What is hazard?

A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on

something or someone under certain conditions at work.
Basically, a hazard can cause harm or adverse effects (to individuals as health effects or to
organizations as property or equipment losses).
Sometimes a hazard is referred to as being the actual harm or the health effect it caused rather
than the hazard. For example, the disease tuberculosis (TB) might be called a hazard by some
but in general the TB-causing bacteria would be considered the "hazard" or "hazardous
biological agent".

A. Natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event will have a negative effect
on humans. This negative effect is what we call a natural disaster. In other words
when the hazardous threat actually happens and harms humans, we call the event a
natural disaster.
Natural Hazards (and the resulting disasters) are the result of naturally occurring
processes that have operated throughout Earth's history.
1. Geophysical hazard- is potentially damaging natural event and/or
phenomenon, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social
and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.

A. Earthquakes are the result of forces deep within the earth's interior. Sudden break
within the upper layers of the earth, sometimes breaking the surface, resulting in the
vibration of the ground, which were strong enough will cause the collapse of
buildings and destruction of life and property.
They strike with no early warning and can be devastating, but after a major one,
aftershocks may be as strong as a new earthquake. Earthquakes usually happen
along a fault plate, the border between plates. Earthquakes often trigger landslides,
tidal waves and tsunamis. Powerful aftershocks frequently occur, causing further
damage and increasing psychological stress.

B. Landslide is the movement of rock, debris or earth down a slope. They result from the
failure of the materials which make up the hill slope and are driven by the force of gravity.
Landslides are known also as landslips, slumps or slope failure.
Some of the most common types of landslide in Australia are earth slides, rock falls and debris
flows. The movement of landslide material can vary from abrupt collapses to slow gradual slides
and at rates which range from almost undetectable to extremely rapid. Sudden and rapid events
are the most dangerous because of a lack of warning and the speed at which material can travel
down the slope as well as the force of its resulting impact. Extremely slow landslides might
move only millimetres or centimetres a year and can be active over many years. Although this
type of landslide is not a threat to people they can cause considerable damage to property.

C. Tsunami phenomenon we call tsunami is a series of large waves of extremely long

wavelength and period usually generated by a violent, impulsive undersea disturbance or
activity near the coast or in the ocean. When a sudden displacement of a large volume of water
occurs, or if the sea floor is suddenly raised or dropped by an earthquake, big tsunami waves
can be formed. The waves travel out of the area of origin and can be extremely dangerous and
damaging when they reach the shore.

D. Volcanic

Eruption occurs when molten rock, ash and steam pour through a vent in the

earth's crust.
Volcanoes are described as active (in eruption), dormant (not erupting at the present time), or
extinct (having ceased eruption; no longer active). Some volcanoes explode. Others are slowflowing fountains of lava, which is hot fluid rock.

2. Hydrological Hazard- is a violent, sharp and harmful amendment either in quality of earth's
water or in distribution or movement of water ashore below the surface or in atmosphere.
Avalanche - describes a quantity of snow or ice that slides down a mountainside under
the force of gravity. It occurs if the load on the upper snow layers exceeds the bonding forces of
the entire mass of snow. It often gathers material that is underneath the snowpack like soil, rock
etc (debris avalanche).
General floods - can be predicted in advance, except in the case of flash floods. The
impact of flooding can include destruction of housing, crops, cattle and people. Volunteers assist
well in the early days of these situations, helping to move people around and save belongings.
Flash floods - are sudden and extreme volume of water that flow rapidly and cause
inundation. Because of its rapid nature flash floods are difficult to forecast and give people little
time to escape or to take food and other essentials with them.

3. Climatological Hazard- A hazard caused by long-lived, meso- to macro-scale atmospheric

processes ranging fromintra-seasonal to multi-decadal climate variability.

