Before diving into the risk associated with energy sources and sources of harm, let’s get a quick reminder of what is a hazard and what is risk.
A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work. So, a hazardous energy is any electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, chemical, nuclear, thermal, gravitational, or other energy that can harm people. Some energy sources are obvious, such as electricity, heat in a furnace, or an object that might fall. Others may be hidden hazards such as air pressure in a tank or a compressed spring.