HAZARD, TYPES OF HAZARD AND HAZARD IDENTIFICATION (cont'd)

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There are five basic methods you can use to identify workplace hazards
before an accident occurs:

• informal observations, and formal observation programs;
• comprehensive company-wide surveys;
• Individual interviews;
• Walk-around inspections; and
• Documentation review.

1.             Informal observation and formal observation program

An informal observation process is nothing more than being watchful for hazards and unsafe behaviors throughout the work shift. No special procedure is involved. All employees should be expected to look over their work areas once in a while.

Observation is important because it can be a great tool to effectively identify behaviors that account for 95 percent of all workplace injuries. The walkaround inspection, as a method for identifying hazards, may not be as effective as observation in identifying unsafe behaviors.

2.    Comprehensive company-wide surveys

Comprehensive surveys ideally should be performed by people who can bring to your worksite fresh vision and extensive knowledge of safety, health, or industrial hygiene. Because there are few professional consultants equipped to do comprehensive surveys in all three areas, the best approach is to use a team consisting of outside specialists

3.    Individual interviews

When conducting the interview keep the following tips in mind:

• Put the person at ease.
• Keep the purpose of the interview in mind: It's to get the employee's help in determining the types of hazards that exist in his or her work area. Go to the work area to conduct the interview. Just because you are familiar with the location or the employee's job, don’t assume that things are always the same.
• Explain the purpose and your role. Tell the employee exactly why you are conducting the interview to reduce any initial reluctance to participate.
• Stress that the information given is important. It may help eliminate hazards that have the potential to kill, injure or produce illness. Information given may also help to make the work procedure more efficient too.
• Be friendly, understanding, and open minded. Try to keep the interview informal. Your approach is important. Make sure they sense that you care about their safety.
• Be calm and unhurried. If you are agitated, or in a hurry to get the interview over, you'll be sending a negative message that the employee will see.
• Let the individual talk. Don't interrupt while they are talking. It's easy to think you have all the information. Many important facts may not be uncovered if you cut them off.
• Ask background information, name, job, etc . . . This just helps to smoothly transition into the actual interview. Small talk...then get to business.
• The key initial statement. Ask the witness to tell you about the hazards they are aware of. Don't ask them if they know of any hazards: they could easily just say "no."
• Don't ask leading questions. They are not on trial.
• Ask follow-up questions. This will help to clarify particular areas or get specifics.
• Do not put the person on the defensive. If there are hazards present, don't in any way question the employee in a manner that might accuse or blame them of wrong doing.
• Try to avoid yes and no answer questions. Ask open-ended questions. One effective question is..."Tell me about the procedures for..."
• Actively listen. Repeat the information given. Rephrase. Communicate to understand.
• Take notes. Notes should be taken very carefully, and as casually as possible. Let the individual read them if desired.
• Use a tape recorder. But always get permission from the employee first. Offer to give them a copy of the tape if they hesitate.
• Thank the employee. Conclude the interview with a statement of appreciation for their contribution.
• Be available. Ask them to contact you if they think of anything else.
• Provide feedback. If possible, advise the person the outcome of the interview.

4. Work Around inspection
Comprehensive surveys are not the same as interviews or inspections. An interview is a verbal exchange conducted one-on-one, preferably in private, and has the potential to gather more information. An inspection is often done by employees at the workplace who walk around observing the workplace and asking questions in public.

The term "inspection" means a general walk-around examination of every part of the worksite to locate conditions that do not comply with safety standards. This includes routine industrial hygiene monitoring and sampling.

What should be inspected
A methodical inspection will follow a checklist based on the inventory of hazards and the preventive actions and controls designed to reduce or eliminate worker exposure. Regular site inspections should be designed to check each one of those controls to make sure that hazards are contained.

Who should inspect
1.         Supervisors (managers)
2.         Employees
3.         Safety committee

5.        Writing reports
A written record will help ensure:

• Assignment of responsibility for hazard correction.
• Tracking of correction to completion.
• Identification of problems in the controls system when the same types of hazards keep appearing even after correction is verified.
• Identification of problems in the accountability system.
• Identification of hazards for which no prevention or control has been planned.

Of course, having such written records will be most helpful if someone knowledgeable reads them in the safety and health program. This person then can provide top managers with summaries of problems.

