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EDITORIAL BOARD

R ParameswaranW A BalakumaranP ManoharanG S SwaminathanK N SenPrinted at Sunitha Printers, Chennai – 600 002

VOL: 14 No. 2 APRIL – JUNE 2015

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SAFETY ENGINEERS ASSOCIATIONG1, Vinoth Foundations, 254/5, Sundaramurthy Gramani Street, Virugambakkam, Chennai-600092.

Tel : 044-2377 4060 E-mail: info@seaindia.org Website: www.seaindia.org

INDIAN SAFETY ENGINEERSEA (INDIA)

Inside....Page

From the Desk of President 1

NEBOSH Course Update 2

40th Professional DevelopmentProgramme 2

Seven Key Lessons fromrecent hot work accidents 3

LED-Driven Infrared Sensors 3

Earthquake 5

Nickel – Health Hazards 6

Hazardous Waste Management 7

Globally Harmonised Systems(GHS) pictures 8

Safety Poster - Manual lifting 10

CASE STUDY

Serious Accident during MaterialHandling due to UnsafeSystem of Work 11

Serious Accident while Handlingthe Highly Flammable Solvent 12

Vital First Aid Tips 14

IN THE NEWS 15

World Environmental Day –June 5, 2015

World Day for Safety andHealth at Work 2015

(Regn No: 1391 / 2000)[Registered under Societies Act, 1975]

FROM THE DESK OF PRESIDENT

Dear Members,

Greetings to all of you!!

An event filled quarter is just over. Now, SEAOffice is functioning from the new office premiseat Virugambakkam from 1st May 2015, afterperforming a pooja.

Safety Professionals Meet for the year wasconducted on 3rd July 2015 organised in collaboration with Directorateof Industrial Safety & Health, Government of Tamilnadu and RegionalLabour Institute, Chennai, DGFASLI, Ministry of Labour &Employment, Government of India. More than 150 participantsattended the programme that was held at Regional Labour Institute,Chennai. It was fitting that Thiru Kumar Jayanth, IAS, Secretary, Labour& Employment, Government of Tamil Nadu delivered the ValedictoryAddress.

On completing another successful year, SEA celebrated their 14th

Anniversary celebrations on 4th July 2015. Special TechnicalPresentations on Robotic Safety and Challenges faced by SafetyProfessionals were made by specialists. Annual General Body Meetingwas held in the afternoon.

Vacant Positions existing in the Executive Committee were filled in.

Mumbai Chapter of SEA and Students Chapter at Anna University,Chennai are active.

Next Nebosh IGC course is being planned during November / December2015 and aspiring safety engineers may enroll their names with SEAoffice, as seats will be limited to 20 on first come first served basis.

Our website www.seaindia.org is being redesigned to include moreadditional features including advertisements from safety serviceproviders. The site is expected to be launched shortly.

Best Wishes and Seasons Greetings!

S. UlaganathanPresident, SEA (India)

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The Grahapravesam Pooja ofSEA India, new officebuilding situated atG1, Vinoth Foundations,254/5, SundaramurthyGramani St,Virugambakkam,Chennai - 600092was performed onFriday, 1st May 2015.

NEBOSH Course UpdateEnquiries are being received for conducting the next Batch of Nebosh IGC course. Now it has beenproposed to conduct one batch during November/December 2015. It may not be possible to conductthe course with lesser candidates as fees payable to NEBOSH, UK and British Council is huge. Hencewe want to have the allowable twenty candidates for organizing the next batch.

Interested SEA India members can register their willingness by sending their Name, Qualification,Contact number and their mail ID to paramesh48@msn.com or seaindiachennai@gmail.comThe course fee and dates will be decided shortly.

40th Professional Development Programme

The 40th Professional Development Programme was held on Sunday,5th April 2015 at Chennai.

Mr S Mani, Corporate SHE & CSR, Orchid Chemicals &Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Chennai delivered a talk on “Safe Handlingof Hazardous Wastes & its Management”.

Large number of SEA India members participated and enriched theirknowledge.

