Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 7 ppt

7
Safety Hazards
Accident/incident
Personal injury
Property damage
Equipment failure
Direct
causes
Release of energy
and/or
hazardous material
Indirect
causes
(symptoms)
Unsafe
acts
Unsafe
conditions
Policies and decisions
Personal factors
Environmental factors
Basic
causes
Accident-causes levels. (Courtesy of the Mine Health and Safety Administration.)
Potential safet y hazards come from a large numbe r of sources, each posing unique
dangers, and also vary great ly in the degree of risk as well as the type of energy that
each can relea se when not prevent ed or contr olled. Table 7 .1 provi des a list of a wide
range of equipment, tools, sources, etc. that can cause safety hazards.
7.1 EMPHASIS ON HAZARDS
The emphasis in this chapter is upon safety hazards. Hazards are defined as sources
of danger that could result in a chance event such as an accident. A danger itself is a

potential exposure or a liability to injury, pain, or loss. Not all hazards and dangers
are the same. Exposure to hazards may be dangerous, but this is dependent on the
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amount of risk that accom panies it. The risk of water contai ned b y a dam is diff erent
from being cau ght in a small boat in rapid ly flowing wat er. Risk is the possibil ity of
loss or injury or the de gree of the possibility of such loss . Accid ents do not oc cur in a
hazardless envir onmen t. If the potential exposure is high, there is a greate r risk that
an undesired event will occur. An accide nt is an unplan ned or undesi rable event
whose outcom e is normally a trauma. Tr auma is the inju ry to livi ng tissue caused by
some outside or extrinsic agent. Trauma is caused by an agent, force, or mechanism
impingi ng on the human body (Figur e 7.1).
The emphasis here will be to identify the hazard and its danger, and suggest ways
to remove, intervene, or mitigate its risk to prevent accidents resulting from the errant
uncontrolled release of energy that has a traumatic effect on those who are exposed
to that hazard.
7.2 ACCIDENT CAUSES
Experts who study accidents often do a breakdown or analysis of the causes. They
analyze them at three different levels:
TABLE 7.1
Potential Sources of Safety Hazard s
Acids Hot processes Power sources
Abrasives Forklifts Power tools
Biohazards Fumes Pressure vessels
Bloodborne pathogens Generators Radiation
Blasting Gases Rigging
Caustics Hand tools Respirators
Chains Hazardous chemical processes Scaffolds
Chemicals Hazardous waste Slings
Compressed gas cylinders Heavy equipment Solvents
Conveyors Hoists Stairways

Cranes Hoses Storage facilities
Confined spaces Hot items Stored materials
Derricks Hot process Transportation equipment
Electrical equipment Housekeeping=waste Transportation vehicles
Elevators and manlifts Ladders Trucks
Emergencies Lasers Unsafe conditions
Environmental factors Lifting Unsafe act
Excavations Lighting Ventilation
Explosives Loads Walkways and roadways
Falls Machines Walls and floor openings
Fibers Materials Warning devices
Fires Mists Welding and cutting
Flammables Noise Wire ropes
Hazardous waste Platforms Working surfaces
High voltage Personal protective equipment
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1. Direct causes (unplanned relea se of energy and=or hazardo us material)
2. Indirect causes (unsaf e a cts and unsafe condit ions)
3. Basic causes (management safety policies and decisions, and personal factors)
7.2.1 DIRECT CAUSES
Most accide nts are caused by the unplan ned or unwanted relea se o f large amoun ts of
energy, or of hazardo us mat erials. In a breakdo wn of accide nt causes, the direct
cause is the energy or hazardo us mat erial relea sed a t the time of the a ccident.
Accident inves tigators are inte rested in fi nding out what the direct cause of an
accident is, because this informat ion can be used to help prevent other acciden ts,
or to reduce the injuries associ ated wi th them .
Energy is classi fied in on e of two ways . It is eith er potential or kinetic
energy. Potential energy is de fined as stored energy such as a rock on the top of a
hill. There are usual ly tw o compo nents to potent ial energy: the wei ght a nd height of
the object. The rock resting at the bott om of the hill h as little potent ial energy as