Controlling Hazard 1. Elimination – removing the source of hazard.
2. Substitution – change the source of hazard
3. Engineering – redesigning the source of the hazard
4. Administrative - reducing the exposure level of the hazard
5. PPE- control of exposure of hazard

Ebola outbreak in Nigeria

There has been series of Ebola outbreak in this country of recent... I just want enlighten us on the Ebola virus and its prevention.

History

—Named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), near the first epidemics.

—Two species were identified in 1976:

¡Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) and

¡Sudan ebolavirus (SEBOV)

—Case fatality rates of 83% and 54% respectively.

—A third species, Reston ebolavirus (REBOV), was discovered in November 1989 in a group of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) imported from the Philippines.

—Ivory Coast ebolavirus – Only one case. Unlucky scientist.

—A hemorrhagic fever (severe illness with bleeding) caused by a virus known as Ebola.

—One of the most lethal viral infections with a high mortality rate (death rate) during outbreaks

—No Vaccine and no treatment is available

—Most people with Ebola die – up to 90% rate 

Incidents 

—The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in some countries in Central and West Africa have claimed the lives of over 100 people while others at large are still receiving treatment in various isolated locations.

—Presently, a suspected case of this disease involving a Liberian who had recently arrived Nigeria was reported. 

—Patrick Sawyer a Liberian, who worked for the West African nation's Finance Ministry, took an ASKY Airlines flight from Liberia to Ghana, then on to Togo and eventually to Nigeria where he was immediately taken into quarantine until his death.

Therefore, it becomes imperative to create awareness and educate all Nigerians especially residents in Lagos on how to prevent this deadly disease.

Transmission

—Transmitted from infected animals like fruit bats, monkeys, gorillas etc to people

—Direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected or dead victim.

—Indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids but cannot be transmitted through air

Clinical Observation 

—Incubation period: 2-21 days                                              

—Stage I (unspecific):

      -Extreme asthenia (body weakness)

       -diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, anorexia

        abdominal pain

       - headaches

       - arthralgia (neuralgic pain in joints)

       - myalgia (muscular pain or tenderness), back pain

       - mucosal redness of the oral cavity, dysphagia (difficulty in     swallowing)

      -  conjunctivitis.

      -  rash all over body except in face

    ** If the patients do not recover gradually

  at this point, there is a high probability that 

 the disease will progress to the second phase, resulting in complications which eventually

 lead to death (Mupapa et al., 1999).

—Stage II (Specific):

     - Hemorrhage (bleeding)

     - neuropsychiatric abnormalities

     - anuria (the absence of urine formation)

     - hiccups

     - tachypnea (rapid breathing).

    ** Patients who progressed to phase two EHF almost always die. (Ndambi et al., 1999)

—Late Complications:

    -Arthralgia (joint pain)

    - ocular diseases (ocular pain, photophobia and hyperlacrimation)

    - hearing loss

    - unilateral orchitis( inflammation of one or both of the testes)

  

  ** These conditions are usually relieved with the treatment of 1% atropine and steroids

Prevention

—Do not travel to areas where the disease is endemic (avoid traveling to all the affected African Countries)

—Stay away from any patients who may have the disease if an outbreak is suspected;

—Do not touch an infected person (alive or dead) or their body fluids, including blood, vomit, faeces, urine etc.

—STOP eating bush meat or any meat which source you are not sure of

—Adhere strictly to simple hygiene principles like washing your hands frequently with soap or use a hand sanitizer; washing fruits and vegetables properly before eating them etc

—Avoid buying foodstuff, clothing and/ or other personal materials from markets/ shops that share the same vicinity with live or roasted 'bush meat' dealers or sellers.

—Cull infected animals with close supervision of burial or incineration or cremating of carcasses may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission

—Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues

 

 

HAZARD, TYPES OF HAZARD AND HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

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1.         What is a Hazard?

Hazard is an unsafe workplace conditions or practices (dangers) that could cause injuries or illnesses (harm) to employees."
A hazard may be an object (tools, equipment, machinery, materials) or a person (when distracted, mentally/physically incapable). It's important to know that a hazard is only one part in the "accident formula" above. It takes a hazard and exposure before an accident can occur.

