Haittavaarat

Haittavaarat is a Finnish term used in risk assessment and occupational safety to denote hazards that can cause harm to health. The word is formed from haitta, meaning harm or nuisance, and vaara, meaning danger. The plural haittavaarat refers to multiple such hazards.

Use and scope: In Finnish safety literature, haittavaarat are identified during hazard assessment to determine preventive measures. They cover a range of categories, including chemical hazards (exposure to toxic substances), physical hazards (noise, heat, radiation), biological hazards (bacteria, viruses), ergonomic hazards (repetitive strain, awkward postures), and psychosocial hazards (work-related stress).

Relationship to related terms: The more general concept in safety practice is a hazard (haittavaara) and the associated risk. In English, the term health hazard or health hazards is typically used, and translations may vary.

Examples: A factory might document haittavaarat such as solvent vapors, unguarded machinery, and excessive noise as factors to be controlled through ventilation, guarding, and hearing protection.

See also: Hazard, Health hazard, Risk assessment, Occupational safety, Environmental health.