A place for my personal thoughts/views on safety, with focus on industrial safety.
We are nothing after our death. Let us donate our body organs for the poor.
Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvelous work The moment you fear, you are nobody - Swamy Vivekananda
If you think safety is expensive, try an accident... - O.P.Kharbanda
Preventable accidents, if they are not prevented due to our negligence, it is nothing short of a murder - Dr. Sarvepalli Radha Krishna, 2nd President of India
Zero accidents through zero unsafe behaviors. Do not be complacent that there are no accidents. There may be near miss accidents (NMAs). With luck/chance, somebody escaped knowingly or unknown to the person. But, we can't be safe, if we depend upon the luck.
Safety culture is how the organization behaves when no one is watching.
We make No compromise with respect to Morality, Ethics, or Safety. If a design or work practice is perceived to be unsafe, we do not proceed until the issue is resolved. - Mission statement by S&B Engineers & Consultants Ltd. http://www.sbec.com/safety/
Human meat gets least priority - A doctor's comment on accidents
CSB video excerpts from Dr.Trevor Kletz, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQn5fL62KL8
Dec 4, 2016
Sleep fall deaths
A security guard of an apartment block in Bangkok during sleep on a plastic chair, tries to settle down and falls into an adjacent drain, and dies due to head injuries. During fall, he hits on the concrete base of the drain resulting in head injury.
The link of the news report is HERE.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3912736/Horrific-moment-security-guard-killed-falls-chair-sleeping-uncovered-drain.html
In another incident in Hyderabad, a hotel security person falls down on to the ground from chair during sleep and dies while undergoing treatment.
An article from wikipedia on falling asleep during work can be read.
Many times persons think of fall hazards only while working at heights say 3.0 m. Some persons make fun of safety officials, when ask for proper access, scaffold, working platform safety belt etc. But, from the incidents above, it is clear any place above ground is a potential condition for fall. Such persons who don't think of height hazards should be summarily kicked out to save poor workmen.
Something more, though, different, is worth noting, as below.
A serial killer getting angry on persons sleeping at work used to injure such persons, was caught. We learn so much from internet and should be cautious.
In another incident, a person trying to commit suicide by jumping from a three storey building falls on a 75 year old woman below, killing the poor lady.
Bypassing of safety procedures - poor inerting causes burn injury on the face of the work
Chemical reactor explosion kills one, injures three
The metal piece of reactor after explosion, flew by 100 meters, passed through by breaking a wall and hit the person working at distance. The person died immediately due to head injury.
The incident reveals dangers of flying fragments from explosion and need for assessment of explosion consequences.
Crane crushes the person under rear tyre
When I visited port trust in Chennai several years ago during industrial visit as a part of our safety diploma course, the authorities there told us that persons coming under vehicles is one of the most serious causes for accidents.
In port trust, movement of heavy vehicles and mobile cranes is common.
I see such hazard even on public roads, where reversing of all sorts of vehicles takes place, without regard for safety.
About, thirty years when I went to Vizag, I saw person in a pool of blood. I came to know the reason as reversing of bus from the stand.
I myself was hit on the ankle by a reversing car behind, in Chennai, and suffered for about three weeks. I was lucky not get fracture.
Authorities should seize vehicles without loud reverse horn and cancel the driver licence and vehicle registration immediately.
Blast/explosion during welding on oil tanker dismantling causes deaths/injuries
It is stated that about 100 persons were working in the ship tanker at the time of the incident.
To protect themselves, some of the workers jumped in to the sea, after the explosion.
The photos of the incident reveal massive destruction can be seen.
Earlier, three months ago, in another blast during explosion on a oil tanker in oil terminal, during welding, three persons died and two were injured.
Nov 29, 2016
Nov 27, 2016
Construction scaffolding collapses, killing 74 at Chinese power plant - World Socialist Web Site
It is reported that during construction work in a power plant, a tower crane collapsed. This caused a 70 m high scaffolding collapse leading to more than 74 deaths and injuries to others. Reports say 90% of the workers at site died in the accident. The accident occurred during shift changeover at about 0730 hr, resulting in more deaths.
Speeding up of the work, possibly with bypassing of safety procedures to cut costs appears to be the cause, as per the reports.
One has to know that safety is not cost addition, but a cost saving measure. Any work completed without accidents by safety procedure violations, is only by luck. And, one can't depend on luck for ever. Companies will face the consequences leading to closures with this type of attitude.
One can sacrifice productivity, but not safety of persons.
It is stated that in the year 2015, about 66000 persons died in the country during industrial accidents at 181 per day (appears exaggerated, but reports say so).
13 persons were arrested in connection of with this accident as per the report.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/chinese-officials-detain-13-construction-accident-kills-74-article-1.2887359
Photos of the scene can be seen in the link above.
Oct 19, 2016
Aug 29, 2016
Need for fire NOC should be made compulsory for all buildings irrespective of heights and nature of activities
However, this requirement needs to be changed to all buildings, irrespective of height and use.
Many fire incidents are attributed to short circuits, as we read from news papers.
Some incidents are due to materials handled in the buildings, and these buildings / dwellings are not necessarily above 15 m height.
Many use part of the house/commercial complex as storage of substances, solvents, fire crackers, etc legally / illegally.
Some may not intend to use the building initially for dangerous substances, but later on, may use for the same. The initial conditions are not valid, later.
All the above, make one to feel it necessary for legislations that require fire NOC, apart from other requirements, mandatory.
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