INDUSTRIAL SAFETY & QUALITY

MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 4: INDUSTRIAL HAZARD

Hazard:

A source or a situation with a potential for harm in

terms of

human injury or ill-health,

damage to property,

damage to the environment or

a combination of these.

DEFINITION

Risk:

A combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous event and the severity of injury or damage to the health of people, property, environment.

Likelihood – an event likely to occur within the specific or in specified circumstances

Severity - outcome from an event such as severity of injury or health of people, or damage to property, or insult to environment, or any combination of those caused by the event.

RISK = likelihood X severity of injury

HOW TO MANAGE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

AND HEALTH AT THE WORK PLACE?

Requires the commitment of the manager to

complete 3 steps:

1) The workplace must have a Policy Statement on

Occupational Safety and Health;

2) Planning (including the implementation of HIRARC,

training, instructions and auditing) on Occupational

Safety and Health, and

3) To take remedial action for any improvement to be

made.

POLICY STATEMENT REQUIRED FOR

SAFETY AND HEALTH

The Occupational Safety and Health policy is a

written statement briefly stating the following

commitment:

The employer will provide safety, health and welfare for

the employee during the working hours by

implementing the relevant regulations and work

procedures; and

The employee will comply with the regulations and work

procedures so as to ensure their own safety.

The policy statement will be displayed is strategic

places that will be visible to the employee.

Example of Safety Policy:

UniMAP Safety Policy

MANAGING OSH AT WORKPLACE

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and

Risk Control

(HIRARC)

PURPOSE OF HIRARC

The purpose of HIRARC are as follows:

to identify all the factors that may cause harm to

employees and others (the hazards);

to consider what the chances are of that harm actually

be falling anyone in the circumstances of a particular

case and the possible severity that could come from it

(the risks); and

to enable employers to plan, introduce and monitor

preventive measures to ensure that the risks are

adequately controlled at all times.

PLANNING OF HIRARC ACTIVITIES

HIRARC activities shall be plan and conducted:

a) for situation:

i. where hazard appear to pose significant threat;

ii. uncertain whether existing controls are adequate; or/and

iii. before implementing corrective or preventive measures.

b) by organization intending to continuously improve OSH Management System.

It should be the duty of the employer to assign a trained personnel to lead a team of employees associated with one particular process or activity to conduct HIRARC.

PROCESS OF HIRARC

Process of HIRARC requires 4 simple steps:

1) classify work activities;

2) identify hazard;

3) conduct risk assessment (analyze and estimate risk

from each hazard), by calculating or estimating -

i. likelihood of occurrence, and

ii. severity of hazard;

4) decide if risk is tolerable and apply control measures

(if necessary).

CLASSIFY WORK ACTIVITIES

Classify work activities in accordance with their

similarity, such as:

geographical or physical areas within/outside premises;

stages in production/service process;

not too big e.g. building a car;

not too small e.g. fixing a nut; or

defined task e.g. loading, packing, mixing, fixing the door.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

Sources of Hazard

Man – Human behavior, unsafe act

Machinery – Installation, layout and design of equipment

Materials – substances such as chemicals and gases use

in the workplace

Method – the way people carry out their work

Medium – workplace condition i.e. air quality, ventilation,

lighting, noise, vibration etc.

CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDS

Hazards can be classified in six ways:

1) Physical hazard

a) Mechanical hazard

b) Electrical hazard

2) Chemical hazard

3) Biological hazard

4) Ergonomics hazard

5) Psychosocial hazard

PHYSICAL HAZARD

Physical hazards are those substances which

threaten your physical safety. Physical hazards are

the most common and will be present in most

workplaces at one time or another. They include

unsafe conditions that can cause injury, illness

and death.

Examples of physical hazards include:

Electrical hazards: frayed cords, missing ground pins, improper wiring

Mechanical hazards: unguarded machinery and moving machinery parts: guards removed or moving parts that a worker can accidentally touch

Constant loud noise

High exposure to sunlight/ultraviolet rays, heat or cold

Working from heights, including ladders, scaffolds, roofs, or any raised work area

Working with mobile equipment such as fork lifts (operation

of fork lifts and similar mobile equipment in the workplace

requires significant additional training and experience)

Spills on floors or tripping hazards, such as blocked aisle or

cords running across the floor.

i. Mechanical Hazard

Mechanical hazards are those associated with power-

driven machines, whether automated or manually

operated.

