Hazard Assessment

DOE-EM-STD-5503-94

3.0. HAZARD ASSESSMENT

3.1. BACKGROUND

The overall objectives of the Hazard Assessment chapter are to provide guidance on:

The development of site-specific procedures designed to effectively identify, assess, and

control site hazards;

The identification of all onsite operations, jobs and related tasks that are hazardous due to

their inherent characteristics;

The development of a system for assessing the safety and health hazards identified at the

site;

The identification and use of engineering and administrative controls, and Personal

Protective Equipment (PPE) to minimize worker exposure to site hazards; and

The establishment of site-specific hazard control evaluation activities.

Hazards at EM-40 sites pose a multitude of safety and health concerns. The hazards are a

function of the nature of the site and the work being performed. Examples of such hazards

include, but are not limited to:

Chemical exposure (irritation, organ/tissue damage, and central nervous system

depression);

Radioactive exposure (tissue damage or cancer);

Safety/Construction hazards (fire and explosion, excavating/trenching, electrical hazards,

and slip/trip/fall);

Machinery (rotating, crushing, digging and drilling);

Transportation (accidents, spills);

Biological hazards (poisonous plants, animals, snakes, insects, and pathogens);

Physical hazards (noise, eyes, feet, head, oxygen deficiency, temperature extreme stress-

heat stress/cold exposure);

Weather (ice/mud/flooding, high winds, tornados, hurricanes, electrical storms);

Confined spaces (oxygen deficiencies, chemical exposure hazards);

Ergonomic/Repetitive motion (back injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome);

Asbestos (asbestosis, mesothelioma);

Material handling (storage, housekeeping).

Due to the nature of a hazardous waste site, these hazards may be severe, and may occur in a

large variety of forms and locations. Their recognition and evaluation is necessary for planning

and managing operations at a site.

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