2020: A review

This year's happenings are like those that happen once in a lifetime. It can be like those faced during world wars. With the imposition of lockdown in the country to tackle the covid pandemic, we could not go out for days together, and then we hand night curfews, limited mobility, etc. We do not have any idea about the extent to which the virus can harm. Hence, there were rifts even families about measures to be taken. 

Coming to industrial safety, with the shutdown of operations, movement of many migrant workforce to their native places, these persons suffered to reach their destination. And then the organizations too suffered due to lack of working hands. 

In some organizations, due to not following safe procedures for shutdown, emergency maintenance, or safe restart, a few incidents took place leading to loss of lives or injuries. Still, many organizations are having problems reaching the state of pre-covid. 

And, then a covid variant surfaces now, as a parting gift of the year. What comes in the new year, we have to wait and see. 

However, some benefits are also accrued as organizations tried to have work from home wherever possible, or implementation of remote work methods to avoid movement/contact and in the process reducing operational costs. 

There is a saying which goes, whatever happens, is for our good. May be present phase is also like that. Let us hope for the best.

Distraction to drivers from bill boards on the roads

Today, I was driving to workplace. Enroute, while glancing at advertisements, I narrowly missed hitting a pedestrian. The lady crossing the road stopped and was looking at me, whereas I was watching billboard located at height, thereby missing the road view totally. It is mistake on my part. I also felt like there should not be any distraction to the drivers. Drivers should concentrate on the road traffic and possibly these billboards for others in the vehicles. Else, there can be accidents or near miss incidents like I had today.

Safety in stories - a medium to convey hazards in confined spaces like tunnels

Last week, I  went to my home town and read a novel during the time. In the story, enemies plant a time bomb in a tunnel right under the building where a meeting with several important personalities is in progress. The main character working in the country's premier investigating agency suspects the location and tries to reach the spot through a tunnel. These lines are also punctured to release the gas. This tunnel also has gas lines and bomb explosion at a scheduled time will lead to a gas explosion with consequences for large scale destruction.

Anywhere, when a person has to enter a confined space like the tunnel described above, oxygen and other gas levels have to be checked first and take measures. As the issue in the story is of national importance, personnel enter inside, get exposed to the gas. Still, they go ahead and one of the person in the team, an expert in bomb disposal safely makes it inactive. Though the person gets unconscious, brought out by team members, finally survives and receives a medal.

The lesson for the readers is that, persons in tunnels can risk their lives due to gas or lack of oxygen. Though, initially I thought that the author should have considered safety aspects while continuing with the story, on brighter side, those who understand the dangers faced by the characters will atleast remember the same.

Control panel alarms - Do not acknowledge or reset unless action is taken

As the title goes, with huge control panels having several parameters to monitor, it becomes routine for operators to acknowledge the error message alarms. The intention is to take note of it or taken action if required. However, with work stress, it is likely that we may forget to take action. Then next high-level alarm will come, and by this time, we would have lost some precious time. It is suggested to take necessary action where it is to be done manually and then acknowledge instead of the other way. No doubt, audio alarms, make the person mad. But, if action to be taken is forgotten, it will have wider implications. May be in such places, shift hours can be shorter than normal 8 hours or more number of qualified persons are engaged with work definition.

Everything looks fine - Are you Okay?

Do not be complacent.

Life is going fine. In this serious pandemic situation everywhere also, I am healthy. Does it mean we can ignore all measures taken till now? 

Same is the question, every manger has to ask himself about work place safety. No accidents or injuries till now does not mean that he can relax procedures and allow shopfloor personnel to work the way bypassing safety procedures. 

Actually, a sense of well being,  sometimes, induces complacency instead of motivating personnel to work better.

Initially, it starts with occasional  incidents which may not go to the notice of the manager or they are covered or ignored as one time affair. And, then the frequency increases and finally the organization will be in big soup with irreparable damages.

Let us not forget the hard work and culture created before reaching the heights and we should not have fall from that height. Instead, aim for bigger goals.Let us try to become a leader in the industry regarding safety at the work place. 

At no time we should think after an incident without injury or loss, that today, we are saved by luck. Dump the luck factor and work hard.

Safety performance as criteria for outsourcing jobs

Present circumstances are creating jobs only for durations to the extent required. Organizations may or may not have considered training aspect in the contract duration. It is like instant / ready to deploy state where persons taken on outsourcing are expected to work from the time they join.

To avoid surprises, organizations have to make prior assessment for knowledge, skills, experience and past performance w.r.t. work output, quality of work, and safety performance. Medical or health records are also to be verified to ensure that persons are healthy and ready to work with 100% deliverables. Health issues should not impede performance. i.e. to say, person may be at site but output should be same as that of perfectly healthy professional.

Supervision is also essential and an effective supervision is highly appreciated. Many failures are due to non consideration of these aspects. One can have performance review on daily/weekly basis depending upon the nature and duration of the job. Frequent assessment during initial period will help to guide the persons in right direction and will same time and money.