Environmental Hazards: Analysis of the Love Canal Video Assignment

This assignment analyzes the Love Canal video, focusing on the identification of environmental and workplace hazards. The assignment identifies the hazards presented in the video, which include chemical and physical dangers from the buried waste. It also outlines the steps to recognize hazards in a work environment, emphasizing the need to identify potential harm, assess risks, and record findings. The assignment highlights the importance of proactive hazard identification to prevent accidents and ensure workplace safety. The document also provides a review of the various types of hazards that can be encountered in a work environment, including physical, ergonomic, chemical, and biological hazards. The assignment concludes by emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring and reduction of risks.

LOVE CANAL
By Name
Course
Instructor
Institution
Location
Date

Identification of the video
The video that has been documented is an illustration of the environmental waste accumulation
that has been caused by industrial activities. The toxic and chemical wastes have been buried in
metal drums and this could potentially pollute both water bodies and the soil(Fjelland 2016).
Hazards at the place
 Chemicals from the industrial wastes that can potentially cause harm.
 Pathogens from the dumping site that can potentially cause diseases like cholera.
 Buried metallic containers can potentially cause cuts
Identification of the workplace hazards
One of the main causes of illness, Injuries and accidents at the workplace is the failure to
properly identify or have proper recognition of the hazards that are present or that could have
been anticipated before. A critical element of any effective programs on health and safety is
being proactive in such identification(Bardos et al.2016). Almost every place of work is having
relevant hazards. Any employer has a legal responsibility to ensure that all the employees are
protected from the potential harm. In order to manage workplace safety and health as well as
prevent accidents which will lead to high cases of work absence, the identification, monitor, and
reduction of risk are very important. These hazards can be categorized into the following
groups:
Physical hazards: These are hazards like vibrations, slips, noise falls and trips

Ergonomic hazards: It refers to the physical factors that can potentially harm the system of
musculoskeletal such as repetitive during the manual handling of objects at the place of work.
This may include poor positioning of the body.
Chemical hazards: It refers to any substance that is chemical in nature and has the potential to
cause hazards.
Biological hazards: It refers to those viruses and bacteria that can potentially cause diseases like
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Steps
 Identify anything that can cause harm
 Make decision on who can be harmed
 Assess the risk before acting
 Record the findings
 Review the process

References
Bardos, R. P., Bone, B. D., Boyle, R., Evans, F., Harries, N. D., Howard, T., & Smith, J. W.
(2016). The rationale for simple approaches for sustainability assessment and
management in contaminated land practice. Science of the Total Environment, 563, 755-
768.
Fjelland, R. (2016). When laypeople are right and experts are wrong: Lessons from love
canal. HYLE–International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry, 22, 105-125.