Accident that Occurred in a Multinational Mineral Company - Coursework Example

Event definition This event entails an accident that occurred in a multinational mineral company. This company actually owns about twenty mines of coal in very different parts of the world. The company’s mines use the conveyor belts in the transportation of the coal up to the facility that washes the coal. Then from that point, the coal is taken to the stockpile for stocking. These particular conveyors are very long because they cover a distance of a thousand meters before changing the direction. This explains how dangerous it can be incase someone falls or even is trapped there. At the point where there is change of the direction, is where the coal is emptied for washing. At every end of the conveyor belt, the very same arrangements of the conveyor belts are put up but this time in a raised manner so that the coal can be emptied easily. Actually, at that point, small vehicles can be driven under the head pulley which ends at the riser conveyors. Two small pulleys are used to obtain enough traction. One at the belt while the other one right after the head pulley and the other one slightly before the so-called tail pulley. This is meant to increase the angle of the wrap, which then increases the friction. It should be noted that people operate all of these. This means that there are working around the mine at every point. Also due to the fact that there are so much spillages under all the riser conveyor, then it means that there must be regular cleaning done. The cleaner at this point works on it but within the guard. This is because the cleaning is still done while the conveyor is running. Due to the gate for guarding, it has been assumed that the place is very safe for the workers to work at, hence no measure of precautions have been taken above that. This therefore is what has caused the management to think about any possibility of an accident to occur. It is actually very serious since the workers are even not provided with the two way radio for the purposes of communication when need be. This particular day a worker gets killed by the conveyor belt, is actually a eye opener to the companies management. The worker involved is actually a cleaner. As per the report, his arm got caught in the snub pulley tail while on the process of cleaning. According to what was reported, his arm was torn off or rather cut off at the shoulder and then he was found dead. The cause of his death was assumed to be due to the excessive bleeding as well as the shock due to the pain and of course the event. It should be noted that the eventful accident was not the very first to have occurred in the mine. Many others have been reported too. Probability estimate In risk assessment, a possibility means that a particular probability of an event to occur is in existence as long as the circumstances arise. Therefore, it means that to measure or rather estimate the probability of a certain event to occur. Therefore, in estimating probability it means that one is actually estimating the consequences per every trial. In this case, I am trying to estimate the probability of the accident occurring in the mine. A mathematical estimate does not have any standard units. However, it should be stated as the number of outcomes per every trial. A trial in this case refers to the times when the person is actually exposed to the circumstance which may lead to the expected or rather the event in question which is associated with the damage. A very good example in this case is that the trial here is the time a worker is doing the cleaning. Therefore, trial= the time a cleaner is doing the cleaning. Therefore the measure of the risk in this event in terms of the probability can be calculated by measuring the frequency in place of the so called probability. Whereby, Frequency (consequences per year) = probability(consequences per trial) *exposure(trials per year) in simple form, then F = p*e Therefore, probability or the consequence per trial is P=F/e. The above equation or rather formulae show that in order for us to calculate the probability or rather to estimate it, then we must use the frequency and the exposure. This is because it is never easy to estimate the probability. In this case what is in brackets in the equation denotes the units of measurements. According to the requirement of the cleaners who are on contract, they are to work on two points where there is change of direction with three risers. This means the worker works a the site six times a day. 2*3=6 times the workers works seven days for fifty-two weeks. This means the numbers of days they work per year are 7*52= 350 days. however the probability for the event per year will be the frequency of working which is 6 times a day *the number of days a year which is 350. This results to 2100 times per year. Therefore e-2100 while the frequency or the damage events per year for the person was one. So, p=F/e will be p= 1/2100. Therefore the probability will therefore be 0.0005 accidents leading to death per year. The probability above refers to the event leading to the death due to the worker being trapped by the by the conveyor belt. Economic worth of the organization According to the need of implementing the three proposed control measure which are as follows, there is a need for an economic consideration. Firstly, with reference to the first measure this states that training of the workers who are cleaning as well as their supervisors will be done. This will be done with an aim of enabling them to be conversant with the dangers that may affect them as they handle the conveyor systems. It is a training which is definitely going to cost $4000 which is a large amount of expense to the company. This is because it is an expense that will definitely not add to any profitability as far as the production of the company is concerned. In other words, it is not at all directed towards increasing the profits of the company but towards increasing the knowledge of the workers as far as the working of the conveyor belt is concerned and their safety. However, this cost is not only for the for a computer training based package but also for the administrative costs as well as the time for the training the contractor is using. The second measure which deals with the modifications of all the discharges into the riser conveyors risers. This will be to avoid any spillage. According to cost that the company is intending to spend, was estimated to be $1000 for every riser conveyor. In this case, there are twenty companies, and each company has six risers. This means there are a hundred and twenty conveyors. So if each is going for $1000, then it means the $120, 000 must be invested for that. According to the economic implications of the above, it means that for one, the company will be forced to eliminate the workers who were wiping the spillage. The expense to eliminate spillage is in actual sense more than the expense of having it wiped out. The third measure dictates that the company has to improve guarding on the tail pulley at a cost of $120,000. Since each conveyor needs to be improved. This is a great expense according to the economic value of the company. This is due to the fat that not all of the measures are geared towards improving the production of the company but the safety of the workers. Possible mechanisms for the event Mechanisms Event Outcomes -Failure to provide -method of operation when cleaning -Poor employee training -Poor guarding on the trail pulley and snub pulley -Loss of control of the employee and then dies or losses arms -the arms gets crashed -dangerous operations at the conveyor vicinity - accidental falls and trappings of the workers and their clothes -Death of the employee -losing of the body parts -death and accidents -death and loss of body parts. Risk analysis and the diagram Some questions that can be asked include: What are the risks associated with conveyors and pulleys Breakage of pulleys Why do conveyors and pulleys fail Cleaners been trapped Cleaners been pulled away Read More