Smaller amounts of uranium in breast milk - no need to worry, ascertains expert

"Uranium: Uranium found in breast milk.. Scientists say there is no need to worry.. | uranium-found-in-breast-milk-in-several-bihar-districts-but-no-reason-for-alarm-scientist" https://www.eenadu.net/telugu-news/india/uranium-found-in-breast-milk-in-several-bihar-districts-but-no-reason-for-alarm-scientist/0701/125215963

Privacy lost? - Mirrors/reflective glasses at roof height in hotels, function halls, etc

Recently, I went to a banquet hall to attend a function. My attention caught mirrors at roof height. I could clearly see myself in that. 

Think about mischief that can be played by fellows, by taking photos of girls from the mirror reflection and do whatever they like to do.

It should be banned to protect privacy.

Bus accident at night - which color vehicles are less prone to accidents

https://www.eenadu.net/telugu-news/districts/kurnool-kurnool-bus-accident-mystery-solved/7/125195733

A passenger sleeper bus collided with a black color bike already fallen on the road, dragged it for about 200 meters, and the sparks from bike burnt the bus, causing 19 deaths. It happened in the midnight on a national highway. 

The bus bottom luggage box was having mobile phone shipments,  aiding the fire.

https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/mass-phone-blasts-in-luggage-cabin-intensified-kurnool-bus-fire-forensic-experts-say-enn25102501463

As per report in the above news paper,  EENADU, it was stated that the vehicles in white, yellow,  orange and gold colors in descending order are clearly visible and identifiable even at some distance. 

Black color vehicle visibility is poor and are prone to accidents 41% more compared to white.

Other colors: Gray color 11%, silver 10%, dark blue and red 7% 

It is also suggested to have daylight running lights DRL, reflective stickers on car sides, etc to enable increased visibility of vehicle to others.

Some additional information:

https://www.autolist.com/guides/safest-car-color

The passengers trapped were unable to escape quickly.  

It is better to have wooden hammers 🔨 to break bus glasses in case of emergency. 

Wrong design of hotel room

Recently,  I stayed in a hotel room. I found that the exhaust of washroom is connected to a duct. However,  the window air conditioner also draws inlet from same duct, making it unhygienic. 

Hazards from wooden railings of the stair cases

In the past one month, I had two minor incidents of penetration of small wooden piece of about one millimeter in length and much lesser thick into my fingers. 

This happened as I am taking support of railing during the use of stairs. 

Photos of railing and wooden speck are attached below.

It is found that the wooden railings are not smooth finish as they appear. The protrusions of the railing are posing hazard to users. 

Stainless steel railings that are anti-corrosive are better than these wooden railing. 

LINK

Injury from fall

Presently, I am in Portblair for site seeing. Came two days ago and staying in a hotel room with sea view. It's drizzling now and then whole day and corridor is wet.

On the day of arrival at night, I tried to go to corridor,  slipped, lost my by balance and suffered left hand ring finger fracture,  cut injury on right foot, impact on left side of my back. 

I was clueless, how I fell, though holding the door side with left hand. Impact might have been severe, but for me taking support of door frame of hotel room. 

Last few years, the floor tiles used are very smooth,  let it be in office rooms, residences, hotel, banks, railway stations, airports, etc.

A standard should be brought to ensure that floor tiles are made anti-skidding.

Smooth finish tiles 

Fracture on ring finger lower phalanx

Gas tanker topples-explosion

Gas tanker topples-explosion

What can be done to avoid such incidents?

Ensure vehicle in good condition.

Make a checklist, verify before every trip.

Use speed lockers to limit speed.

Use GPS trackers and monitor at a central location with immediate audio alerts to driver and monitoring controller for action.

If possible,  provide automatic engine stoppers, if crossing set speed or acceleration. 

Finger injuries from wrong placement of door handles

I was in a hotel for a day. The door handle of washroom is very close to door frame.  I could have got finger injury,  while closing the door, if not alert. 

Same was the case with the handle of handwash water tap in a restaurant,  which was very close to the wall.

These are small things, but with potential for finger injury or fracture and to be taken care with sufficient gap.

Road driver responsible to give signal before stopping

LINK

Perception and safety

Last night, I slept in a different room. Woke up at night, and while going back to bed, I hit the cot and almost fell, getting hit injury on the knee.

I thought to be careful and my injury may be due to getting old and loosing my control over my movements. 

Later today,  it occurred to me that my fall is due to presumed bed position in regular room, though I slept in another room.

This presumption without realizing facts can happen anywhere. Someone removes guard on rotor, but regular operator not realizing will work closer to it and may get injured. Because,  he will be under notion of existence of machine guard. 

A caution Board will help to make users to know the change made and to be careful. 

