Chapter 2.1 Hazard Recognition, Evaluation & Control

Hazard Recognition, Evaluation & Control

Hazards in the workplace can be very costly in terms of injuries, property damage, lost productivity, lost time, illness and so on…A proactive approach involves pre-planning to identify hazards and taking action to prevent accidents.Losses may fall under one or both of the following categories;

Hazard Recognition, Evaluation & Control

Human: Injury, pain suffering, sorrow, loss of body parts, loss of dignity, independence, self-esteem, death….Financial: Medical & workers’ compensation costs, building damage, tool & equipment damage, product & material damage, loss of production time….The process of controlling losses has six steps as follows;

Hazard Recognition, Evaluation & Control

Six steps in controlling losses;

1. Hazard identification & evaluation

2. Ranking hazards by risk

3. Management decision making

4. Establishing preventive & corrective measures

5. Monitoring

6. Evaluating program effectiveness

1. Hazard Identification &, Evaluation & Control

Successful control of health hazards begins with identification of the hazard.A hazard is any substance ,or physical property, process, or task that poses a potential threat to the health and or safety of the individual.Hazards are grouped into four categories;

1. Chemical, 2. Physical 3. Biological 4. Ergonomic

2. Ranking Hazards by RiskOnce a workplace hazard has been identified they should be evaluated to determine their potential to cause injury or illness. Must consider the following;

Level of Exposure Chemical Properties Route of Exposure (route of entry into body) Length of exposure Frequency of exposure Individual characteristics Environmental variables Controls in use.

3. Management Decision Making

Management should be provided with full & accurate information and it should contain the following;

Recommendation for training & education

Better methods & procedures

Equipment repair or replacement

Recommendation for redesign

3. Management Decision Making

Management has three options upon receipt of this hazard information;

Take no action

Modify the workplace or its components

Redesign the workplace or its components

4. Establishing Preventative & Corrective Measures

Controls are directed at the source of the hazard, the pathway of transmission and at the receiver. They exist on three levels;

Engineering

Administrative

Personal Protective Equipment

5. Monitoring

Activities within a facility should be constantly monitored for new hazards and to assess the effectiveness of control already in place. This process includes;

Inspection

Industrial Hygiene testing

Medical surveillance

6. Evaluating Program Effectiveness

A loss control program should be evaluated to ensure it is working and must consider the following;

Number & severity of injuries

Cot of medical care

Material damage

Facility damage cost

Equipment & tool damage & costs

Number of days lost from accidents

Workplace InspectionChapter 2.2

What is Workplace Inspection

Inspection will examine the workplace closely on a regular basis:

To identify & record actual potential hazards

To identify unsafe conditions or unsafe acts that require immediate action

To ensure that existing hazard controls are functioning properly.

What is Workplace Inspection

The primary purpose of inspection is to detect potential hazards, so they can be corrected before an accident occurs. The second purpose is to improve operations to increase efficiency, effectiveness and profitability. Inspections can be viewed negatively or positively;

a) Fault-finding, to criticize

b) Fact-finding, to locate hazards that can adversely affect health & safety. The fact-finding viewpoint is more effective.

Types of Inspections

There are five types; Spot inspections; taken on a random basis

Pre-operation checks; of special equipment or work processes

Critical part inspections; regular planned inspections of parts of a machine, pieces of equipment or systems

New equipment inspections; before operations begin

Regularly planned inspections; cover all conditions of work practices and procedures.

Role of Inspections

Inspections must be a part of an accident prevention program and must be conducted on a regular basis. They help;

Identify possible corrective action for identified hazards to monitor the effectiveness of controls

Steps in Establishing Workplace Inspection System

There are four steps in establishing a sound Workplace Inspection System;

Planning

Inspecting

Reporting

Monitoring

Planning

An inspection program is based on a Hazard Control Inspection Inventory. Managers should develop an inventory of items that may become unsafe or cause accidents. Such things as;

Environmental factors (dust, fumes, noise….)

Power source equipment (electric motors, cords, ground connectors…)

Fire protection (alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers…)

Inspecting

Inspectors should not simply list unsafe conditions but describe each condition specifically and clearly.All areas of workplace should be inspected not just the work areas (ie. Parking lots, washrooms, locker rooms….)Inspections should be scheduled at times when the inspectors can see operators at work.

Inspecting

Five characteristics of a good inspector;

Knowledge of the company’s accident experience

Familiarity with accident hazards & applicable standards

Ability to decide upon corrective action

Diplomacy in dealing with personnel & situations

Knowledge of company’s operations.

Reporting

Inspections can only be affective if results are promptly reported to the right persons and prompt action is taken.Companies should try and develop their own official form for reporting on inspections. Inspectors can use many tools including things like pens, camera, calipers, micrometers, feeler gauges, flash lights, electrical testing equipment….

Monitoring

For inspections to be valid; It must be clear who has the ultimate responsibility

Contain timely feedback to those involved in the inspection

Inspectors information must be reviewed carefully to identify immediate actions required

Trends need to be identified to see where to improve the inspection program

Personal Protective EquipmentChapter 2.3

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

What is PPE??

Equipment worn by a worker to minimize exposure to occupational hazards, by acting as a barrier to shield the worker from hazard

Includes respirators, gloves, aprons, fall protection, full body suits, head, eye, & foot protection

PPE does not reduce the hazard, nor does it provide complete protection for the worker.