Example:

A. heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot and sometimes also humid
weather relative to normal climate patterns of a certain region.
Heat kills by pushing the human body beyond its limits. In extreme heat and high humidity,
evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature.
Most heat disorders occur because the victim has been overexposed to heat or has overexercised for his or her age and physical condition. Older adults, young children, and those who
are sick or overweight are more likely to succumb to extreme heat.
B. Drought - is an insidious phenomenon. Unlike rapid onset disasters, it tightens its grip over
time, gradually destroying an area. In severe cases, drought can last for many years and have a
devastating effect on agriculture and water supplies.
Drought is defined as a deficiency of rainfall over an extended period a season, a year or
several years relative to the statistical multi-year average for the region. Lack of rainfall leads
to inadequate water supply for plants, animals and human beings. A drought may result in other
disasters: food insecurity, famine, malnutrition, epidemics and displacement of populations.
Rural communities can sometimes cope with one or two successive rain failures and crop or
livestock losses: the situation becomes an emergency when people have exhausted all their
purchasing resources, food stocks, assets and normal coping mechanisms.

C. Wildfire and urban fires describes an uncontrolled burning fire, usually in wild lands, which
can cause damage to forestry, agriculture, infrastructure and buildings.

4. Metoerological Hazard- A hazard caused by short-lived, micro- to meso-scale extreme

weather and atmospheric conditions that last from minutes to days.
A. Tropical storms, cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons, although named differently,
describe the same disaster type.
Essentially, these disaster types refer to a large scale closed circulation system in the
atmosphere which combines low pressure and strong winds that rotate counter clockwise in the
northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
The system is referred to as a "cyclone" in the Indian Ocean and and South Pacific, "hurricane"
in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific and "typhoon" in the Western Pacific.
Hurricanes and typhoons are the same storm types as "tropical cyclones" (the local name for
storms which originate in the Caribbean and China Sea region respectively).
A tropical cyclone is a non-frontal storm system that is characterised by a low pressure center,
spiral rain bands and strong winds. Usually it originates over tropical or subtropical waters and
rotates clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the northern
hemisphere. The system is fueled by heat released when moist air rises and the water vapor it
contains condenses ("warm core" storm system). Therefore the water temperature must be >27
C.
Cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons can be predicted several days in advance. The onset is
extensive and often very destructive. These disasters are usually more destructive than floods.
First, in a sudden, brief onslaught, high winds cause major damage to infrastructure and
housing, in particular fragile constructions. They are generally followed by heavy rains and
floods and, in flat coastal areas, by tidal waves.
In the case of cyclones, accurate landfall predictions can give only a few hours' notice to
threatened populations. In addition, people generally opt to wait until the very last minute before
abandoning their home and possessions. Deaths from drowning in the high tides and sudden
flooding and material losses are therefore often very high
B. Winter storm emerges from a extra-tropical cyclone, a synoptic scale low pressure system
that occurs in the middle latitudes of the Earth and is connected to fronts and horizontal
gradients in temperature and dew point. A winter storm comes along with high wind speeds,
gusts, thunderstorms, rain and often storm surges.
A severe storm or thunderstorm is the result of convection and condensation in the lower
atmosphere and the accompanying formation of a cumulonimbus cloud. A severe storm usually
comes along with high winds, heavy precipitation (rain, sleet, hail), thunder and lightning.
A hail storm is a type of storm that is characterised by hail as the dominant part of its
precipitation. The size of the hailstones can vary between pea size (6mm) and softball size
(112mm) and therefore cause considerable damage.
Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms,
and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms.
Tornadoes are rotating columns of air (vortex) that emerge out of the base of a cumulonimbus
cloud and have contact to the Earth's surface. Typically a tornado forms during a severe
convective storm in so-called supercells and is often visible as a funnel-shaped cloud.
Tornadoes are usually short-lived, lasting on average no more than 10 minutes. They can
generate wind speeds above 400 km/h and are considered the most destructive weather
phenomenon. The intensity of tornadoes is assessed using the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Other
names for this weather phenomenon are twister, waterspout.