Fall of persons from smooth and wet surfaces

I came on official work to a project site and staying in our guest house.  Yesterday morning, I saw one server skidding on smooth mosaic floor, which was mopped a few minutes ago. He regained his position before fall and didn't suffer any injury,  but could have happened. 

I too had such escapes, quite a good number of times at home, which is a marble surface. 

Use of tiles with smooth finish is increasing everywhere. Airports, end to end, have such floors. It is, even,  difficult to have normal walk. 

It's my opinion to ban smooth floors and may permit on side walls. National Building Code needs such provisions to protect persons or occupants.

Preventive maintenance and inservice inspection

Preventive maintenance (PM), inservice inspection (ISI), calibration,  periodical load or pressure tests, electrical continuity and earth resistance checks, carrying out repairs on identified problems are generally delayed or ignored in many industrial facilities. 

Either the systems are not released for checks or concerned agencies are not bothered. Facilities will be operated without checks, tests, repairs.

They may think that, nothing will happen and they can continue without checks or tests.

But, such checks help in knowing the integrity of the systems,  functionality as per design and operational requirements,  and thus ensure safety of persons,  protection of environment and add to the profitability. 

Occurrence of an event or incident can lead to catastrophic consequences and closure.

This realization should occur to everyone.  It is true even in our day-to-day lives outside industrial organizations also.

Driving on water pools - splashing hazard

During rainy season, to enjoy cool weather,  sometimes, I keep windows open. 

But, the water pool patches on the roads are annoying. Other vehicle drivers zooming fast on those pools lead to drenching of others.  I had such experience few times and have to drive cautiously. 

Water drenching is okay, but, the dirt also falls on us, making it disgusting. 

Car door opening - accidents to adjacent commuters

Many accidents are reported about other travellers / vehicle riders being hit, while car occupant opens the door.

Person opening his vehicle door should check behind, before opening,  to avoid collision, but rarely does they do.

As an engineering solution, by legislation,  the vehicle doors shall be designed, as sliding horizontally or move up without coming out of vehicle width.

This will avoid such accidents. 

Mobile phone permission to employees in workplaces

Having mobile phone in work areas helps for easy communication and decision making.

But, the spam calls, calls from family and friends in working hours cause diversion of attention and may affect Safety at work.

One can't be quiet when phone rings. 

It appears banning phones in work places is more beneficial.  Arrangements can be made for communication in plants through intercom phones at differentareas, public address system, pagers for plants, etc

Slept in the car - lost life from suffocation

"Crime news: Two youths died of suffocation after sleeping in a car under the influence of alcohol | two-youth-died-of-suffocation-in-a-car-after-sleeping-influence-of-alcohol" https://www.eenadu.net/telugu-news/crime/two-youth-died-of-suffocation-in-a-car-after-sleeping-influence-of-alcohol/0300/125117461K

Concrete roads - skidding hazard

Concrete roads last longer than bitumen roads. However,  concrete surfaces,  being smooth compared bitumen roads seems to be slippery in wetted condition or in case of sand or mud on it.

Drivers need to be cautious while driving and vigilant to know about surfaces.

Stop gas flame from domestic cylinder by simple method

The above video demonstrates how to extinguish flame from LPG gas cylinder tube.

If accessible,  first we should close regulator of the cylinder to prevent continuous gas supply.  We should also remove other ignition sources like, open flame, lighted incense stick, cigarette, etc.

We can keep wetted bed sheet or towel over the cylinder covered fully to avoid flashback fires.

https://www.facebook.com/middayindia/videos/1482577306447228/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

This link takes to a cylinder leak and Fire in a house.

Chemical Safety Board - Incident reports - Volume 1 and PSM interactive application for training

"CSB Announces New Safety Product - General News - News | CSB" https://www.csb.gov/csb-announces-new-safety-product/

The above link takes to a file that gives condensed investigation reports with description,  root cause analysis and what went wrong. Useful for those who would like to learn and desire to make their work place safer.

The incidents are mainly from chemical industries. These inputs can be taken for guidance to analyze shop floor practices and work environment and take remedial measures for prevention of such incidents.

 

The incidents analyzed are, like, discharge of chemicals as a consequence of leakage / pressure rise / reaction between chemicals / wrong valve operation / improper communication / not doing proper isolation or de-energization / inadequate vent design / improper material of construction / hitting of gas lines, etc. 

The lessons to be learnt are, to have detailed SOP, job hazard analysis, training, execution and monitoring.

CSB document attached is to be referred for understanding in greater detail. 

"CSB Process Safety Training Application | CSB" https://www.csb.gov/news/csb-process-safety-training-application-/

Kittens on car tyre - checks to be done before start of car

Recently, I found two cute kittens (one is grey and another is white) sitting on the rear tyre of my car. They were totally hidden between the tyre and mudguard of the car. My younger son observed these two little ones looking innocently by sitting at the top of the tyre.

From then on, I made a point to look for presence of anyone before start of car.