INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

Introduction

In industry there are a number of machines and equipment which have a number of
moving parts and other dangerous projections which may cause

 hazardous accidents
 fatalities
 injuries
 damage to equipment

Hence the need to take appropriate measures to safe guard against them.

It is necessary to for a worker/ student to know the basic engineering principles and to be
aware of the dangers which may exist in the industry.

Every worker/student should be made to understand and practice safe working

procedures to avoid accidents not only for themselves but for other people around.

What is an accident?

An accident is a separate, identifiable, unintended incident that causes physical injury.

An accident is a mishap which causes some

 Injury to the person

 Damage to machines, tools and equipment and results in loss of production

An accident may be due to :

 Worker’s own fault ( preventable by his/her own precaution)

 Employer’s fault for not making safe working environment

The accident may be minor, serious or fatal.

Objectives of industrial safety

1. To increase production as a means to a higher standard of living.

 2. To reduce the cost of production
3. To conserve and make the best use of labor available
4. To reduce needless sufferings and human wastage
5. To have better human relations in the industry
6. To have better morale of employees.

Common causes of accidents

1. Poor house keeping

2. Lack of skill or knowledge (ie unskilled labor)
3. Loose clothing
4. Insufficient work space
5. Carelessness of the worker
6. Improper or substandard or defective tools/ equipment.
7. Poor working conditions/ environment – such as bad lighting and ventilation.
8. Un guarded machinery
9. Improper maintenance of machines
10. Overloading of machines.
11. Operation machines at unsafe/ un prescribed speed
12. Bad plant lay out (processes, planning etc)
13. Violation of safety rules and non-observance of safety regulation.

Typical statistics

(a) 88% accidents occur due to human causes, such as unsafe practice, lack of foresight
and wrong attitude.
(b) 10% accidents occur due to mechanical failure such as plant condition, tool or
equipment repair
(c) 2% accidents occur due to nature such as floods, weather, cyclone etc.

House keeping

What is house?
 House keeping is an orderly arrangement of operations, tools, equipment, storage
facilities and supplies.

It is a practical method of getting high product and improvement in employee’s morale.

The following points should be observed to have good house keeping

1. The working place should be kept clean and free from oils, grease to avoid slips
2. Work benches and machines should be clean
3. Tools and measuring tools should be kept in right places after being cleaned.
4. Scrap should be kept in scrap box at all times.
5. There should be sufficient space for the worker to move around.
6. Material/ tools should not be stored in passages.
7. There should be sufficient lighting in workshops
8. Adequate ventilation for fresh air.
9. Acceptable noise level

Safety guards

Machine moving parts must be guarded to maintain safety. Different types of guards are
selected for different types of machines all depending on nature of machine.

1. Fixed guard
Used in workshop to prevent access to the dangerous parts of a machine fromall
directions.
Guards are of robust construction and tightly secured to the machine.
When a clear view of moving parts is required, then metal of small mesh is used.
2. Interlocking guards/ automatic
This forms an integral part of machine. Before the machine is operated, the guards
are closed to prevent access to dangerous part eg CNC and Guillotine. Machine can’t
be operated until the door is locked.
3. Trip guards
 A trip guard is provided with tripping device or safety switch inside the guard which
sense your close approach within reach of dangerous parts, protecting operator
form revolving and dangerous parts.
4. Distance guards
Fencing made of grills, bars, rails placed at suitable height and distance from
machine

General safety precaution

The following should be observed:
1. Always wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE), (dress, gloves, hard
hat etc).
Do not wear loose clothing, neck tie, etc. to guard against caught in moving
machine.
2. Before operating a machine, it should be cleaned and oiled if necessary.
3. Machines should have effective and properly working guards in proper place.
4. Heavy work should not be lifted by hands. Always use testes lifting equipment.
5. Before operating the machine, the work and tools should be securely clamped.
6. Machines should be operated only by skilled and authorized workman.
7. Machines should not be left running unattended.
8. Operator should not lean against the machine (working or not working).
9. Concentrate when operating a running machine. Do not indulge in mischief with
others.
10. Do not take measurements when the machine is running.
11. Wear safety goggles, face shield to protect your eyes from injuries
12. Wear appropriate hand gloves to prevent hand injuries
13. Avoid horse play
14. Effectively communicate with others.

Hoists and lifts

  Every hoist and lift should be of good mechanical construction, sound material and
adequate strength.
 They should be maintained and examined by a competed person at every of 12
months
 Lifting machinery (chain blocks, cranes and ropes should be in compliance (should
be examined and certified by a competed person at least once a year.

Revolving machinery/ objects

 Ensure that safe working speed is not exceeded

Example, fly wheel, grinding wheel, pulley, or any similar appliances driven by
power.

Precautions against dangerous fumes

 No person should be permitted to enter any chamber, tank, pit, pipe or any confined
space in which dangerous fumes are likely to be present, unless it is properly
ventilated.
 No portable electric light of voltage exceeding 24 V should be permitted in any
confined space.