Common Mechanical Hazards

Some common mechanical hazards

Safeguarding

Machine safeguarding is to minimize the risk of accidents

of machine-operator contact.

The contact can be:

An individual making the contact with the machine - usually

the moving part

From the machine via flying metal chips, chemical and hot

splashes, and circular saw.

Caused by the direct result of a machine malfunction,

including mechanical and electrical failure

Example of Machine safeguarding

Gate devices

Press brake guarding “by distance”

Die enclosure guard used with

sliding die for feeding

Photoelectric presence-sensing screen Hold-outs or restraints for restraining the operator’s hands

from reaching into the danger zone at all times (compare

with pullbacks).

OSHA‟s Requirement for Machine Guarding

OSHA‟s requirement for machine guarding are

summarized as follows:

1) Types of guarding

2) General requirements for machine guards

3) Guarding the point of operation

4) Machines requiring point of operation guards

5) Exposure of blades

6) Anchoring fixed machinery

ii. Electrical Hazard

Using electrical current and electrical equipment can lead to

several hazards including electric shock, heat, and fire.

Electric shock hazard: When a person becomes part of an

electric circuit, they are a conductor of the electrical current.

Since electricity cannot be seen, the hazard is often

overlooked until too late. Bodily injury and death can occur.

Sources of electrical hazards are:

Equipment failure

Improper wiring

Insulation failure

Static electricity discharge

Using metal ladders to work on electrical equipment

Working on electrical equipment without ensuring that the

power has been shut off

Lightning strikes

There are various ways of protecting people from the

hazards caused by electricity, including insulation,

guarding, grounding, and electrical protective devices.

Workers can significantly reduce electrical hazards by

following some basic precautions:

Inspect wiring of equipment before each use. Replace

damaged or frayed electrical cords immediately.

Use safe work practices every time electrical equipment is

used.

Know the location and how to operate shut-off switches

and/or circuit breaker panels. Use these devices to shut off

equipment in the event of a fire or electrocution.

Limit the use of extension cords. Use only for temporary

operations. In all other cases, request installation of a new

electrical outlet.

Use only multi-plug adapters equipped with circuit breakers

or fuses.

Minimize the potential for water or chemical spills on or near

electrical equipment.

CHEMICAL HAZARD

Chemical hazards are present when a worker is

exposed to any chemical preparation in the

workplace in any form (solid, liquid or gas). Some

are safer than others, but to some workers who

are more sensitive to chemicals, even common

solutions can cause illness, skin irritation or

breathing problems.

Beware of:

liquids like cleaning products, paints, acids, solvents

especially chemicals in an unlabeled container (warning

sign!)

vapours and fumes, for instance those that come from

welding or exposure to solvents

gases like acetylene, propane, carbon monoxide and

helium

flammable materials like gasoline, solvents and

explosive chemicals.

Route of entry:

Inhalation

Ingestion

Skin absorption

Injection

BIOLOGICAL HAZARD

Biological hazards come from working with

animals, people or infectious plant materials.

Work in day care, hospitals, hotel laundry and

room cleaning, laboratories, veterinary offices and

nursing homes may expose you to biological

hazards.

The types of things you may be exposed to include:

blood or other body fluids

fungi

bacteria and viruses

plants

insect bites

animal and bird droppings.

ERGONOMICS HAZARD

“Ergonomics is a multidisciplinary science that

studies human physical and psychological

capabilities and limitations. This body of knowledge

can be used to design or modify the workplace,

equipment, products, or work procedures to improve

human performance and reduce the likelihood of

injury and illness”

Ergonomic hazards occur when the type of work, body

position and working conditions put strain on your body.