Local windstorm refers to strong winds caused by regional atmospheric phenomena which are
typical for a certain area. These can be katabatic winds, foehn winds etc.
A sandstorm/dust storm typically occurs in arid or semi-arid regions if high wind speeds cause
the transportation of small particles like sand or fine clastic sediment by saltation and/or
suspension.
A snowstorm refers to a storm, usually in the winter season, where large amounts of snow fall. If
it's a severe snowstorm that meets certain criteria, such as strong winds, blowing snow and low
or falling temperatures, it's called blizzard.
A tidal wave/storm surge is the rise of the water level in the sea, an estuary or lake as result of
strong wind driving the seawater towards the coast. This so-called wind setup is superimposed
on the normal astronomical tide. The mean high water level can be exceeded by five and more
metres. The areas threatened by storm surges are coastal lowlands.
A glacier lake outburst flood (Jkulhlaup) occurs when a lake - dammed by a glacier or a
terminal moraine - fails. The outburst can be triggered by erosion, a critical water pressure, a
mass movement, an earthquake or cryoseism. A jkulhlaup is a special type of a glacier lake
outburst flood related to the outburst of an ice-dammed lake during a volcanic eruption
5. Biological Hazard- A hazard caused by the exposure to living organisms and
their toxic substances (e.g. venom, mold) or vector-borne diseases that they
may carry. Examples are venomous wildlife and insects, poisonous plants, and
mosquitoes carrying disease-causing agents such as parasites, bacteria, or
viruses (e.g. malaria)
A. An epidemic is then unusual increase in the number of cases of an
infectious disease which already exists in a certain region or population.
It can also refer to the appearance of a significant number of cases of an
infectious disease in a region or population that is usually free from that disease.
Epidemics may be the consequence of disasters of another kind, such as tropical storms,
floods, earthquakes, droughts, etc. Epidemics may also attack animals, causing local economic
disasters.
Cholera is mainly spread by drinking water contaminated by faeces. The fatality rate for severe,
untreated cases is 50 per cent; when treated this drops to one per cent.
The incubation period is 1-12 days and severe cases need hospitalisation. Less severe cases
can be treated with rehydration therapy on an outpatient basis. Only 10 per cent of those
infected present symptoms.
Key control factors are: ensuring a safe water supply and rigorous hygiene (hand washing and
disposal of soiled items).
Crowded wards are not a hazard to staff or visitors, if good hygiene is observed. Quarantine is
unnecessary. Vaccine is inappropriate in an emergency.
Dengue or breakbone fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever are transmitted by "day biter"
mosquitoes. Dengue fever is rarely fatal; the haemorrhagic variety, if untreated, can result in a
40-50 per cent mortality rate. With hospital care and fluid therapy,this can be brought to below
five per cent.

No vaccine or specific treatment is available. Epidemic control measures comprise mosquito

destruction and elimination of breeding sites and the use of mosquito repellents by exposed
persons.
Ebola and Marburg Two distinct viral diseases with similar symptoms. Both have a
high fatality rate (up to 90 per cent for Ebola) and are extremely contagious transmission is through contact with all body fluids and organs, use of contaminated
needles and syringes, and the aerosol route.
Extraordinary precautions should be taken to prevent contamination of all those
involved in assisting patients. The reservoir of the two viruses is unknown.
Malaria is transmitted by the bite of the anopheles mosquito, a dusk to dawn biter.
Where the disease is endemic, the local population has some degree of immunity.
The people at greatest risk are those from a non-malarial area, such as IDPs or
refugees. They can be protected by a weekly dose of a malaria suppressive drug. Of
the four types of malaria, falciparum can be rapidly fatal and needs prompt
treatment.
Treatment is by orally administered drugs. Control measures include the spraying,
filling or draining of standing water where mosquitos breed, the spraying of living
and sleeping quarters and the use of bednets. Quarantine is unnecessary, as is the
immunisation of contacts. An immunisation coverage of less than 90 per cent
means a major risk of outbreaks.
B. Technological or man-made hazards
(complex emergencies/conflicts, famine, displaced populations, industrial
accidents and transport accidents) are events that are caused by humans and occur in or
close to human settlements. This can include environmental degradation, pollution and
accidents.
Technological Hazards
A. Industrial
accidentDanger
originating
from
technological or industrial accidents, dangerous
procedures, infrastructure failures or certain human
activities, which may cause the loss of life or injury,
property damage, social and economic disruption or
environmental degradation.
Technological disasters are non-natural disastrous occurrences
that include:
Accident release
Occurring during the production, transportation or handling of hazardous chemical substances
Explosions
Disasters will only be classified as explosions when the explosions is the actual disaster. If the
explosion is the cause of another disaster, the event will be classified as the resulting disaster.

