4.
0 SAFETY IN ENGINEERING PRACTICE
4.1 Introduction
Safety in engineering practice is very important so as to avoid the occurrence of accidents.
Definition of Accident: It is an unpleasant incident that happens unexpectedly. OR It is an
incident that happens by chance.
Any event or incident that will lead to human death should be avoided at all cost. Accidents
have been found to be the fourth leading cause of death in USA besides heart disease, cancer
and strokes. However, in Nigeria it is safe to say that accident is number “one” cause of death.
We should not only be conscious of it, we should all be seen to be doing everything to minimize
it if we cannot completely eliminate it.
4.2 Types of Accidents
Types of accidents are:
(i) Motor vehicle accidents
(ii) Drowning
(iii) Fire
(iv) Falls
(v) Natural disasters
(vi) Work – related accidents
(vii) Poison (solid/liquid)
Workplace accidents (which is of interest to us), ranks second of all the above accidents as shown
in Table 1.
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Table 1: Ranking of Accidents
Accident type Rank
Motor vehicle 1st
Workplace 2nd
Home 3rd
Public 4th
It is rather unfortunate that globally, natural disasters which results in fewer deaths/year will make
better news headlines than the workplace accidents which claims more than 10,000 deaths/year. It
is said that, “while you make a 10 minutes’ speech, 2 persons will be killed and 170 will suffer a
disabling injury. On the average, there are 11 accidental deaths and about 1,030 disabling injuries
every hour during the year”.
4.3 Causes of Accidents in Engineering Practice
According to a survey carried out by H.W. Heinrich, on accident and their causes, the analysis
show that:
(i) 88% accidents occur due to human causes such as unsafe practices, lack of foresight, wrong
attitude, and to average Nigerian, lack of patience.
(ii) 10% accidents occur due to mechanical failures such as poor condition of tools or
equipment failure.
(iii) 2% accidents occur due to natural causes such as weather, flood, cyclones, hurricane, storm
(in case of Nigeria).
In general, the major causes of accidents in engineering practice can be grouped into two, namely:
unsafe acts and unsafe conditions.
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The unsafe acts are those actions of a person or persons in a workshop or factory that may result
to an accident. Such acts may be unintentional or in some cases intentional. An example of unsafe
acts is smoking in a room where petrol or inflammable substances are stored. It is an unsafe act
for a student to put sharp tools or instruments inside his or her pocket.
Unsafe conditions in the workshops/factories are very dangerous. An unsafe condition is such a
condition which may cause accident. The unsafe conditions range from the physical conditions of
the factory to the orderliness of the working equipment. Working with faculty equipment is a great
risk. It is quite unsafe, for instance, to work with grinding machine without the usual protective
guard as some of the particles (either from the metal being ground or the grinding stone material)
lodging into the user’s eyes.
Another example of an unsafe condition is the accidental flow or discharge of industrial oil or
water on the floor of the factory. This could cause slippery conditions which can cause one to fall
terribly that may result in broken ankles or serious injuries.
In every engineering practice, material, machines and man (human beings) interact to produce
goods and services. In order to reduce costs and optimize production, serious attention must be
paid to safety of materials, machines and workers. Safety engineering is the reduction, control or
elimination of all hazardous conditions in an engineering establishment such as a factory,
construction site, dam, etc. These include fire, machines, human behavior, electricity, floor
conditions/plant layout, environmental conditions and use of chemicals.
4.3.1 Fire
Fire is the most dangerous source of hazard in an industrial set-up. The source of fire can be
from any section of the factory. In some engineering practices or applications, inflammable
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items are used in the process of manufacturing. These items can easily catch fire with little
carelessness. Cutting of metals using oxy-acetylene gas welding set or grinding disc can
cause fire. Arc welding is another source of fire in the factory. Electric spark is a common
source of fire outbreak. Fire can also start from natural phenomenon such as earthquakes,
lightening, rain or storm.
Safety engineering seeks ways of minimizing the possibilities of these risks converting to
actual fires and how the fire if it eventually starts. This is necessary because in many cases,
the effect of a fire is the permanent closing of a marginally operating business which is the
primary life blood of the community. It has been estimated by insurance authorities, that
over 40% of businesses experiencing a fire incident do not resume and 60% of those which
reopen will shut down permanently after one (1) year of operation. Further direct losses
which may be experienced after a fire outbreak includes:
Curtailed sales due to lost production capability
Loss of key employees to competitors
Excessive replacement costs due to overtime and inability to buy at the most opportune
moment.