"Recognized" Hazards

• Industry Recognition: A hazard is recognized if the employer's industry recognizes it. Recognition by an industry, other than the industry to which the employer belongs, is generally insufficient to prove industry recognition. E.g asbestors coy, polymers company
• Employer Recognition: A recognized hazard can be established by evidence of actual employer knowledge e.g having to do a particular task with frequent injuries
• Common Sense Recognition: If industry or employer recognition of the hazard cannot be established, recognition can still be established if it is concluded that any reasonable person would have recognized the hazard.

2.         What is "Exposure"?

Exposure is generally defined as "the condition of being exposed," or as "a position in relation to a hazard."

Physical Exposure: We may think of this form of exposure as "arm's length" exposure. If any part of the body can be injured as a result of proximity to a danger zone, physical exposure exists. For instance, if an employee removes a guard and works around moving parts that could cause an injury, that employee is exposed.

Environmental Exposure: An employee may suffer from environmental exposure no matter how far away from the source of the hazard he or she might be. For instance, if an employee uses a loud saw all day, everyone working around the saw may be exposed to hazardous levels of noise and suffer from environmental exposure.

Potential employee Exposure: The possibility that an employee could be exposed to a hazardous condition exists when the employee can be shown to have access to the hazard. Potential employee exposure could include one or more of the following:

Hazard + Exposure=Accident

3.         Five General Hazard Areas

All workplace hazards exist in five general areas:

• Materials - liquids, solids, gases, etc.
• Equipment - includes machinery, tools, devices
• Environment - noise, temperature, atmospheres, workstation design
• People - anyone in the workplace (i.e., employees, guests, customers or contractors)
• System - flawed policies, programs, plans, processes, procedures, and practices

i.          Materials:

Exposure occurs by inhalation, ingestion, and absorption primarily through skin contact. Skin exposure may result in dermatitis or skin rash, edema or swelling, and blistering. These exposures can result from chemical splashes and spills, from directly immersing one's hands into solvents and chemicals, from contact with solvent-soaked clothing or solvent-wet objects, and from the use of improper personal protective equipment. Solvents can dissolve the body's natural protective barrier of fats and oils leaving the skin unprotected against further irritation.

In addition, inhaling or ingesting solvents may affect the central nervous system, acting as depressants and anesthetics causing headaches, nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, complaints of irritation, abnormal behavior, general ill-feeling, and even unconsciousness. These symptoms should be viewed as visible signs of potential disease. Excessive and continued exposure to certain solvents may result in liver, lung, kidney, and reproductive damage, as well as cancer.
Acids & alkalis- burns, irritation; metals- dust could lead to anemia, kidney damage, cancer; gases- CO, CLF, H2S, CH3; solids- metals, woods, plastics.

ii.        Hazardous Equipment:

Hazardous equipment includes machinery and tools.

• Hazardous equipment should be properly guarded so that it's virtually impossible for a worker to be placed in a danger zone around moving parts that could cause injury or death. A preventive maintenance program should be in place to make sure equipment operates properly. A corrective maintenance program is needed to make sure equipment that is broken, causing a safety hazard, is fixed immediately.
• Tools need to be in good working order, properly repaired, and used for their intended purpose only. Any maintenance person will tell you that an accident can easily occur if tools are not used correctly. Tools that are used while broken are also very dangerous.

iii.       Hazardous Work Environments:

Are there areas in your workplace that are too bright, dark, hot, cold, dusty, dirty, messy, wet, etc.? Is it too noisy, or are dangerous gases, vapors, liquids, fumes, etc., present? Do you see short people working at workstations designed for tall people? Such factors all contribute to an unsafe environment. You can bet a messy workplace is NOT a safe workplace!

Noise Exposure: Many work places are inherently noisy and potentially hazardous to employees. Continuous noise and instantaneous noise bursts can damage the hearing of employees. A hearing conservation program should be established if you think noise levels are a potential threat to the health of your employees. OSHA consultants, your insurer, or a private consultant are all available to help you determine noise levels in the workplace.

Electric Shock: Electricity travels in closed circuits, normally through a conductor. Shock occurs when the body becomes part of the electric circuit. The current must enter the body at one point and leave at another. Shock normally occurs in one of three ways. The person must come in contact with:

• both wires of an electric circuit,
• one wire of an energized circuit and the ground, or
• a metallic part that has become "hot" by being in contact with an energized wire or conductor, while the person is also in contact with the ground.

