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-/