Finding “The Source”

Where do hazards come “from”? 

Ask that question where you work, the answers would likely be as predictable as they are wide ranging. The tools, the product, the equipment, the people…the job. Perhaps simply pointing might uncover the true source, here, there, over yonder, that, them, me. 

What you likely won’t encounter is a clear and concise answer, one agreed upon by the collective whole. The source of hazards is…. 

A simple question, yet one not easily answered. 

Given the importance hazard recognition has in preventing injuries, that simply identifying the source of those hazards isn’t an easy question to answer proves just how hard hazard recognition is.

Spend enough time categorizing, three very predictable sources begin to appear. The tasks, the people themselves, and in the environment around them. 

Ask that question differently – which of those three sources causes the most injuries here – the answer might just become obvious. The environment in which people work is often the biggest source of hazards – and injuries.

Asking questions like these is a powerful way to help followers think better and differently about hazards that exist in the environment they work in.

Balmert Consulting
February 2026