Workplace Hazards: Types, Controls & Training Solutions

Workplace injuries and illnesses cost UK businesses £21.6 billion annually in lost productivity and healthcare (HSE 2024). For SMEs, even one accident can wipe out weeks of profit or lead to costly legal penalties.

Hazards can arise unexpectedly. A wet floor in a salon can cause serious falls, exposure to chemicals can harm a plumber's health, and improper lifting can sideline a fast-food worker for weeks. In a small team, one absence can disrupt operations significantly. This is why every small business needs a clear strategy to identify and manage hazards

What are workplace hazards?

Workplace hazards are anything in the work environment that could cause harm to people. They can affect employees, visitors, or even the public if not managed properly.
HSE guidance highlights a range of common workplace risks, which for SMEs can be grouped into six (6) main categories: safety, physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards (HSE 2024).

Hazard vs Risk

It’s also important to be aware of the difference between hazards and risks.

• A hazard refers to a particular source of harm, damage, illness or other adverse effect within the workplace.

• Risk relates to the probability that an individual or group will encounter and be adversely affected by the hazard.

Besides the nature of the hazard, this will also depend on such factors as personal vulnerability and the effectiveness of control measures.

The types of workplace hazards

The HSE highlights risks across different areas of workplace safety from slips and stress to chemicals and manual handling. For SMEs, these fall neatly into six (6) main categories:

1. Safety hazards – work at height, machinery, electricity, fire, workplace transport.

2. Physical hazards – slips, trips, falls, noise, vibration.

3. Chemical hazards – toxic substances, cleaning agents, fumes.

4. Biological hazards – viruses, bacteria, moulds.

5. Ergonomic hazards – poor workstation setup, manual handling, repetitive strain.

6. Psychosocial hazards – stress, bullying, long hours.

Why workplace hazards matter for small businesses and SMEs

Ignoring hazards can lead to lost working days, legal fines, or worse imprisonment. In 2024, Rowes Garage in Cornwall a small family-run body shop was fined £204,000 after two employees developed Hand–Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) from using vibrating tools without proper protection (BBC News). For a small team, a fine of that size could threaten the future of the entire business.

And HAVS is just one hazard. Slips, stress, poor manual handling, or chemical exposure can all lead to lost staff, legal action, or financial penalties. The message is clear: SMEs can’t afford to ignore hazards.

That means small businesses aren’t “too small to worry about safety.” They’re often the ones most at risk because they don’t have a dedicated safety officer or HR department.

The good news is you don’t need to build everything yourself. BrightHR provides 600+ ready-made risk assessment templates, helping SMEs stay compliant without the paperwork overload.

What should you do as a small business owner?

A proactive approach to health and safety is the best step to take. Here’s a practical checklist you can follow:

1.      Carry out risk assessments.

2.      Encourage staff to report hazards.

3.      Use hazard logs (digital is best).

4.      Train staff yearly.

5.      Review policies whenever things change.

Health and safety laws for workplace hazards

All UK employers have a legal duty for the protection of staff, customers and anybody else associated with their companies. You can go some way to fulfilling this duty by keeping an eye out for hazards that could cause injury or illness.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 set out the need to identify, evaluate, and eliminate or control such hazards as the minimum.

Failure to meet these obligations can have serious consequences. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics, 561,000 workers suffered non-fatal injuries at work from 2022 to 2023, and 138 workers died from 2023 to 2024. Employers who ignore health and safety regulations face legal action, which can lead to improvement or prohibition notices, prosecution, and compensation payouts.

The failure to address hazards and risks could also result in:

• Significant fines and penalties

• Disruption of your business

• Damage to your reputation

• Lower employee morale and satisfaction

How to manage hazards in your workplace

Given the potential dangers, you must have a workplace health and safety management system for the identification of hazards. Key elements will include a clear health and safety policy, plans for risk control, and a regular programme of inspections and audits to ensure the effectiveness of your system.

You should try to maximise employee involvement in the implementation of your health and safety system. This should begin with the identification of hazards through the review of past incident records, workplace inspections, incident investigations and other suitable means. Risk assessments should then be carried out to establish the potential for harm associated with each identified hazard.

You’ll ideally be able to eliminate the hazards. If this isn’t possible then you should apply the hierarchy of risk controls.