They are the hardest to spot since you don't always

immediately notice the strain on your body or the harm

these hazards pose. Short-term exposure may result in

"sore muscles" the next day or in the days following

exposure, but long term exposure can result in serious

long-term injuries.

Ergonomic Risks Factors

Ergonomic hazards include:

poor lighting

improperly adjusted workstations and chairs

frequent lifting

poor posture

awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive

repeating the same movements over and over

having to use too much force, especially if you have to

do it frequently.

Repetitive tasks

Awkward

posture

Contact stress

Temperature extreme

Repetitive task

Vibration

Force

Workplace Musculoskeletel Disorders

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

- a medical condition in which the median nerve is

compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias,

and muscle weakness in the forearm and hand.

Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD) / Repetitive Strain Injuries

- caused by repetitive tasks, is any of a loose group of conditions resulting from overuse of a tool, eg. computer, guitar or knife

Musculoskeletal Disorders

- Caused either by the work itself or by the employees' working environment. They can also result from fractures sustained in an accident.

- Typically, MSDs affect the back, neck, shoulders and upper limbs; less often they affect the lower limbs

PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARD

The psychosocial hazard has recently been

acknowledged in legislation as a workplace

hazard. This type of hazard relates to mental

health and behavioral disorders.

The hazard involves human motivation and the

direction of human behaviour.

Psychosocial hazards in the workplace contribute

to work-related stress.

Psychosocial hazards include:

bullying and harassment;

occupational violence or

customer aggression;

fatigue resulting from long hours of work or shiftwork;

demands in excess of a worker‟s capacity to deliver;

and

alcohol and drug misuse.

Psychosocial hazards have grown in prominence in

recent years in response to a number of factors

including

increasing work intensification (in terms of longer

working hours and greater workloads),

changes in organizational practices, and

changing social expectations of how employees should

be treated by their supervisors, managers and fellow

workers.

These hazards are also harder to define and to

investigate than the traditional physical hazards in

a workplace.

Factors outside of the workplace can also

contribute to stress on individuals.

Hence the detection, management and regulation

of work-related stress presents challenges to

employers and regulators alike.

MATERIAL HANDLING AND STORAGE

Handling of material in manufacturing plant can be as hazardous as the industrial process itself.

General hazards of material-handling equipment are :

Being struck by an industrial truck or conveyor

Automatic or remote control nature (conveyor accidents)

Material storage standards; bags, containers, or bundles stored in tiers shall be “stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height so that they are stable and secure against sliding or collapse.”

Material Handling Equipment

Storage

Material Handling Categories

Material transport equipment

- to move materials inside a factory, warehouse, or other

facility

- e.g. industrial truck.

- Important factors that should be consider in reducing

hazards regarding industrial trucks: truck selection,

operations, driver training, passengers

Storage

- to store materials and provide access to those materials when required

- Material characteristics affect type of transport and storage equipment required

- Safety risk : explosive, flammable, toxic, corrosive

Unitizing equipment

- refers to containers to hold materials and equipment used to load and package the containers

- e.g. pallets, bags, containers, or bundles stored in tiers shall be “stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height so that they are stable and secure against sliding or collapse.”

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be

properly selected to match the hazard

Employer must be trained to use PPE properly

Example:

Hearing protection

Eye and face protection

Respiratory protection

Head protection

Hearing Protection

Important factor in selecting a type of noise protection

is probably effective in reducing decibel level of noise

exposure.

Various types of ear protection:

- Cotton ball

- Swedish wools

- Earplugs

- Molded Ear Caps

- Earmuffs

Eye and Face Protection

Respiratory protection

Head protection

Implementation of hard hat rules

METHODS OF IDENTIFYING

HAZARDS

Hazards are identified by the following methods:

Review of documents and publications

Inspection and observation at the workplace

Measurement of the atmosphere, monitoring the

environment or medical surveillance of workers.

Hazard Analysis

1) Identifying Hazards by Document

Review

Reports of accidents, accident investigation and

audits

Could find hazards not previously identified.

Information from publications

New information not previously available

Regulations and Code of Practice

Information on a known hazardous conditions,

materials or practice

Statistics

Information on common accidents to watch out for

Handbooks, etc.