Loss of capital return on investments
Continuance of fixed charges during shutdown
Cost of replacing depreciated buildings and equipment with new facilities
Loss of credit
First–aid Fire-fighting equipment include portable fire extinguishers, standpipe and hose and
specialized motorized fire equipment. The main factor to be considered in employee
indoctrination is that the portable fire extinguisher, or other equipment, must be considered
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only as a temporary measure for use between the fire discovery and the arrival of
professional fire-fighting personnel.
Classes of fire extinguishers: Fire extinguishers are of four classes, namely:
(i) Class “A”: For fighting fires in ordinary combustibles such as woods, cloth, papers and
many plastics. Extinguishers in this class include water pressure, water pump can, soda –
Acid and all-purpose dry chemical units
(ii) Class “B”: For fires in flammable or combustible liquids, gases, and similar materials.
Extinguishers in this class include carbon dioxide, dry chemical, and vaporizing agents.
(iii) Class “C”: For fires involving electrical equipment in the energized state of operation.
Extinguishers in this class include carbon dioxide and dry chemical (agents used are non-
conducting to avoid electric shock).
(iv) Class “D”: For fires involving combustible metals such as magnesium, zirconium, sodium
and potassium. The extinguishing agent provides a heat – absorbing medium which is not
reactive with the metals.
4.3.2 Machines
Machines are not human beings who are capable of thinking and taking intelligent decisions.
They are designed to perform specific functions which the religiously perform baring any
malfunctioning of the components. It therefore, means that if any material that is not meant
to enter the machine does so, that material can result to unsafe conditions. Machines are
made of moving parts and these should be covered to avoid contacts with human beings.
However, in some factories or workshops, it is not unusual to see belts, chains, gears and
moving linkages left exposed without protection, such exposures can create unsafe
environments for both workers, materials and the production machines themselves. It must
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be mentioned that modern machines are designed such that the safety guards or protectors
are interlocked with the machine operating system, thus making it impossible to start the
machine without the guards in position.
4.3.3 Power sources
Most industrial machines are powered by electric or hydraulic motors. The power supply is
usually from the national grid of PHCN or from stand-by generators installed in the factory
premises. Unsafe conditions can be created by intermittent power supply which sometimes
is erratic with a voltage as high as 300 V, instead of 220–240 V for domestic use. Such sharp
cuts in power supply or too high voltage can cause machines to cease, thereby initiating
sparks which can cause fire outbreak. High voltages are known to melt down wires thereby
bridging the wires and cause fire incidents both in factories and homes. Very low voltage on
the other hand causes the windings of motors to heat up and breakdown the coil insulations
resulting again in fire outbreak.
The fact that standby generators are now common place in Nigeria industrial establishments
in itself constitutes unsafe condition. This is because such environments are characterized
by storage of petroleum, which are very volatile and inflammable.
4.3.4 Floor conditions/plant layout
Under normal circumstances, factory or floor are properly laid out by experts such that the
movement of machines, raw materials and workers are ordered and safe. However, in actual
practice, these designs are not maintained. It is common to see factory floors covered with
water, oil, grease, work-in-process items, or littered waste products and scraps. In some
situations, machines for moving products such as trolleys or pallets are left in the aisles.
Sometimes, raw materials or materials in process are not properly handled or kept. Thus
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instead of having a properly laid out factory floor, a floor littered with materials of all forms
is used for production. Such floors create unsafe environment for work and cause increases
in time required to accomplish specific operations.
4.3.5 Use of chemicals
In many engineering production facilities, chemicals are used. The chemical may be a
product of the enterprise, a raw material for production or an additive that is required in the
process of production. Whatever the use, the chemical needs to be handled carefully.
Otherwise, it can affect the workers either by being inhales or by entering their eyes or skins.
The chemical can also damage production machines by causing surface wear and rust. When
the chemicals are finally disposed of, they can pollute the environment by getting into the
soil and the surface water as the case may be, thereby making crops grown within the vicinity
to be unfit for human consumption.
4.3.6 Human behavior
Human activities can create unsafe environment in many ways. Ain most cases, this is
through negligence and ignorance of safety practices. One of the requirements for working
in engineering environment is proper dressing which must fit the nature of work being
performed. For example, an operator of machines on a factory floor should be dressed in
overall, work boots, helmet, gloves and sometimes eye-shield or goggles. Workers in
gaseous or dusty environments are expected to put on nose-masks.
The attention of the maintenance team should be sought immediately when a faulty machine
or a machine which is inadequately maintained is detected, as these can lead to an unsafe
condition.