compared to the one at the top of the hill. Some examp les of potential e nergy are
represented in Table 7.2.
The other classi ficati on is kinet ic energy that is best described as energy motion.
Kinetic energy is dependen t upon the mass of the ob ject. Mass is the amoun t of
matter making up an object; for examp le, an e lephant has more matter than a mous e,
therefore more mass. The weight of an object is a factor of the mass of an object and
the pull of gravity on it. Kinetic energy is a funct ion of an object ’ s mass and its speed
of movement or velocity. A bullet thrown at you has the same mass as one shot at
you, but the difference is in the velocity and there is no doubt as to which has the
Hazard
Danger
Risk
More
potential
risk
Release of
agent, force,
or mechanism
Accident/
incident
Outcomes
Injury
Death
Illness
Intervention/
prevention
Safe operations
FIGURE 7.1 Potential outcomes from hazards.
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most kinet ic energy or potential to destr oy. So me examp les of kinet ic energy are

represented in Tab le 7.3.
Energy has many form s and each has its own unique potential for d anger. The
forms of energy are press ure, biol ogical, chemical, elect rical, therm al, light, mech-
anical, and nuclea r. Tab le 7.4 depicts examp les of each form of energy.
If the direc t cause is know n, then equipment , materials, and facilit ies can be
redesigned to make them safer , person al prote ction can be provi ded to reduce
injuries , and wor kers can be trained to prote ct them selves in hazardo us situati ons.
7.2.2 INDIRECT C AUSES
Indirect causes , or symp toms, may be consi dered as contr ibuting facto rs. In most
cases, the relea se of excess ive amoun ts of energy or hazardo us materials is caused by
unsafe acts or unsafe condition s. Unsafe acts and unsafe condit ions trigge r the
release of large amoun ts of energy or hazardo us material s, whi ch direc tly cause
the acciden t. Thi s chapte r refers to indi rect causes as symptom s or contr ibuting
factors. That is because unsafe acts and unsafe condit ions do not them selve s cause
acciden ts. These are just symp toms or indicator s of poor manag ement poli cy,
inadequ ate contr ols, lack of or insuf ficient knowledge of existing hazards , or other
persona l facto rs. Tables 7.5 and 7.6 depict some examp les of unsafe acts and unsafe
conditions.
TABLE 7.2
Examples of Potential Energy
Compressed gases Hand or power tool
Object at rest Liquefied gas
Effort to move an object Dust
Spring loaded objects Unfallen tree
Electrically charged component Radiation source
Idling vehicle Chemical source
Disengaged equipment Biological organism
Flowable material
TABLE 7.3
Examples of Kinetic Energy

Operating tools or equipment Moving conveyors
Flow of materials Running machines
Falling objects Running equipment
Lifting a heavy object Moving dust
Moving vehicles or heavy equipment Tree falling
Release of energy from radiation, chemical or biological sources Pinch area from moving objects
Energy transfer devices such as pulleys, belts, gears, shears, edgers Running power tools
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7.2.3 B ASIC C AUSES
The cause of most accide nts is indeed a relea se of energy, an unsafe condition , or an
unsafe act, but the basic or root c auses of most accidents are found to be more a result
of failure to addres s some very speci fic underly ing causes . The se causes fall into
three groups : poli cies and decisions, person al facto rs, and envir onmen tal factors
depicted in Tab les 7.7, 7.8, and 7 .9, respec tive ly.
While we often think of hazardo us acts and condition s as the basic causes of
accidents, they are actually symptom s of failure on anothe r level. Unsafe acts and
unsafe condit ions can usual ly be trace d to the basic causes : poor manag ement
policies and decis ions, and person al facto rs.
The first catego ry of basic causes — manag ement safety p olicies and decisions —
includes such thin gs as manag ement ’s intent (relative to safet y); product ion and
safety goals; staffing procedures; use of records; assignment of responsibility,
authority, and accountability; employee selection; training, placement, direction,
TABLE 7.4
Forms of Energy and Examples of Their Sources
Pressure energy Chemical energy Nuclear energy
Pressurized vessel Corrosive materials Alpha particles
Caisson work Flammable=combustible Beta particles
Explosives materials High energy nuclear
Noise Toxic chemicals particles
Compressed gases Compressed gases Neutrons

