INTRODUCTION TO SAFETY by Shri DN Sinha

INTRODUCTION TO SAFETY
by
DN Sinha A.I.I.I. ,F.I.E.,F.I.V.,M.B.A
Qualified Auditor, b2 1st floor Dolphins Apt,Naoroji Road,Visakhapatnam-530002
Mobile: 9393101926 : Tel 08912564715
ISO 14000EARA Recognized -UK ;ISO -9000 IRCA-UK ; chartered Engineer & Registered Valuer
Competent Eng(Saftey) under CCE Nagpur;Loss Assessor; Associate (Insurance Institute of India)
PREAMBLE
SAFETY - is freedom from danger and Risk.
HAZARD - Asource of risk or danger.
Safety and Productivity.
Productivity can be described as an output from a given set of resources of facilities.Productivity becomes meaningful when the output is achieved by the maximum utilization of the resources available.
Industrial production depends on the following factors:
1. Men
2.Material
3.Machines
4.Environment
For efficient production,all the above factors should not have any interruption.Men should be skillful and in fit condion.There should be sufficient raw material available.The material should be of good quality.The machines or an equipment which serves to shape the material into a desired product,should be of good design and in good workin order.Bad environment such as improper lighting,bad ventilation ,vibration and noisy location etc, will,not only affect the men but alsoresult in damage of the material and machine.Hence it can be seen that for optimum or targeted productivity,all the four factors namely men,material,machine and environment are interlinked.
Now let us find out the effects which are felt due to the effects which are felt due to the interruption or stoppage of production.
· An accident injures the worker and the result is the stoppage of production.
· Again ,an accident results in the damage to the material or machine.For example,if the operator of a machine is careless and negligent,he can cause an accident and either the material or the machine or both can be damaged.Due to this ,the production suffers or stops.
· Due to interruption or stoppage of work,the morale or interest of the workers is reduced.The good relation-ship of the worker with other co-workers and the supervisor also suffers.
· Final target of out put of a product and its quality are affected in case work stops.
· Operational cost,material cost,machine cost.,and incidence of various other factors increase due to interruption of work.Man hours and machine hours are lost and this reduces the profit margin and affects the consumer or customer.
· Interruption of work due to an accident not only affects the person involved but also the supervisor as his attention is diverted towards the injured person by way of taking care of the injured and also investigating into the cause of the accident.
· The management suffers loss of prestige and good name if the trend of increase in injury- hours and also frequent stoppage of work,in the Industrial sector.
The basic reasons as mentioned above in interruption of production from accidents.
Hence if accidents are prevented or incidence reduced,the production is more continuous and less interruptions.
An accident can be prevented or controlled :-
An unsafe act or practice of workers is eliminated,
Unsafe working codition is prevented or corrected.
Accidents can be eliminated by both unsafe practices and unsafe conditions.They are as follows.
Placing of right man for the right job is to be kept in mind.Rhis can be achieved at the selection or recruitment stage of workers.
Job training and safety training should be well planned and all the workers are to be covered right from their induction into the factory .The traing should not be a one time affair,but should be a periodical or continuous one.
Enthusiasm of the workers should be kept up at all times by introducing incentive schemes,competitions,seminars suggestion schemes etc.
Periodical inspections of workin area will bring out the unsafe conditions and the same can be rectified before accident occur.
Optimum productivity cannot be achived without incorporating or practicing safety as safety and productivity are two sides of acoin.trobles of safety causes accidents also.
· Finally some of the basic wrong attitudes of a common man towards safety.Wrong immaginationor disbelief makes some persons to loose interest towards safety.
· Some workers and some supervisors think that accidents are the acts of god and a man cannot be prevent accidentsThey even think that praying god ,accidents can be prevented
· Some say that devoting time for safety is waste and they are busy and no time for safety.
· Though some supervisors accept the safety regulations theoretically,they think that same cannot be put in practice and by doing so the production will be affected.
· The attitude of some workers and supervisors think that the responsibility to ensure safety is not theirsbut the the responsibility of
· safety officials only. They do not belive it is the responsibility of every one.
· Some supervisors do not involve fully in the safety matters and think they have done their best and now it is for the workers to follow the safety rules.
Continuous education of safety matters can eliminate or reducethe drawbacks of the workers,supervisors ,managers etc..They can be educated by showing examples of other factory by adhering to safety rules at all times.
The government has enacted the safety laws in the Factories Act 1948.The enforcement of safety laws not only bring down the accidents but also increasing the the production and productivity of an industry.
PLANT LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFETY.
Safety and productivity are very much interliked.The productivity of an industry depends on material handling.A good and well planned plant layout helps in improving production as well as safety performance of an industry.
The most important single requirement in choosing the site is that it should be large enough to accommodate the proposed developments and to avoid congestion.In considering the possibility of FIRE spread on the site,allowances should be made for the velocity and direction of the prevailing wind.Afire may spread from the adjoining or nearby premises and this risk can be minimized by providing a clear space between the risk and the neibouring premises.
OBJECTIVES OF PLANT LAYOUT
A plant layout starts at the blue print stage.It takes care of the present activities and future expansion of an industry.Its main objectives are :
· Efficient and uninterrupted flow of material.
· To reduce the repetition of the same material without any useful purpose.