Illumination: It's important to make sure illumination is adequate for the job being performed. Too much direct or indirect glare can, over time, cause eye strain. Too little light can result in an injury. More on this topic in course 711, Introduction to Ergonomics.

iv.        Hazardous People

Remember, hazardous conditions may be thought of as unsafe "states of being." All of the following situations may cause employees to be what I call "walking hazards"

• Fatigue: Employees are too tired to do the work without causing injury to themselves or others.
• Drugs or alcohol: Drugs (either legal or illegal) and alcohol place employees in altered states of awareness and lengthens reaction time.
• Distraction: Employees who are distracted (internal thoughts are not focused on the work being performed). You can't be thinking about the football game while working on high voltage!
• Hurry: This should be obvious. This is probably the greatest reason employees perform unsafe actions. The more hurried employees are, for whatever reason, the more likely they are going to have accidents.

Workers who take unsafe short cuts, or who are using established procedures that are unsafe, are accidents waiting to happen. As mentioned earlier, hazardous work practices represent about 95% of the causes of all accidents in the workplace. Bottom-line: If employees are not sober and focused while working, they are walking hazardous conditions.

• Management may unintentionally promote unsafe work practices by establishing policies, procedures and rules (written and unwritten) that ignore or actually direct unsafe work practices. These safety policies, plans, programs, processes, procedures and practices are called "system controls" and ultimately represent the causes of about 98% of all workplace accidents.

4.         Hazard Categories

1. Acceleration: This is just a fancy term for "fall" hazard. Acceleration happens when we speed up or slow down too quickly. It also occurs when any object is being set in motion or its speed increased. Whiplash is a common injury as a result of an acceleration hazard. Hazards from deceleration and impact, especially from falls, also exist in the workplace.
2. Biohazards: Hazards of harmful bacterial, viruses, fungi, and molds are becoming a greater concern to everyone at work. The primary routes of infection are airborne and bloodborne.
3. Chemical reactions. Chemical reactions can be violent, and can cause explosions, dispersion of materials and emission of heat. Chemical compounds may combine or break down (disassociate) resulting in chemicals with reactive properties. Corrosion, the slow combination of iron and water, is a common chemical reaction and results in loss of strength and integrity of affected metals.
4. Electrical hazards: Exposure to electrical current. There are six basic electrical hazards: shock, ignition, heating/overheating, inadvertent activation (unexpected startup), failure to operate, and equipment explosion.
5. Ergonomics: The nature of the work being done may include force, posture, position of operation characteristics that require hazardous lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and twisting. The results are strains and sprains to muscles and connective tissues.
6. Explosives and explosions: Explosions result in quick (instantaneous) release of gas, heat, noise, light and over-pressure. High explosives release a large amount of energy. Low explosives burn rapidly (deflagrates) but at a slower speed. Most explosive accidents are caused by explosions of combustible gases.
7. Flammability and fires: In order for combustion to take place, the fuel, an oxidizer, and ignition source must be present in gaseous form. Accidental fires are commonplace because fuel, oxidizers and ignition sources are often present in the workplace.
8. Temperature: Temperature indicates the level of sensible heat present in a body. Massive uncontrolled flows of temperature extremes due to work in hot or cold environments can cause trauma and/or illness.
9. Mechanical hazards: Tools, equipment, machinery and any object may contain pinch points, sharp points and edges, weight, rotating parts, stability, ejected parts and materials that could cause injury.
10. Pressure: Increased pressure in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Pressure may cause ruptures in pressure vessels, whipping hoses. Small high pressure leaks may cause serious injuries.
11. Radiation: Electromagnetic radiation hazards vary depending on the frequency (wavelength) of the energy. Generally, the higher the frequency, the more severe the potential injury. Non-ionizing (ultra-violet, visible light) may cause burns. Ionizing radiation actually has the potential to destroy tissue by dislodging electrons from atoms making up body cells.
12. Toxics: Materials that in small amounts may cause injury to skin and internal organs are considered toxic. Toxics may enter through inhalation, ingestion, absorbed or injected.
13. Vibration/Noise: Produce adverse physiological and psychological effects. Whole-body vibration is a common hazard in the trucking industry. Segmental vibration and noise hazards exist when working equipment such as jack hammers.