Management Hazards in the Work Environment - Assignment Example

Name Institution Lecturer Course Date Management Hazards in the Work Environment Assignment 5 Question 1 Electrical visual inspection checklist In this assignment, an electrical visual inspection checklist for a home switchboard is created and used to inspect the switchboard. The inspection checklist is in accordance with the code of practice for electrical work during construction (New South Wales Government para. 1). Inspection concept Score Reason for fail score The switchboard has a door that protects it and cannot damage electrical cables when closed Pass - There is a way that one can open the door and keep it opened when doing work on the switchboard such as repair work Fail The door is available but cannot be maintained in the open position The switchboard has a direct method of connecting the switchboard to electricity mains, but connection is not done via connecting devices such as sockets Pass - There is an area in front of the switchboard that is clear for emergency Fail The switchboard is fixed on the wall but there are items placed in front of the switchboard The switchboard is covered and prevented from water Pass - The switchboard has a cover for circuit breakers, which can be locked Pass - All cover locks have functional locks Pass - Circuit breakers are clearly marked so that one can know the function of every circuit breaker Fail Although circuit breakers have respective capacity (amperes) marked, their respective function is not indicated Toolbox training program showing the importance of electrical safety in the workplace Electricity kills! It has killed many, it has left several others with severe injuries. If handled properly, electricity provides power required for day-to-day living. If mishandled, electricity can do the cause major destructions. Electrical safety in the workplace is important for the following reasons: It protects lives of employees and other people in the workplace including customers Electrical safety ensures that all property is protected from damage that may arise from mishandling electricity such as fires Electrical safety protects business from losses associated with electrical faults When employees have knowledge of electrical safety in the workplace, they avoid mishandling electricity and can easily handle electrical faults to avoid major disruptions that are often associated with huge losses. Assignment 5 Question 2 Hot Work and Hot Work Permit The University of Maryland defines hot work as activities that create sparks, flame, heat or smoke (para. 3). Such activities include, for example, gas welding, arc grinding, soldering, open flame heating, cutting, hot tar operations and blazing among others. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety also considers hot work as working with sources of fire near materials that are flammable. For example, grinding produces sparks that can ignite. There are several risks associated with hot work. Lives of people working in hot places are at a high risk considering these people can get burned while working with an increased risk of death depending on the nature of injury. To reduce risks associated with hot work, it is crucial to obtain hot work permit before working in hot works, a system that offers the following benefits (University of Maryland): a. The hot work permit system keeps workers reminded of the safety precautions they should take while working in hot work places b. The system shows workers their responsibilities when working in hot work places c. By ensuring that employees are fully knowledgeable of all the fundamentals of hot work, it is possible to bypass smoke detectors temporarily in order to avoid false alarms that occur when smoke detectors detect small amounts of smoke that may not be associated with fires So, what is hot work permit system? According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, hot works permit system is a program that purposes to control or eliminate hazards and risks associated with hot work. A hot work permit system is an inclusion of procedures, policies and assignment of accountabilities and responsibilities for all hot work aspects. Therefore, hot work permit gives a holistic approach towards the elimination or control of hot work risks and hazards. Control of these hazards and risks is usually aimed at reducing them or their impact. Hot work permit for a work place, in this case an arc welding shop, will comprise of the following: Policies These policies will cover the place of work to ensure that it is designed and maintained in such a way that eliminates or controls risks and hazards. The policies will also cover outline requirements for permitting hot work including preliminary inspection. The permit will also cover the person who permits or authorizes hot work, who must be a qualified occupational health and safety personnel with a critical understanding of hot work and its associated risks and hazards. Procedures The permit will outline all the activities that must be done before hot work is permitted. Inspection work is required for the workplace, piece and equipment. The procedure is as follows: Inspect the wok place to ensure that there are no flammable items such as pieces of paper, open or leaking gas cylinders, flammable liquids such as paraffin, petrol, diesel and spirit among other. The person conducting the inspection, a qualified occupational health and safety personnel, should all necessary tools including flammable gas detectors to ensure the work place is safe. The process piece should also be