· To define the path way ,road way ,railway,machinery and other plant requirements of the factory.
· To avoid over crowding machines and men on a shop floor,thus avoiding conjetion and improving house keeping.
· Easy accessibility of both material and machines is also kept in mind while carrying out a plant layout.
· Efficient lighting,ventilation,means of of escape during emergencies like fire explosion,etc,are also the objectives of plant layou
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A FACTORY LAYOUT.
· The Factory Act of 1948 lay down certain requirements for the plant layout.They are as follows :
· Access for fire fighting.
Buildings and plants shall be so laid out and roads,passage ways,etc, so maintained as to permit unobstructed access for fire fighting.
· Doors and windows shall be located in suitable position on all external walls of the buildings to provide easy access to the enyire area within the building for fire fighting
2. F IRE EXITS.
· In every room of a factory.exits,sufficient to permit safe escape of the occupants in case of fire or other emergency,shall be provided ,which shall be free of any obstruction.
3. LIGHTING.
· The layout of the plant shall be made in such a way that in every work room,sufficient and suitable lighting (natural and artificial) should be provided.
4. SPACE REQUIREMENT FOR EACH WORKER.
· A minimum space of 14.2 c.mtrs. for every worker employed must be planned in the factory layout.
5. VENTILATION AND TEMPERATURE.
· Every work room should be constructed in such a way so as to permit adequate ventilation,either natural or artificial or with both to maintain reasonable conditions of comfort and prevent injury to health of the workers ie.,to say proper infrastructural working conditions suitable for efficiency of the workers.
6. ISOLATION OF HAZARDOUS PROCESS.
· In case of the process producing dust,gas,fumes,vapour which can produce explosion on excessive parameters,shall be isolated from the main working area to the extent possible.
Safety measures for material handling areas have to be properly provided in
The plan layout.consideration must be given to the type of Trucks,Intensity of
Traffic of workmen,material,specific ways for entry of Industrial
Trucks,cranes and other heavy mobile transport.,by way of sufficient
Entry openings both in height and width for the likes of forklifts, & roads laid
To withstand maximum loads to be transported.Similarly for overhead
Cranes,conveyors etc.Storage areas of fuel gases should be according to
Petroleum Rules & act,also under SMPV (U) Rules.General storage should
Have easy accessibility.Most importantly enough area must be provide for
Fire Fighting Operations.
Periodic maintenance of Plant & Machinery according to the Instructions
on the equipment by the Manufacturer is a must for any Industry or Factory.
All Statutory requirements as laid down for an Industry or Factory must be
Strictly followed and all Legal considerations must be taken into account.
Records of maintenance and Manuals of Instructions must be made available
For maximum safety.
The Factory Act requires certain periods within which all lifting equipment
Should be cleanly painted with details of capacity,load etc.,including all kinds
Of cranes,& air receivers.
HOUSE KEEPING.
Oil spills must be cleaned,as the possibility of slipping of staff is possible,
Causing accidents to staff.Poor lighting should be avoided to avoid accidents
By maintaining the lux as per regulations.Scrap & effluents must be sent to
Their specific areas.Fire accidents are possible due to oily waste material.
Good house keeping needs to remove such rags and other fire causing
Materials.
Safety in the use of Tools must be strictly observed,through non-sparking
Equipment.Regular classes in the correct use of tools must be entertained
To educate workmen in such practices.
WORKING AT HEIGHTS.
According to the Factories Act,if a workman is required to work at a height
Above 3 mtrs,he should be provided with safety Belt & must be compelled
To wear it.
LADDERS
· For stability,ladders should be placed with aslope of 4 vertical to one horizontalor about 75 degrees to the horizontal.
· Ladders should rest firmly on the base and the top portion should alsobe placed against firm supports.
· The base of the ladder should be without any obstruction.
· A person while climbing up or down,should always face the ladder.
· Wokmen should not carry tools in hand,while climbing the ladder.
· Leaning sideways on the ladder is to be avided.
· Ladders should be maintained properly and they should not be stored in open areas when they are not inuse.
· Ladders should be made of sound material with good design and construction.
WORKING IN ROOFS
Major and serious accidents take place when workmen fall from roof due to fragile sheeting ,loss of balance due to the slope of roof and due to careless working near the edges of the roof.
Factory Act states no person shall be allowed on,or pass over ,or walk on ,or near roof or ceiling covered with fragile material through which he is liable to fall,in case it breaks unless :
· Suitable and sufficient ladders,duck ladders,crawling boards which should be securely supported,are provided and used ,and
· A permit to work on fragile roof is issued to him each time he is required to work there on ,by a responsible person of the factory concerned,such as supervicsor,foreman,engineer or manager.
SAFETY BELTS
As per Factory Act,where any person is required or allowed to work at place from which he may be liable to fall through a distance of more than two metres,he shall be provided with safety belt with leather shoulder straps of not less than five centimeters in width a “D” ring at the back of the fastening rope,the other end of which shall be securely tied or hooked to some rigid fixture.The safety belt so provided,shall be tested and examined thoroughly by a competent person,at least once in six month and a certificate with regard to its suitability obtained from the said competent person.
SCAFFOLDS
Scaffold sevices as a platform at a height and also serves as a means of access from place to place at different heights.