Elements of a PPE Program

Develop a policy on PPE by managementConduct a workplace survey for all potential hazardsSelect proper PPE for hazards that cannot be adequately controlled by other meansProper fitting of PPE to each individualTrainingEvaluation of the programmodification

Head Protection

CSA classifies head protection as follows;

Class G (General Usage) – This class is intended to provide the user against impact & penetration.. It is non-conducting

Class E (Electrical Trades) – This class of headwear provides protection against impact & penetration. It must be non-conducting and pass a dielectric-strength test

Class C (Conducting Headwear) – Designed to provide the user with protection against impact & penetration only.

Hair Protection

Employees with long hair must protect against entanglementCaps should cover head and be flame resistant if exposed to hot metals or sparksCaps should be attractive, to promote usage, be cool & lightweight.Laundered regularly

Face & Eye Protection

70% of all eye injuries result from flying or falling objectsContact with harmful chemicals cause over 20% of eye injuriesEye protection includes safety glasses, safety goggles, & face shields.

Hearing Protection

The two most important factors that lead to hearing loss in industrial settings are loudness of the noise and duration of exposure to it.Work areas where levels are continuously above 85dB during an 8hour period are considered hazardous.Hearing protection falls into four categories; enclosures, aural inset (ear plugs), super aural, circumaural protectors.

Fall Protection

Can be either Passive or Active protectionPassive protection includes all-purpose nets and provide protection under and around elevated work areas. The worker is not directly involved in wearing this type of protectionActive fall protection includes safety belts, harnesses, lifelines all of which have an anchorage point.

Respiratory Protection

May be used to protect against inhalation and should be based on identification of the hazard.Types of respiratory protection;

Air purifying (dust, mist, fumes)

Air purifying (gas & vapors)

Atmosphere supplying respirators (supplied air)

Atmosphere supplying respirators (self-contained breathing apparatus SCBA)

Head & Arm Protection

Types of Hand & Arm Protection;

Gloves (cloth, leather, metal mesh, rubber, lead lined…)

Barrier Creams ( water soluble or water resistant)

Finger Cuts (light duty sensitive work)

Wrist & Forearm Protectors, elbow guards & sleeves.

Protective Footwear

Types of protective footwear;

Metatarsal Footwear; (potects the metatarsal or toe area..teel/plastic toe

Sole Puncture Resistant; Footwear (protective plate in sole)

Electrical Hazard Footwear; electrical insulated material on sole & heel of boot .. No metal parts

ErgonomicsChapter 2.4

What is Ergonomics

The science dedicated to matching jobs, systems, products, and environments to the capabilities and limitations of the worker. Its about making people fit their jobs. These include the physical, cognitive, phychological, social, & cultural aspects of a person

Examples of Use of Ergonomics

Adjusting a workstation to fit the workerEnsuring workstations for multiple users are adjustableEnsuring equipment is appropriate for the task at handRedesingning a process to make it more efficientDesigning products to make them more user friendlyColor coding to distinguish items/controls

Soft Tissue Injury

A collective term used to describe an injury or disorder of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves, blood vessels or related structuresOther names include; Musculoskeletal injury (MSI), Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Repetitive Motion Injury (RMI)…

Causes & Signs of Soft Tissue Injuries

Causes;

Usually associated with tasks which involve; Repetitive and/or forceful movement Maintaining constant or awkward postures

Causes & Signs of Soft Tissue Injuries

Signs & Symptoms May Include;

Numbness

Tingling/burning sensation

Pain/tenderness

Swelling

Redness

Restricted movement

Loss of strength (e.g. grip strength)

Neutral Postures

Posture is the position of a body part in relation to an adjoining body partIn a neutral posture, the joint is under minimal physical strain. As joints move away from neutral strain occurs on tendons, muscles, and other tissues.Examples include Standing Neutral Posture & Sitting Neutral Posture

Ergonomic Risk Factors

An ergonomic risk factor is defined as something that may cause or contribute to an injury. Two or more risk factors can occur at one time, when this happens the chance of injury increases

Ergonomic Risk Factors

Primary risk factors include; Force; as the weight of an object increases more muscular effort

is required Repetition; performing a task that uses the same muscles

steadily with few pauses Duration; the amount of time a worker performs a particular task Posture; awkward postures are those that move away from

neutral positions Contact stress; when a body part is pressed aginast a hard

surface the nerves and tissues under the skin can be injured from pressure

Risk Evaluation

In order to determine potential for injury risk factors need to be evaluated in terms of;

Where; part of the body exposed to risk How much; magnitude or intensity of the risk factor How often; time exposed to the risk factro How long; duration of risk factor

Repetitive Motion Injury

What is RMI?Sometimes known as Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs).

Includes a spectrum of diseases associated with repetitive tasks .

What causes R M IsPerforming the same motion repeatedly, especially if the body is in an unnatural position.

Failing to vary tasks during a work shift.

Sitting in a chair that is not properly adjusted.

Working in a work area with a poor layout.

Signs of R M Is

A tingling or burning sensation in the affected area.

Numbness in the hands or wrists.

Hand pain that occurs at night , often affecting sleep.

Pain that occurs during repetitive activity at work.

Loss of grip strength.

Types of R M Is

Tennis Elbow

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Trigger Finger