Practical information

Chemical Safety Data Sheet (CSDS) or Material

Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

Information on hazardous materials, control measures

first-aid and emergency response.

2) Identifying Hazards by Inspections and

Observation

Types of inspections: Statutory inspection, periodic

inspection, formal and informal inspection.

Documentation : Checklist and inspection

worksheet (standard approach and record)

Activities: to involve Supervisors, Managers and

Employees.

Inspection outcome : to include actions and

timeframes

Ensure follow up on action : to ensure

effectiveness

3) Identifying Hazards by Exposure

Monitoring

Exposure monitoring is concerned with the

identification of physical, chemical and biological

“stressors” such as noise, dust, toxic gases, and

harmful bacteria, in the workplace environment.

One definition of the term stress is “the common

response to environmental change”. Stress in the

working environment maybe created in a number

of ways as a result of, for instance, the installation

of noisy plant and equipment.

Stress factors may also take many forms, for

example:

extremes of temperature,

poor levels of lighting and ventilation, or

the presence of hazardous dusts, gases, vapours and

bacteria,

(all of which have a detrimental effect on the health of

workers.)

Environmental monitoring is an important

measure in identifying individuals and group

exposure to these stressors and in ensuring

compliance with Factories and Machinery Act

1967, Occupational Safety and Health (Use and

Standard of Exposure of Chemical Hazardous to

Health) Regulations 2000 and other regulations.

There are two types of monitoring:

Personal monitoring

Area monitoring

Personal monitoring is conducted to determine

exposure levels or for the need for medical

consultation, examination and/or surveillance.

Area monitoring can be used to estimate exposure

of the area when the substance exposure levels

are relatively constant and employees are not

mobile.

Exposure monitoring is done for noise, heat,

radiation, air contaminants, chemicals and etc.

4) Hazards Analysis

Used in new plant design especially in process

plants where the process is complex, raw

materials are hazardous and the likelihood of fire,

explosion and asset loss is great.

This is to ensure that safety is built into the design

before the plant is built.

Many formal techniques have been developed for

the systematic analysis of complex systems.

Some of the techniques used are:

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Hazards and Operability Studies (HAZOP)

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

Event Tree Analysis (ETA)

Hazards Analysis (HAZAN)

Checklist Analysis

What-if Analysis

Relative Ranking/Risk Indexing

Example 1: Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Definition:

It is a method for systematically identifying and

evaluating hazards associated with a particular job or

task.

It focuses on the relationship between the worker, the

task, the tools and the work environment.

Example 1: Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

It is used to help operate a safe system of work and

formulate safe work procedures.

The written procedures are the basis for all jobs training

ensuring all aspects of the job are covered in a uniform

way.

Ideally all jobs should be subjected to a JSA. Factors to be

considered when assigning priority of jobs for JSA include:

Accident frequency and severity

Newly established jobs or infrequently performed jobs – due

to lack of experience in these jobs, hazards may not be

evident.

The basic procedure for job safety analysis is to undertake the following, in consultation with employees and the supervisor to raise awareness.

a) Select the job to be analysed.

b) Break the job down into its component parts in an orderly and chronological sequence of job steps.

c) Critically observe and examine each component of the job to determine potential hazards or accidents.

d) Develop preventive measures to eliminate or reduce the risk of accidents using the hierarchy of control.

e) Formulate written and safe systems of work and job safety instructions for the job.

f) Review safe systems of work and job safe practices at regular intervals to ensure their utilisation.

The completed JSA is used to formulate a safe

work procedure.

It may be used as a standard for safety

inspections and it will assist in completing

comprehensive accident investigations.

The side-by-side format used in JSA worksheets is

not an ideal one for communicating instructions to

employees. Better results can be achieved by

using a narrative-style format.

For example:

Park vehicle.

i. Drive vehicle off the road to an area well clear of traffic,

even if it requires driving with a flat tire. Turn on the

hazard warning lights to alert passing drivers, so that

they will not hit you.

ii. Choose a firm, level area so that you can jack up the

vehicle without it moving.