Chemical explosion
Violent destruction caused by explosion of combustible material, nearly always of chemical
origin.
Nuclear explosion/Radiation
Accidental release of radiation occurring in civil facilities, exceeding the internationally
established safety levels.
Mine explosion
Accidents which occur when natural gas or coal dust reacts with the air.
Pollution
Degradation of one or more aspects in the environment by noxious industrial, chemical or
biological wastes, from debris or man-made products and from mismanagement of natural and
environmental resources.
Acid rain
A washout of an excessive concentration of acidic compounds in the atmosphere, resulting from
chemical pollutants such as sulphur and nitrogen compounds. When deposited these increase
the acidity of the soil and water causing agricultural and ecological damage.
Chemical pollution
A sudden pollution of water or air near industrial areas, leading to internal body disorders with
permanent damage of the skin.
Atmosphere pollution
Contamination of the atmosphere by large quantities of gases, solids and radiation produced by
the burning of natural and artificial fuels, chemicals and other industrial processes and nuclear
explosions.
B. Transport Accident- Disaster type term used to describe technological transport
accidents involving mechanised modes of transport. It comprises of four disaster
subsets: accidents involving air, boat, rail transport and accidents involving motor
vehicles on roads and tracks.
4. Complex Hazards
A. Complex Emergencies- On a national level, conflict
may involves warlike encounters between armed
groups from the same country which take place
within the borders. Such outbreaks of war may pose
large-scale medical problems such as epidemics,
lack of water, accumulation of rubbish, displaced
persons, refugees, food shortage, hunger etc.
B. Food Insecurity- Food-security emergencies are complex disasters with multiple root
causes. Severe drought and/or conflict can produce an acute food emergency, whereas
chronic food insecurity is often a reflection of poverty, a worsening debt crisis, the economic
effects at household level of the HIV/AIDS pandemic or mismanagement or abuse of water

resources. In such cases, food can be both unavailable (insufficient production) and
inaccessible (distribution problems, beyond consumers' purchasing power).
Drought is a slow onset disaster, building up over several years of failed rains and lost harvests.
Rural communities can sometimes cope with one or two successive rain failures and crop or
cattle losses: the situation becomes a crucial emergency when they have exhausted all their
purchasing resources, food stocks and usual coping mechanisms.
Poor nutrition, brought on by food shortages, reduces people's resistance to disease, and
makes outbreaks of preventable diseases likely. Water shortages, which force people to use
polluted water, increase the risk of waterborne diseases.
Food-security problems may drive populations to other areas, such as the outskirts of towns, in
search of better conditions. Large settlements of displaced people can form which again
increases the risk of disease outbreak. In terms of people's livestock, lack of grazing and water
shortages can decimate herds, putting pressure on families that rely on their existence to
provide food and food products.
Famine and nutritional emergencies can happen quite suddenly. The Federation carries out a lot
of food distribution in these situations. Occasionally the Federation carries out supplementary
feeding, targeting certain vulnerable groups suffering from poor nutrition. This often includes
women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and children under the age of five.
Food Insecurity - Food-security emergencies are complex disasters with multiple root causes.
Severe drought and/or conflict can produce an acute food emergency, whereas chronic food
insecurity is often a reflection of poverty, a worsening debt crisis, the economic effects at
household level of the HIV/AIDS pandemic or mismanagement or abuse of water resources. In
such cases, food can be both unavailable (insufficient production) and inaccessible (distribution
problems, beyond consumers' purchasing power).
Drought is a slow onset disaster, building up over several years of failed rains and lost harvests.
Rural communities can sometimes cope with one or two successive rain failures and crop or
cattle losses: the situation becomes a crucial emergency when they have exhausted all their
purchasing resources, food stocks and usual coping mechanisms.
Poor nutrition, brought on by food shortages, reduces people's resistance to disease, and
makes outbreaks of preventable diseases likely. Water shortages, which force people to use
polluted water, increase the risk of waterborne diseases.
Food-security problems may drive populations to other areas, such as the outskirts of towns, in
search of better conditions. Large settlements of displaced people can form which again
increases the risk of disease outbreak. In terms of people's livestock, lack of grazing and water
shortages can decimate herds, putting pressure on families that rely on their existence to
provide food and food products.
Famine and nutritional emergencies can happen quite suddenly. The Federation carries out a lot
of food distribution in these situations. Occasionally the Federation carries out supplementary
feeding, targeting certain vulnerable groups suffering from poor nutrition. This often includes
women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and children under the age of five.