Pressure vessels

 The pressure vessel should not be operated at a pressure higher than the specified
safe working pressure.
 The vessel shall be pressure tested annually and witnessed by the inspector of
machinery from the government.

Precautions in case of fire

 All doors and windows except sliding type , should be constructed so as to open out
wards.
 Doors and windows to be used exits in case of fire, clearly marked in language
understood by all in red letters of adequate size.
  Clear audible means of giving warning to all employed in factory
 A group of workers to be trained in basic fire fighting techniques.
 Ensure presence of fire extinguisher in all workshops with a valid certificate.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE is defined as all equipment which is intended to be worn or held to protect

against risk to health and safety. This includes most types of protective clothing and
equipment such as
 eye protection,
 safety helmets,
 safety foot wear,
 gloves
 high visibility clothing
 safety harness

Eye Protection

Serves as guard against the hazard of impact, slashes from chemicals or molten metals,
liquid droplets, dust, gases, welding and welding arcs.

Eye protections include

(a) Safety spectacles

(b) Eye shields
(c) Goggles
(d) Welding filters,
(e) Face shields and hoods

Head protection

Includes industrial safety helmets to protect against falling objects.

Do not use head protection if it is damaged.

Feet and leg protection

Serve to guard against the hazards of electro static build up, abrasion, wet, slipping, cut
and punctures, falling objects, chemical and metal splash.

Included in this category are

 Safety boots and shoes with protective toe cap

 Penetration resistant mid soles as well as gaiters, leggings and spats.

Hand and arm protection

Gloves, gauntlets, mitts, wrist cuff and armlets provide protection against a range of
hazards such as :

1. Abrasion
2. Temperature extremes
3. Cut and punctures
4. Electric shocks
5. Skin infections

Note avoid using gloves when operating machines such as drills where gloves can get
caught.

Body protection

Types of clothing used for body protection include the following

1. Disposable overalls
2. Boiler suits
3. Aprons
4. High visibility clothing

They are used to protect against hazards such as

1. Temperature extremes
2. Adverse weather condition
3. Chemical and metal splash
 4. Spray from spray gun
5. Impact and penetration

Body protection material should be flame retardant, antistatic, chemical resistant and high
visibility.

Reporting of Injuries/ Dangerous Occurances.

Injuries, diseases and dangerous occurances are supposed to be reported and notified to
relevant authorities however small or mild.

The employer/ supervisor must report incidents and keep records of-

 Work related accidents which cause death

 Work related accidents which cause serious injuries
 Work related accidents which cause reportable injuries
 Cases of certain industrial diseases
 Dangerous occurances (incidents with potential to cause harm)

Reportable injuries are:

(a) Death of worker arising from work related accidents

(b) Injuries to workers in an accident which include fracture, loss of sight, crush
injuries, serious burns and any other injuries which results in admittance to hospital
for more than 24 hrs.
(c) Over 7- day injuries

Reportable dangerous occurances are

Certain ‘near miss’ events, where something happens but does not result in an injury which
include:-

 Collapse, overturning or failure of crane

 Plant or equipment coming in contact with overhead line
  Explosion or fires causing work to be stopped

Electrical hazards

Electricity can’t be seen or heard, but can kill

Electricity can kill or cause serious disablements through shocks and burns

Major electrical hazards

The major hazards arising from the use of electrical equipment are:

1. ELECTRIC SHOCK

The body responds in a number of ways to electric current flowing through it.

Anyone of which can result in fatalities.

The chance of electric shock is increased in wet condition or close to conductors.

2. ELECTRIC BURNS

This is the heating effect caused by an electric current passing through the body tissue.

3. FIRE

Is caused by electricity in a number of ways including

 Over-heating of cables and electrical equipment due to overloading, leakage

currents due to poor insulation.
 Overheating of flammable materials placed too close to electrical equipment

4. ARCING

Arcing generates ultraviolet radiation causing a burn similar to sun beam. UV radiation can
also cause damage to sensitive skin and to eyes.

5. EXPLOSION
These include the explosion of electrical equipment eg Switch gear or motors where
electricity causes the ignition of flammable vapour, gas and dust by electric sparks.

Electrical Precautions

(i) Double insulations

(ii) Earthing – electricity supply is connected to earth. It is this system that enables
earth faults to be detected and the electricity supply to be cut off automatically.
(iii) Use of safe voltage – reduced system voltage are suitable for electrical
equipment in construction work.
Battery operated machines are the safest.

General electrical safety rules

 Ensure a properly wired plug

Brown wire – live conductor
Blue wire – neutral conductor
Green/ yellow – earth conductor
 Never improvise by jamming wires in sockets with nails or match sticks.
 Molded rubber plugs are preferable to the brittle plastic types. They are less prone
to damage.