Steam source Carcinogens Gamma rays
Liquefied gases Confined spaces X-rays
Air under pressure Oxidizing materials
Diving Reactive materials Thermal (heat) energy
Confined spaces Poisonous chemicals Chemical reactions
and gases Combustible materials
Light energy Explosives Cryogenic materials
Intense light Acids and bases Fire
Lasers Oxygen deficiency Flames
Infrared sources atmosphere Flammable materials
Microwaves Fuels Friction
Sun Dusts or powders Hot processes
Ultraviolet light Hot surfaces
Welding Electrical energy Molten metals
RF fields Capacitors Steam
Radio frequency Transformers Solar
Energized circuits Weather phenomena
Biological energy Power lines Welding
Allergens Batteries
Biotoxins Exposed conductors
Pathogens Static electricity
Poisonous plants Lightning
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TABLE 7.5
Unsafe Acts
(95% of all accidents)
1. Operating or using equipment without authorization
2. Failure to prevent unexpected movement
3. Working or operating at unsafe speeds
4. Failure to warn or signal

5. Removing, nullifying, or not using guards
6. Using defective tools or equipment
7. Using tools or equipment unsafely
8. Taking an unsafe position
9. Failure to shut down and lockout
10. Riding equipment
11. Horseplay, startling, or distracting
12. Failure to wear or use personal protective equipment
13. Failure to warn coworkers or to secure equipment
14. Improper lifting
15. Alcohol or drug use
16. Violation of safety and health rules
TABLE 7.6
Unsafe Conditions
(5% of all accidents)
1. Lack of or inadequate guards
2. Lack of or inadequate warnings or signaling systems
3. Improper storage of flammable or explosives
4. Unexpected start-up conditions
5. Poor housekeeping conditions
6. Protruding objects
7. Congestion conditions
8. Atmospheric conditions
9. Improper placement or stacking
10. Defective tools or equipment
11. General working conditions
12. Improper clothing
13. Radiation exposure
14. Poor illumination
15. Excessive noise

16. Unstable work areas or platforms
17. No firefighting equipment
18. Dangerous soil
19. Hazardous conditions
20. Radiation
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TABLE 7.7
Policies and Decisions
Safety policy is not
.
In writing
.
Signed by top management
.
Distributed to each employee
.
Reviewed periodically
Safety procedures do not provide for
.
Written manuals
.
Safety meetings
.
Job safety analysis
.
Housekeeping
.
Medical surveillance
.
Accident investigations

.
Preventive maintenance
.
Reports
.
Safety audits=inspections
Safety is not considered in the procurement of
.
Supplies
.
Equipment
.
Services
Safety is not considered in the personnel practices of
.
Selection
.
Authority
.
Responsibility
.
Accountability
.
Communication
.
Training
.
Job observations
TABLE 7.8
Personal Factors

Physical
.
Inadequate size
.
Inadequate strength
.
Inadequate stamina
Experiential
.
Insufficient knowledge
.
Insufficient skills
.
Accident records
.
Unsafe work practices
(
continued)
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and supervision; communications procedures; inspection procedures; equipment,
supplies, and facility design; purchasing; maintenance; standard and emergency
job procedures; and housekeeping.
The second category—personal factors—includes motivation, ability, know-
ledge, training, safety awareness, assignments, performance, physical and mental
state, reaction time, and personal care.
The third category is the actual physical facility design, the unsafe procedures
being used, and the geological and climatic conditions.
TABLE 7.8 (continued)
Personal Factors
Motivational

.
Needs
.
Capabilities
Attitudinal
.
Toward others
.
People
.
Company
.
Job
.
Toward self
.
Alcoholism
.
Drug use
.
Emotional upset
Behavioral
.
Risk taking
.
Lack of hazard awareness
TABLE 7.9
Environmental Factors
Unsafe facility design
.

Poor mechanical layout
.
Inadequate electrical system
.
Inadequate hydraulic system
.
Crowded limited access ways
.
Insufficient illumination
.
Insufficient ventilation
.
Lack of noise control
Unsafe operating procedures
.
Normal
.
Emergency
Weather
Geographical area
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7.3 SUMMARY
As can be seen, accidents that result because of safety h azards are actually the result
of a complex set of events or elements that have come together from nature, human
error, and failure of systems that should have protected workers from injury and
death. Thus, the emphasis seen in this book and Industrial Safety and Health for
Infrastructure Services, Industrial Safety and Health for Administrative Services,
and Industrial Safety and Health for People-Oriented Services, is regarding the need
for an organized approach to occupational safety and health and the protections and
benefits from implementing a well thought out approach to job safety and health.

The remainder of this book is directed toward managing, preventing, and
controlling hazards that occur within the goods and material service sector of the
service industry. This includes the wholesale trade, retail trade, and warehousi ng
sectors.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.