an event faces, you must be familiar with the general practice of many different standards. This list includes; OSHA 1910.6, ANSI, ASTM, NFPA, and numerous others. These practices will help mitigate and eliminate the odds of disasters. Most important of all is the NFPA 1600 as it specifically addresses the standards for Continuity, Emergencies, and Crisis Management. With this information is important to apply it to whatever particular event is being hosted. Many factors must be considered when hosting an event, and those factors will help determine the necessary equipment and personnel for crisis response and management.

A recognized or potential mitigation/elimination tactic or rationale for the theory/practice

The main course of action for a Business Continuity Plan is constant training and practice. The is no telling when a disaster will occur and it is most important that you actively participate in training drills. The elimination of a disaster happening is near impossible so the best we can do is reduce the threat and minimize the harm to the patrons. Without proper training, the occurrence of said disaster will not be the only issue you will face. The chaos that will erupt can cause just as much damage as the disaster itself. For this very reason, it is important to always have qualified persons at every event as well as the necessary equipment and plans to face whatever disaster comes your way. The type of event you are hosting will determine the required personnel and equipment to act in the event of a disaster occurring. If we can constantly maintain a safe environment we can reduce the odds of a serious disaster occurring at an event. Most important of all, to mitigate the results of a disaster at an event you increase your awareness and have a properly trained staff to act in the event of an emergency.

A Method of Applying the Mitigation/Elimination Tactic

A good method to mitigate the effects of a crisis occurrence is to ensure your staff are properly qualified. This would include out sourced licensing required as necessary. Some options would be having your staff trained and licensed by another company or hiring an out sourced staff completely. It would be more effective to have your staff trained on a regular basis as each location, event and crisis brings about its unique characteristics. Drills should also be conducted regularly to practice what to do in the event of a disaster. The main goal of a business continuity plan is reduce the effects of a crisis. The only way to do so is to have well equipped team that is ready to perform in the event of an emergency. A big concern in the event of disaster is the evacuation process. This is a process that is most in control by the event staff and coordinators. A useful tool to help with the evacuation process is to comply with other standards such as ingress/egress laws as well as proper signage and capacity regulations.

Citations

Avery, B. (2020) Theories of Accident Causation

Avery, B. (2020) Crisis Management

NFPA 1600, (2013)

Risk in the Context of Implementation Strategies

Standards for Field Safety for Athletes

Description of a key principle associated with the topic - Hazard Communication

Hazard Communication: Hazard communication is a standard described by OSHA as “information about the identities and hazards of the chemicals [that] must be available and understandable to workers” (OSHA 2021). In other words, this work standard gives workers the right to know and understand the hazards and risks associated with the chemicals that they are handling.

Use of an applicable regulation, standard, and/or practice associated with the topic or a prevailing theory - Hazard Communication

Depending on where you work, you could be exposed to numerous chemical hazards. These chemical hazards can include neurotoxins, reproductive toxins, carcinogens, and many other life threatening chemicals. Due to this, OSHA has a hazard communication standard that when applied, requires that all employers that handle “hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must have labels and safety data sheets for their exposed workers, and train them to handle the chemicals appropriately” (Avery 2021).

• There are six primary hazards that need to be recognized in the workplace and they are as followed
  • Biological Hazards: Mold, insects/pests, communicable diseases, etc.
  • Ergonomic Hazards: Repetition, lifting. Awkward postures
  • Work Organization Hazards: Things that cause stress
  • Physical Hazards: Noise, temperature extremes, radiation, etc.
  • Chemical and Dust Hazards: Cleaning products, pesticides, asbestos, etc.
  • Safety Hazards: slips, trips and falls, faulty equipment

A recognized or potential mitigation/elimination tactic or rationale for the theory/practice - Hazard Communication

By recognizing these six primary hazards, workplaces and public assemblies can better mitigate/eliminate these hazards and better protect their employees. Workplaces and public assemblies can eliminate these hazards by doing routine inspections of their environment and properly train employees to identify and mitigate/eliminate these hazards.

A method of applying the mitigation/elimination tactic - Hazard Communication

A great method to apply hazard communication standards is to inform and train employees on protective measures on how to properly recognize and handle the six primary hazards of workplaces and public assemblies. These employees will be required to attend a training exercise regarding hazard communication every three months to ensure that they are continuously up-to-date on how to handle these hazardous chemicals. Along with this, safety inspections of the workplace and public assemblies will be conducted every month as well.

Citations - Hazard Communications

OSHA (n.d.). Hazard Communication. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www.osha.gov/hazcom

Avery, B (2021) Introduction to Risk Management

See Also

• Risk Management