inspected to ensure it does not ignite during the welding process. Processes pieces should not contain flammable material including gases, liquids and solids such as papers. The equipment should also be inspected to ensure that it does not cause fire during the process. Inspection should include ensuring that electrical connections are properly and firmly done to avoid production of sparks. After inspection, give the go ahead to carry out hot work if and only if the inspector is satisfied that the hot work area satisfies all the requirements for a hot work. Follow up on the hot work area to ensure that hot work is being carried in a manner that eliminates or controls risks associated with hot work. For example, follow up to ensure that the hot work area is clean and free from flammable materials such as papers. Provide warning signs at high risk areas to prohibit hot work from taking place. Such areas include, for example, chemical stores, surfaces painted with highly flammable materials and gas pipes among others. Ensure that welders are qualified welders and that their health will not be severely compromised after welding. Permitted welders should be physically, mentally and medically fit to be allowed to perform welding processes. Communication Communication is a vital aspect of hot work permit because it ensures that workers have an understanding of hot work permit and what they are required to do to contribute towards the ultimate goal of hot work permit, control or eliminate hot work-related risks and hazards. Prepare and provide good welding practices and procedures materials and provide welders with these materials. Training is also required to ensure that welders adopt good welding practices. Post welding policies in arc welding workshops where all arc welders can easily access them. Assignment 5 Question 3 Confined Space The United States Department of Labor defines a confined space as one that: a) Is large enough and well configured in such a way that a person can enter into and work within the space, but b) The means to enter the space is restricted, and c) It is not designed to allow a worker to stay there continuously for a long period. Examples of confined spaces include tanks, storage bins, silos and hoppers among other similar places. This section provides details for brazing work inside a metallic water tank. Nature of confined space The water tank is vertical with only one opening at the top, which is circular with a diameter of 1 meter. The tank is 6 meters tall with a diameter of 3 meter. It is made of galvanized iron. The task The task involves brazing work to seal a crack at the bottom of the tank. This means that hot work is to be conducted in a confined space Hazards involved There are a number of hazards associated with the confined space and the hot work being done as follows: 1) Workers can suffocate inside the tank due to lack of fresh air particularly oxygen supply 2) Workers can faint due to high temperatures resulting from brazing work. Due to lack of proper air flow, heat can accumulate in the tank increasing this risk 3) Workers can inhale contaminated air. Brazing process can result to smoke and carbon dioxide, which when inhaled can have a negative impact on workers’ health. 4) Workers can fall during the process of entering the tank 5) Since the tank is metallic, worker can get hurt when entering or working in the tank 6) In case of fire, the restricted entry and exit nature of the tank can prevent a worker from escaping, which means they can get burned in the tank. This risk is particularly high because hot work will be taking place in the confined space. The same case applies if workers detect lack of fresh air or the presence of contaminated air. In such a case, struggle to leave the tank can result to workers suffocating because they require more air in the process of leaving the tank. Job analysis Based on the aforementioned risks and hazards, this is an extremely high risk job because it combines two types of risks, confined space-related risks and hot work-related risks. The entry permit Before entering the space and conducting the work, the space and nature of work must be inspected before entry permit is granted. Appropriate and adequate lighting must be provide, one that does not produce heat or contaminates air. The space must be tested for presence of contaminated air and ensured that sufficient air flow is available. If no sufficient air flow is available, oxygen supply must be supplemented, but care must be taken to avoid explosion inside the tank due to hot work taking place. Workers must be physically, mentally and medically fit before being given entry and work permit. The team being used This work requires two blazers to do the work, an occupational health and safety personnel to conduct necessary inspection and two standby people to offer first aid if required. The emergency response procedure a. In case of anything, workers should be evacuated first b. As they receive first aid, response to the emergency should proceed such as extinguishing fire. c. Before work resumes, inspection should be done to ensure the place is safe Works Cited Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. What is Hot Work? 2013. Web. December 9, 2013 New South Wales Government. Contractor’s Checklist: Electrical Practices for Construction Work. 2007. Web. December 9, 2013 University of Maryland. Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Work Permits. 2013. Web. December 9, 2013. United States Department of Labor. Permit-required Confined Spaces. 2013. Web. December 9, 2013. Read More