And so on…

Example:

Example 2: Hazard and Operability

Studies (HAZOP)

The HAZOP technique was developed in the early

1970s by Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd.

HAZOP can be defined as the application of a formal

systematic critical examination of the process and

engineering intentions of new or existing facilities to

assess the hazard potential that arise from deviation

in design specifications and the consequential effects

on the facilities as a whole.

The prime aim is to design out risk at the early stages

of a new project, rather than have to enter into costly

modifications once the process is up and running.

This technique is usually performed using a set of

guidewords: NO/NOT, MORE OR/LESS OF, AS

WELL AS, PART OF REVERSE, AND OTHER THAN.

From these guidewords, a scenario that may result

in a hazard or an operational problem is identified.

At one time HAZOP‟s were mainly focused on fire

and explosion endpoints, while now the scope

usually includes toxic release, offensive odour, and

environmental impacts.

Example 3: Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)

Fault tree analysis (FTA) is a top-down approach to

failure analysis, starting with a potential

undesirable event (accident) called a TOP event,

and then determining all the ways it can happen.

The analysis proceeds by determining how the TOP

event can be caused by individual or combined

lower level failures or events.

The causes of the TOP event are “connected”

through logic gates.

FTA is the most commonly used technique for

causal analysis in risk and reliability studies.

Fault Tree Analysis Symbols

Fault Tree Analysis Construction

Define the TOP event in a clear and unambiguous

way. Should always answer:

What e.g., “Fire”

Where e.g., “in the process oxidation reactor”

When e.g., “during normal operation”

What are the immediate, necessary, and sufficient

events and conditions causing the TOP event?

Connect via AND- or OR-gate

Proceed in this way to an appropriate level (=basic

events)

Appropriate level:

Independent basic events

Events for which we have failure data

Fault-Tree Diagram

Example: Redundant Fire Pumps

Example 4: Event Tree Analysis (ETA)

Analysis technique for identifying and evaluating

the sequence of events in a potential accident

scenario following the occurrence of an initiating

event.

Focused on:

To analyse how and why incident could occur

Graphic technique – traces branches of events

To calculate probability of end event

Example: Water Pumping System

a) No water flow occurs if both pumps fail or if the control

valve fails.

b) If the individual initiating event probabilities P(A), P(B),

and P(C) are known, then the probability of P(T) the top or

end event can be calculated.

Event Tree Concept

Below is an example ETA for a fire detection and suppression system in an office

building. This ETA analyzes all the possible outcomes of a system fire. The IE for

the ET is “fire starts.” Note the range of outcomes resulting from the success or

failure of the safety subsystems (pivotal events).

Note from this example that when computing the success/fail probability for each

contributing PE that the PE states must always sum to 1.0, based on the reliability

formula that PSUCCESS + PFAILURE = 1. Also note that in this case there are three

contributing PEs that generate five possible different outcomes, each with a

different probability.

Example 5: Failure Mode & Effects

Analysis (FMEA)

FMEA is a procedure by which each potential

failure and the kinds of failures that could happen,

at the component level, in the system are

examined and analysed to determine its effect on

the system, in terms of maximum potential loss.

The results are classified according to its severity.

This analysis would form part of an overall HAZOP

study.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Table

FMEA has gained wide acceptance by the aerospace and the military industries. In fact, the technique has adapted itself in other form such as misuse mode and effect analysis.

The FMEA is used to assure that component failure modes and their effects have been considered and either eliminated or controlled; that information for maintenance and operational manuals has been provided; and that input to other safety analyses has been generated.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Risk Assessment Approaches

Determining Severity and Likelihood of Hazard

Occurrence in three types of approach:

1. Quantitative

2. Semi – Quantitative

3. Qualitative

Qualitative Risk Assessment

Approach

Risk assessment process:

Gather information about each hazard identified.

Think about how many people are exposed to each

hazard and for how long.

Use the information to assess the likelihood and

severity of each hazard and produce a qualitative risk

table.

Likelihood

How likely is it that a hazardous event or situation

will occur?