What Is the hierarchy of controls?

The Hierarchy of Controls is the HSE-recognised framework for reducing workplace risks.

Rather than relying on a single quick fix, applying the full hierarchy helps SMEs systematically cut risks and improve safety performance. It Involves.

1. Elimination – A café replaces a heavy fryer with a safer model. 

2. Substitution – A salon switches to low-toxicity cleaning products.

3. Engineering Controls – A builder installs guardrails on scaffolding.

4. Administrative Controls – A takeaway sets clear cleaning shifts.

5. PPE – Gloves, masks, and ear defenders when other steps aren’t possible.

Workplace hazards in high-risk industries

Sectors like construction, healthcare, and manufacturing, are more prone to accidents and health issues. These industries often face risks such as falls, machinery accidents, infections, and injuries from sharp objects. Even small teams in these fields face significant dangers.

Health & safety training to manage workplace hazards

HSE guidance emphasises that adequate health & safety training improves employee competence, helps prevent injuries and ill health, and ensures legal compliance in everyday work. SMEs can choose between traditional classroom training and flexible online modules, with e-learning proving more cost-effective and easier to roll out.

Online training vs. traditional

• Online - cheaper, flexible, accessible. Ideal when you can’t spare a full day away from the shop floor.

• Classroom - valuable in-depth learning, but more expensive and harder to schedule in small teams.

Mandatory health and safety training employers must provide

Employers must ensure their employees undergo the necessary HSE training:

• General Safety Awareness: For all employees to understand their role in safety.

• Risk Assessment: Learning to identify hazards and assess their risks to implement controls.

• Fire Safety Awareness: For specific roles, like Fire Marshals or Wardens.

• First Aid Training: Essential for responding to injuries.

• Manual Handling Training: For staff performing physical tasks.

• COSHH Training: For those working with hazardous substances.

• Office Health & Safety: Focuses on common office-specific hazards.

Emerging technologies in workplace hazard training

Virtual Reality (VR), wearables, and AI are no longer “big company tech”. PwC studies show VR learners often complete training 4× faster than traditional methods. Early adopters report faster learning and fewer accidents.

Practical SME uses:

• A builder training apprentices in VR scaffolding safety.

• A café using an Augmented Reality (AR) app to simulate fire evacuation.

• Wearables that detect fatigue in delivery drivers.

By introducing more modern methods of training you can keep your staff engaged and improve their understanding of workplace hazards.

Identify hazards in the workplace with BrightSafe

With this article having reinforced the importance of hazard identification and management, you should now be prepared to implement a health and safety system. Designed for the protection of your staff and business, BrightSafe should be your first choice.

See how you could minimise hazards and risks with our end-to-end system:

• Easily identify and safeguard your business against 600+ health and safety risks

• Prevent hazard exposure and accidents with real-time reporting

• Stay compliant with an accurate digital audit trail

• Give your staff the benefit of RoSpa assured and CPD-accredited health & safety training

With 24/7 access to qualified health & safety consultants, plus a comprehensive library of risk assessments, templates, posters, and factsheets, this is the solution that your business needs. Go ahead and book your free BrightSafe demo today!

Workplace hazards FAQs

What are the main types of workplace hazards?

They are Safety, Physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial. For SMEs, this means anything from a wet salon floor to bullying in a small café team.

What is the hierarchy of controls?

It’s a step-by-step method: eliminate → substitute → engineering → admin → PPE. Using the full hierarchy ensures you don’t rely only on PPE.

What is the most common workplace hazard in the UK?

Slips, trips, and falls responsible for 30% of non-fatal injuries (HSE 2024).

Do small businesses legally need risk assessments?

Yes. If you employ 5 or more people, you must record risk assessments (HSE). Even with fewer, you must manage risks.

How effective is online hazard training?

Very effective. Online training often costs significantly less per employee than traditional in-person classes, especially when overheads like travel, rooms, and printed materials are removed. SMEs can deliver it in short bursts instead of losing a day to training.

How can SMEs prevent hazards?

By being proactive:

1. Carry out risk assessments.

2. Encourage staff to report hazards.

3. Use hazard logs (digital is best).

4. Train staff yearly.

5. Review policies whenever things change.