Environmental Risks
There are certain things in the environment that can affect your health. This could include the effects of chemicals, on-the-job hazards, and food handling.
There are certain things in the environment that can affect your health. This could include the effects of chemicals, on-the-job hazards, and food handling.
You may be working with chemicals in your job or in your home.
To lower your risk when working with chemicals:
If you are exposed to chemicals in your workplace, there are some ways to reduce your risk. Follow all the safety guidelines and procedures recommended in your workplace.
All employers must, by law, provide workers with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for the chemicals they work with. These have information about the possible health risks and how to work safely with the chemical.
Talk with your employer, your occupational health and safety officer or human resource representative to find out more about the chemicals in your workplace. You can also ask for a transfer to another work environment.
Learn more about occupational hazards.
Older homes can have lead in the paint or asbestos in the walls, pipes, flooring, paint, insulation or cement blocks.
Learn more about safer renovations here.
Use low volatile organic compound (VOC) products. These can include paint, glue and coatings. There are also low-emission carpets that release fewer chemicals into the air.
Learn more about VOCs here.
If you work in any of the following areas, there are risks that you need to be aware of.
Healthcare risks:
Printing & Cleaning Services risks:
Cosmetology risks:
Agricultural risks:
An occupational hazard is an on-the-job risk that could have a negative effect on your health. The risk could be to your physical or mental health. These could include injury, illness, disability (short term or long term) or death.
Below are the different types of occupational hazards:
To help protect yourself:
To learn about specific occupational hazards in Alberta click here.
Check out 10 questions to ask your employer about safety.
Knowing how to safely handle and cook foods can help you avoid foodborne illnesses that can affect your overall health.
Food poisoning or foodborne illness can happen when the food someone eats has a lot of germs in it and it makes them sick.
Learn more about food poisoning.
Cross contamination is when germs are transferred from one surface to another. For example, if you’re cutting raw meat on a cutting board and then pick up vegetables or touch the fridge door, you could transfer the germs on your hands to the other surfaces you touch.
For more information, go here.
Germs can’t grow at temperatures that are too cold or hot. However, temperatures between cold and hot can help germs grow, which can increase the chance of the food making you sick.
Foods between 4°C (39°F) and 60°C (140°F) are in the temperature danger zone. To help reduce your risk, keep cold foods cold – below 4°C (39°F) and hot foods hot – above 60°C (140°F)
Learn more about safe cooking temperatures here.
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