A hazard is anything that might harm the health or safety of someone or cause accidental environmental damage.
In a forest operation it could include dead or decaying trees, loose branches ('hangers'), steep or unstable ground, harvesting machines, diesel fuel, and anything else that could potentially cause an injury, illness or accidental environmental damage. In a sawmill or manufacturing facility, it could include airborne dust, moving blades and cutters, electrical currents, vehicles, noise, and again, anything else that might cause harm.
The most obvious way to identify hazards is to go out into the workplace and look for them. But there are other methods of finding potential hazards, including administrative audits and analyses of workplace records.
Below are the main methods used to identify hazards: