Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 7 ppt

7 Safety HazardsAccident /incident Personal injury Property damage Equipment failure Direct causes Release of energy and /or hazardous material Indirect causes symptoms Unsafe acts Unsaf

7 Safety Hazards

Accident /incident Personal injury Property damage Equipment failure

Direct causes

Release of energy and /or hazardous material

Indirect causes (symptoms)

Unsafe acts

Unsafe conditions

Policies and decisions Personal factors Environmental factors

Basic causes

Accident-causes levels (Courtesy of the Mine Health and Safety Administration.)

Potential safet y hazards come from a large numbe r of sources, each posing unique dangers, and also vary great ly in the degree of risk as well as the type of energy that each can relea se when not prevent ed or contr olled Table 7 1 provi des a list of a wide range of equipment, tools, sources, etc that can cause safety hazards

7.1 EMPHASIS ON HAZARDS

The emphasis in this chapter is upon safety hazards Hazards are defined as sources

of danger that could result in a chance event such as an accident A danger itself is a potential exposure or a liability to injury, pain, or loss Not all hazards and dangers are the same Exposure to hazards may be dangerous, but this is dependent on the

amount of risk that accom panies it The risk of water contai ned b y a dam is diff erent from being cau ght in a small boat in rapid ly flowing wat er Risk is the possibil ity of loss or injury or the de gree of the possibility of such loss Accid ents do not oc cur in a hazardless envir onmen t If the potential exposure is high, there is a greate r risk that

an undesired event will occur An accide nt is an unplan ned or undesi rable event whose outcom e is normally a trauma Tr auma is the inju ry to livi ng tissue caused by some outside or extrinsic agent Trauma is caused by an agent, force, or mechanism impingi ng on the human body (Figur e 7.1)

The emphasis here will be to identify the hazard and its danger, and suggest ways

to remove, intervene, or mitigate its risk to prevent accidents resulting from the errant uncontrolled release of energy that has a traumatic effect on those who are exposed

to that hazard

7.2 ACCIDENT CAUSES

Experts who study accidents often do a breakdown or analysis of the causes They analyze them at three different levels:

TABLE 7.1

Potential Sources of Safety Hazards

Acids Hot processes Power sources

Abrasives Forklifts Power tools

Biohazards Fumes Pressure vessels Bloodborne pathogens Generators Radiation

Blasting Gases Rigging

Caustics Hand tools Respirators

Chains Hazardous chemical processes Scaffolds

Chemicals Hazardous waste Slings

Compressed gas cylinders Heavy equipment Solvents

Conveyors Hoists Stairways

Cranes Hoses Storage facilities Con fined spaces Hot items Stored materials Derricks Hot process Transportation equipment Electrical equipment Housekeeping =waste Transportation vehicles Elevators and manlifts Ladders Trucks

Emergencies Lasers Unsafe conditions Environmental factors Lifting Unsafe act

Excavations Lighting Ventilation

Explosives Loads Walkways and roadways Falls Machines Walls and floor openings Fibers Materials Warning devices Fires Mists Welding and cutting Flammables Noise Wire ropes

Hazardous waste Platforms Working surfaces High voltage Personal protective equipment

1 Direct causes (unplanned relea se of energy and=or hazardo us material)

2 Indirect causes (unsaf e a cts and unsafe condit ions)

3 Basic causes (management safety policies and decisions, and personal factors) 7.2.1 DIRECT CAUSES

Most accide nts are caused by the unplan ned or unwanted relea se o f large amoun ts of energy, or of hazardo us mat erials In a breakdo wn of accide nt causes, the direct cause is the energy or hazardo us mat erial relea sed a t the time of the a ccident Accident inves tigators are inte rested in fi nding out what the direct cause of an accident is, because this informat ion can be used to help prevent other acciden ts,

or to reduce the injuries associ ated wi th them

Energy is classi fied in on e of two ways It is eith er potential or kinetic energy Potential energy is de fined as stored energy such as a rock on the top of a hill There are usual ly tw o compo nents to potent ial energy: the wei ght a nd height of the object The rock resting at the bott om of the hill h as little potent ial energy as compared to the one at the top of the hill Some examp les of potential e nergy are represented in Table 7.2

The other classi ficati on is kinet ic energy that is best described as energy motion Kinetic energy is dependen t upon the mass of the ob ject Mass is the amoun t of matter making up an object; for examp le, an e lephant has more matter than a mous e, therefore more mass The weight of an object is a factor of the mass of an object and the pull of gravity on it Kinetic energy is a funct ion of an object ’ s mass and its speed

of movement or velocity A bullet thrown at you has the same mass as one shot at you, but the difference is in the velocity and there is no doubt as to which has the

More potential risk

Release of agent, force,

or mechanism

Accident/

incident

Outcomes

Injury

Death

Illness

Intervention/

prevention Safe operations

FIGURE 7.1 Potential outcomes from hazards

most kinet ic energy or potential to destr oy So me examp les of kinet ic energy are represented in Tab le 7.3

Energy has many form s and each has its own unique potential for d anger The forms of energy are press ure, biol ogical, chemical, elect rical, therm al, light, mech-anical, and nuclea r Tab le 7.4 depicts examp les of each form of energy

If the direc t cause is know n, then equipment , materials, and facilit ies can be redesigned to make them safer , person al prote ction can be provi ded to reduce injuries , and wor kers can be trained to prote ct them selves in hazardo us situati ons 7.2.2 INDIRECT C AUSES

Indirect causes , or symp toms, may be consi dered as contr ibuting facto rs In most cases, the relea se of excess ive amoun ts of energy or hazardo us materials is caused by unsafe acts or unsafe condition s Unsafe acts and unsafe condit ions trigge r the release of large amoun ts of energy or hazardo us material s, whi ch direc tly cause the acciden t Thi s chapte r refers to indi rect causes as symptom s or contr ibuting factors That is because unsafe acts and unsafe condit ions do not them selve s cause acciden ts These are just symp toms or indicator s of poor manag ement poli cy, inadequ ate contr ols, lack of or insuf ficient knowledge of existing hazards , or other persona l facto rs Tables 7.5 and 7.6 depict some examp les of unsafe acts and unsafe conditions

TABLE 7.2

Examples of Potential Energy

Compressed gases Hand or power tool

Object at rest Lique fied gas

Effort to move an object Dust

Spring loaded objects Unfallen tree

Electrically charged component Radiation source

Idling vehicle Chemical source

Disengaged equipment Biological organism

Flowable material

TABLE 7.3

Examples of Kinetic Energy

Operating tools or equipment Moving conveyors

Flow of materials Running machines

Falling objects Running equipment

Lifting a heavy object Moving dust

Moving vehicles or heavy equipment Tree falling

Release of energy from radiation, chemical or biological sources Pinch area from moving objects Energy transfer devices such as pulleys, belts, gears, shears, edgers Running power tools

7.2.3 B ASIC C AUSES

The cause of most accide nts is indeed a relea se of energy, an unsafe condition , or an unsafe act, but the basic or root c auses of most accidents are found to be more a result

of failure to addres s some very speci fic underly ing causes The se causes fall into three groups : poli cies and decisions, person al facto rs, and envir onmen tal factors depicted in Tab les 7.7, 7.8, and 7 9, respec tive ly

While we often think of hazardo us acts and condition s as the basic causes of accidents, they are actually symptom s of failure on anothe r level Unsafe acts and unsafe condit ions can usual ly be trace d to the basic causes : poor manag ement policies and decis ions, and person al facto rs

The first catego ry of basic causes — manag ement safety p olicies and decisions — includes such thin gs as manag ement ’s intent (relative to safet y); product ion and safety goals; staffing procedures; use of records; assignment of responsibility, authority, and accountability; employee selection; training, placement, direction,