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4.4 Effect of Accidents
The effect of accidents can be grouped into three, namely: (1) Human injury or death (2) Time
loss and (3) Material or equipment damages. The most common effect of accident is human
injury. This can vary from simple loss of finger to the extreme case of death. The ultimate effect
of this is economic loss, as the staff has to be treated in hospital at the company’s expense. If
the injury is serious, damages are usually claimed by the workers. If the accident does not
involve a human injury, it may result in the damage of raw materials or machines. These raw
materials and machines are expensive and eventually result in loss of revenue for the factory. It
can be seen clearly that accidents are expensive and should be avoided at all costs. The cost
associated with workplace accidents (injuries and deaths) fall into broad categories such as:
(i) Loss of work hours
(ii) Medical expenses
(iii) Insurance premium and administration
(iv) Property damage
(v) Indirect cost
Accidents that do not lead to injuries or damages do however translate to loss of production time
which implies loss of revenue also (example, a carpenter on the house roof whose hammer slips
off the ground).
4.5 Prevention of Accidents in Engineering Practice
Accidents in the workshops and factories do not just occur, rather, they are cause by people.
The categories of people concerned with the accidents include those who are ignorant of the
rules that make for safety and peaceful relationship between man and machinery, and those who
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are overconfident, carefree and do not expect the unexpected during the use of workshop tools,
machines and equipment. To avoid accidents, the following must be observed:
(i) Obey all safety rules and signs
(ii) Follow instructions of operations. If you do not know, ask from somebody who knows
(iii) Correct all unsafe conditions or make them known to the person(s) responsible for their
corrections.
(iv) Use the right protective equipment for the job and wear safe clothing
(v) Use, adjust and repair equipment only if you are sure of how to do it
(vi) Use the right tools for each job, and use it correctly and safely
(vii) Avoid horse play on the job
(viii) Keep your area clean and uncrowded
(ix) Do not wear rolled-up sleeves or loose fittings floppy shirt, pocked flaps or loose apron
strings; shoes with worm soles or run-down heels. Wear overalls and work boots
(x) Do not wear anything hanging from around the neck, long tie, watch, chains, rings, pins
or any other jewelry that might catch-up easily with the machine tool or hinders proper
hand- gripping tools
(xi) Avoid smoking around all inflammable areas, chemical industries and petroleum
storage section of the workshop/factory
(xii) Avoid using your hand to remove cut metals or chips from a machine while the machine
is still rotating
(xiii) Avoid putting sharp and dangerous tools into your pocket
(xiv) Make it a duty to keep everything in the workshop in their proper and safe places
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(xv) Ensure a good working environment in the work area for the workers and for easy flow
of materials in process
(xvi) Make provision for storing or keeping raw materials, finished products, wastes and tools
(xvii) Remove all the wastes as soon as they are generated and do not allow oily liquid to flow
on the floor of the workshop
(xviii) Provide a pathway for the incoming raw materials or the exit of the finished products
and for workers. Also provide free exits in case of an emergency
(xix) Provide protective guards for all moving components and machines, eg., grinding
machines, belt-driven machines, and very importantly, electric fans and blowers should
be protected with wire mesh
(xx) Ensure proper ventilation of the workshop especially in areas where fumes and smokes
are produced so that they are exhausted into the atmosphere as soon as they are
produced. Good ventilation reduces high temperature normally associated with busy
workshops and factories
(xxi) Provide fire-fighting equipment, ensure regular checks of their performance and ensure
all staff are conversant with the fire-fighting procedures
4.6 Health and Safety Regulations
Health and safety regulations are generally written in the Factory Acts which is the responsibility
of the Ministry of Labour. The Acts are based on the recommendations of the Trade Unions,
Employees’ Associations, Ministry of Health and Industries. In general, the Factory Acts as it
affects the health and safety of workers are enforced by factory Inspectors. The Inspectors can
enter any factory premises if it is felt that the Acts are being neglected. They can prosecute any
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erring factory owners, request for the correction of faulty safety equipment, stop production,
declare premises unsafe and dangerous for industrial production, and may order the seizure of the
dangerous equipment. The most important factory Act in Nigeria is the Nigerian Factories Decree
of 1987 and other subsidiary legislation under it. These are administered by the Factory
Inspectorate Department (FID) of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity. This
Department has the statutory responsibility for safety, health and welfare of persons employed in
factories and similar engineering establishment throughout Nigeria. The Factory Inspectorate
Department enforces these provisions through regular inspection of factories, docks, wharves, rail
and other mechanical workplaces that fall within the definition of a factory under the Decree.
A factory by the definition of the Decree is any premise in which one or more persons are employed
in any process of manufacture, repair, altering or adapting of any article. The decree spells out in
general terms, minimum standards to be met by all factory occupiers in Nigeria in order to ensure
safety, good health and welfare of their workers employed in the factories and similar industrial
establishments.
The FID has two main branches, namely: The Occupational Safety and the Occupational Health.
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