1) Very likely – could happen frequently

2) Likely – could happen occasionally

3) Unlikely – could happen, but only rarely

4) Highly unlikely – could happen, but probably never will

Likelihood of harm can be increased by Unsafe

Conditions or Unsafe Acts found.

Unsafe conditions:

1) Assess the likelihood due to failure of plant,

machinery, safety devices and failure of utilities

(electricity and water) and exposure of plants or

equipment to weather (rain, dust and sun)

2) Exposure to hazardous substances e.g. frequency and

duration of exposure; concentration and toxicity of

substances

3) Exposure to hazardous substance environments

(sound, vibrations, radiations, etc.)

4) Number of personnel exposed.

Unsafe Acts by persons who:

1) Horseplay and taking shot

2) May not know what the hazards are

3) May not have the knowledge, physical capacity, or

skills to do the work.

4) Underestimate risks exposure

5) Underestimate value of safe working methods.

Severity

1) Fatality

2) Major injuries (normally irreversible injury or

damage to health)

3) Minor injuries (normally reversible injury or

damage to health requiring days off work)

4) Negligible injuries (first aid, near miss)

Once you‟ve decided on the likelihood and

consequence of each hazardous event or situation,

you need to rate them according to how serious

the risk is.

This „risk table‟ is one way of doing this. You can

use it to translate your assessments of likelihood

and consequence into levels of risk.

Qualitative Risk Table

Events or situations assessed as very likely with

fatal consequences are the most serious (HIGH

risk); those assessed as highly unlikely with

negligible injuries are the least serious (LOW risk).

When you‟re developing risk control strategies,

you should tackle anything with a HIGH rating first.

Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment

Approach

Quantitative Risk Assessment

Approach

Risk = Consequence X Likelihood

In practice people estimate risk quantitatively (i.e.

using numbers)

Numbers are given to represent the level of

„likelihood‟ and „severity‟.

Numbers can be multiplied together, ranked by value

To get the estimated risk, multiply the two numbers

(representing consequence and likelihood).

Likelihood level

Severity level

Example of risk matrix

Priority action

Calculation

i. If likelihood of a hazard is estimated = 2

ii. If the severity is estimated = 4

iii. Risk = 2 x 4 = 8

Risk Assessment Form

RISK CONTROL

Information on control measures can come from:

a) Codes of practice

b) Industry or trade associations

c) Specialists

d) MSDS

e) Other publications including those by manufacturers

and suppliers.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

MSDS are special sheets that summarize all pertinent

information about a specific chemical.

The hazard communication standard of the OSH act

requires that chemicals suppliers provide users with an

MSDS for each chemical covered by the standard.

An MSDS should contain the following information:

Manufacturer‟s name

Address

Telephone number

List of hazardous ingredients

Physical & chemical characteristics

Fire and explosion hazard information

Reactivity information

Health hazard information

Safety precautions for handling

Recommended control procedures

Example of MSDS:

The following hierarchy should be used when considering control measures.

Most effective

Elimination – removing the hazard or hazardous work practice from the workplace. This is the most effective control measure;

Fairly Effective

Substitution – substituting or replacing a hazard or hazardous workplace with a less hazardous one;

Isolation – isolating or separating the hazard or hazardous work practice from people not involved in the work or the general work areas. This can be done by marking off hazardous areas, installing screens or barriers;

Least Effective

Administrative control – includes introducing work practices

that reduce the risk. This could include limiting the amount

of time a person is exposed to a particular hazard; and

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – should be considered

only when other control measures are not practicable or to

increase protection. As last resort measure.

Process Flow of HIRARC

Implementation

Hazard identification

• List down the steps to complete a task

• identify possibility of hazard in every step

• List down the hazards

Risk Assessment • List down safety control available

(eg: Emergency switch, SOP, fire ext) at the workplace

• Determine the existing type of control

-Eliminate -Replace -Engineering Control -Administrative control -PPE

• Assessment • Scoring

Risk Control • List down the new/ additional

safety control required • Refer to hierarchy of control • Priority must be given to

engineering control. PPE the last choice

• Finalize

HIRARC Example:

END