TABLE 7.4

Forms of Energy and Examples of Their Sources

Pressure energy Chemical energy Nuclear energy

Pressurized vessel Corrosive materials Alpha particles

Caisson work Flammable =combustible Beta particles

Explosives materials High energy nuclear

Noise Toxic chemicals particles

Compressed gases Compressed gases Neutrons

Steam source Carcinogens Gamma rays

Liquefied gases Confined spaces X-rays

Air under pressure Oxidizing materials

Diving Reactive materials Thermal (heat) energy Con fined spaces Poisonous chemicals Chemical reactions

and gases Combustible materials Light energy Explosives Cryogenic materials

Intense light Acids and bases Fire

Lasers Oxygen deficiency Flames

Infrared sources atmosphere Flammable materials

Microwaves Fuels Friction

Sun Dusts or powders Hot processes

Ultraviolet light Hot surfaces

Welding Electrical energy Molten metals

RF fields Capacitors Steam

Radio frequency Transformers Solar

Energized circuits Weather phenomena Biological energy Power lines Welding

Allergens Batteries

Biotoxins Exposed conductors

Pathogens Static electricity

Poisonous plants Lightning

TABLE 7.5 Unsafe Acts

(95% of all accidents)

1 Operating or using equipment without authorization

2 Failure to prevent unexpected movement

3 Working or operating at unsafe speeds

4 Failure to warn or signal

5 Removing, nullifying, or not using guards

6 Using defective tools or equipment

7 Using tools or equipment unsafely

8 Taking an unsafe position

9 Failure to shut down and lockout

10 Riding equipment

11 Horseplay, startling, or distracting

12 Failure to wear or use personal protective equipment

13 Failure to warn coworkers or to secure equipment

14 Improper lifting

15 Alcohol or drug use

16 Violation of safety and health rules

TABLE 7.6 Unsafe Conditions

(5% of all accidents)

1 Lack of or inadequate guards

2 Lack of or inadequate warnings or signaling systems

3 Improper storage of flammable or explosives

4 Unexpected start-up conditions

5 Poor housekeeping conditions

6 Protruding objects

7 Congestion conditions

8 Atmospheric conditions

9 Improper placement or stacking

10 Defective tools or equipment

11 General working conditions

12 Improper clothing

13 Radiation exposure

14 Poor illumination

15 Excessive noise

16 Unstable work areas or platforms

17 No firefighting equipment

18 Dangerous soil

19 Hazardous conditions

20 Radiation

TABLE 7.7 Policies and Decisions

Safety policy is not

. In writing . Signed by top management . Distributed to each employee . Reviewed periodically

Safety procedures do not provide for

. Written manuals . Safety meetings . Job safety analysis . Housekeeping . Medical surveillance . Accident investigations . Preventive maintenance . Reports

Safety audits=inspections Safety is not considered in the procurement of

. Supplies . Equipment . Services

Safety is not considered in the personnel practices of

. Selection . Authority . Responsibility . Accountability . Communication . Training . Job observations

TABLE 7.8 Personal Factors

Physical

. Inadequate size . Inadequate strength . Inadequate stamina

Experiential

. Insufficient knowledge

. Insufficient skills

. Accident records . Unsafe work practices

(continued)

and supervision; communications procedures; inspection procedures; equipment, supplies, and facility design; purchasing; maintenance; standard and emergency job procedures; and housekeeping

The second category—personal factors—includes motivation, ability, know-ledge, training, safety awareness, assignments, performance, physical and mental state, reaction time, and personal care

The third category is the actual physical facility design, the unsafe procedures being used, and the geological and climatic conditions

TABLE 7.8 (continued) Personal Factors

Motivational

. Needs . Capabilities

Attitudinal

. Toward others . People . Company . Job . Toward self . Alcoholism . Drug use . Emotional upset

Behavioral

. Risk taking . Lack of hazard awareness

TABLE 7.9 Environmental Factors

Unsafe facility design

. Poor mechanical layout . Inadequate electrical system . Inadequate hydraulic system . Crowded limited access ways . Insufficient illumination

. Insufficient ventilation

. Lack of noise control

Unsafe operating procedures

. Normal . Emergency

Weather Geographical area

7.3 SUMMARY

As can be seen, accidents that result because of safety hazards are actually the result

of a complex set of events or elements that have come together from nature, human error, and failure of systems that should have protected workers from injury and death Thus, the emphasis seen in this book and Industrial Safety and Health for Infrastructure Services, Industrial Safety and Health for Administrative Services, and Industrial Safety and Health for People-Oriented Services, is regarding the need for an organized approach to occupational safety and health and the protections and benefits from implementing a well thought out approach to job safety and health The remainder of this book is directed toward managing, preventing, and controlling hazards that occur within the goods and material service sector of the service industry This includes the wholesale trade, retail trade, and warehousing sectors