Salient topics discussed in this programme are published in thisjournal for the sake of all SEA India members who could not attendthis programme.

Kind Attentionof Members....

Even after repeated reminders

to UPDATE the Postal Address

and PERSONAL E-MAIL ID’s

many members have not taken

it seriously. Since most of the

companies do not entertain

bulk E-mails you would not

be able to view the SAFETY

ALERTS & other communica-

tions send by us. Hence, SEA

(India) members are once

again requested to send their

current postal address and

active Email ID (personal) to

us at the earliest to:

seaindiachennai@gmail.com /

seaindiachennai@rediffmail.com

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SEVEN KEY LESSONS FROM RECENT HOT WORK ACCIDENTS

1. Use Alternatives – Wheneverpossible, avoid hot work and con-sider alternative methods.

2. Analyze the Hazards – Priorto the initiation of hot work, per-form a hazard assessment thatidentifies the scope of the work,potential hazards, and methods ofhazard control.

3. Monitor the Atmosphere –Conduct effective gas monitoringin the work area using a properlycalibrated combustible gas detec-tor prior to and during hot workactivities, even in areas where aflammable atmosphere is not an-ticipated.

4. Test the Area – In work areaswhere flammable liquids and gasesare stored or handled, drain and/or purge all equipment and pipingbefore hot work is conducted.When welding on or in the vicin-ity of storage tanks and othercontainers, properly test and ifnecessary continuously monitorall surrounding tanks or adjacentspaces (not just the tank or con-tainer being worked on) for thepresence of flammables and elimi-nate potential sources of flam-mables.

5. Use Written Permits – Ensurethat qualified personnel familiarwith the specific site hazards re-

“Avoid hot work of any kind in areas handling, processing or storing flammable liquidsor gases”.

“Use portable combustible gas analyzer before and during the work. If any detectiblereadings are obtained, then work cannot begin or continue until the source is found andsuitably mitigated such that the concentration is maintained below 10% of the LFL (lowerflammble limit)”.

Picture: Example of a combustible gas detector used to test for the presence of flammable gas or vapor

view and authorize all hot workand issue permits specifically iden-tifying the work to be conductedand the required precautions.

6. Train Thoroughly – Trainpersonnel on hot work policies/procedures, proper use and cali-bration of combustible gas detec-tors, safety equipment, and jobspecific hazards and controls in alanguage understood by theworkforce.

7. Supervise Contractors – Pro-vide safety supervision for outsidecontractors conducting hot work.Inform contractors about site-spe-cific hazards including the pres-ence of flammable materials.

LED-DRIVEN INFRARED SENSORS

Oil and gas production and workin confined space exposes fieldpersonnel to a variety of toxic andexplosive gases in everydaydrilling, processing, transport, andmunicipal operations. Explosivegas build-ups can endanger notonly the workers nearby, but alsoa widespread area beyond theworking area; making fast,accurate measurement ofcombustible gases below LELlevels is critical to maintaining

Shining new light on LEL gas measurement for oil and gas andconfined space entry applications.

safety.

Today, there are two main sensortechnologies used for detectingexplosive gases: catalytic bead andinfrared.

Catalytic Bead Sensors

Catalytic bead, or "pellistor,"sensors were developed in the1960s as a more accuratereplacement to canaries as earlywarning systems for toxic andexplosive gases in mines. The

sensor design features a platinumcoil embedded in a catalyst-coatedalumina bead. A gas sampleoxidizes, or combusts, uponcontact with the catalyst, causingthe temperature of the bead toincrease, which in turn causes theresistance of the platinum coil tochange. The measured change inresistance indicates the amount ofcombustible gas present.

The sensor responds differently to

(Contd. on next page)

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LED-Driven....(Contd. from previous page)

DISCLAIMER: All information contained in this Journal, were obtained from sources, believed to be reliable and are collated, based ontechnical knowledge and experience, currently available with the Editorial Board of SEA (India). While SEA (India) recommends referenceto or use of the contents by its members and subscribers, such reference to or use of contents by its members or subscribers or thirdparties, are purely voluntary and not binding. Therefore the Editorial Board of this Journal or SEA (India) assumes no liability or responsibilitywhatsoever towards any bad or undesired consequences.

different types of combustiblegases due to four main causes:

1. Heat of combustion. Differentgases burn, or combust, atdifferent temperatures, causingdifferent amounts of heat to betransferred to the bead, and thusdifferent changes in resistancethrough the platinum coil.

2. Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)volume.

Each combustible gas has aparticular concentration in air atwhich it becomes explosive.When a sensor displays apercentage of LEL readout, it isbased on the LEL concentrationfor a specific reference gas. It is nosurprise that the gases with ahigher v/v percentage required fortheir LEL also have higher signaloutputs on catalytic bead sensors.

3. Diffusion due to Brownianmotion. Gas molecules diffusethrough air and filters, with thespeed largely dependent on theirmolecular size. Large gasmolecules, such as the longhydrocarbon chains, diffuse moreslowly than smaller molecules,such as methane gas.

4. Catalyst-gas reactivity.Combustible gases reactdifferently to different catalystcoatings. One coating may reactstrongly to a particular gas butonly weakly to another gas.

Though they've been in use formore than 60 years, catalytic beadsensors have changed very littleover time. Most improvements

have been focused on the catalystmaterials used to coat the aluminabeads, along with the reduction inbead size, to reduce requiredpower, but the majority of thedesign remains unchanged.

During normal sensor operation,gases reacting with the catalystcan consume the catalyst coating,gradually degrading sensitivity andcausing signal drift and reducingthe lifespan of the sensor. Becauseof this, catalytic bead sensors havea typical lifespan of three to fiveyears (most are warranted for twoyears) and must be calibrated andtested as frequently as every day,and no less than every 90 days.

Catalytic bead sensors are alsosusceptible to poisoning by avariety of materials commonlyfound in oil and gas applications,including silicone vapors, sulfurcompounds such as hydrogensulfide (H2S), and halogenatedhydrocarbons, such as those usedin fire suppression. Thesechemicals reduce and eventuallycompletely degrade the sensitivityof the catalytic bead sensor untilit fails to react to gas at all, apotentially hazardous condition.

Because catalytic bead sensorscombust the target gas within thesensor cell, they are not typicallyintrinsically safe, and a flamearrestor must be used to preventignition of environmental gases.This flame arrestor significantlyreduces sensor response to largehydrocarbons, such as those foundin diesel gasoline and jet fuel. Thesensor will read low even in highconcentrations of those gases.

Oxygen also must be present inthe environment for the target gasto combust; pellistor sensors willnot work in the inert, oxygen-depleted atmospheres used inmany oil and gas operations.

Catalytic bead sensors requirearound 225mW of power tooperate. For the average portablefour-gas detector, the catalyticbead type LEL sensor typicallyaccounts for more than half of thetotal power draw of the unit,which results in typical run timesof 10-20 hours before a detectormust be charged.

Non-Dispersive Infrared Sensors

In more recent years, non-dispersive infrared (NDIR)sensors have emerged as analternative for the aging catalyticbead technology. Infrared sensorsconsist of a gas cell through whichinfrared radiation passes. Gasmolecules in the cell absorbcertain frequencies of radiation inthe bonds between dissimilaratoms (carbon and hydrogen, forexample). Dual infrared radiationdetectors within the gas cellmeasure the amount of radiationtransmitted through the gas(active detector). The referencedetector measures a specific IRwavelength that is not absorbedby either the target hydrocarbonmolecules or possible interferingmolecules, such as water vapor, tocompensate for any interferingfactors such as dust and humidity.The difference in radiationmeasured by the two detectorsindicates the level of gas present.

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EARTHQUAKE

Unlike hurricanes and some othernatural hazards, earthquakes strikesuddenly and without warning. Itis important to be familiar with thefollowing procedures. Knowinghow to respond and what to docould save your life.

Most high rise buildings aredesigned as per the seismic zonecategorization of the area anddesigned to sway as they shouldduring earthquakes, unsecuredobjects will slide around inside,particularly on the upper floors.That is why it is important tosecure the furnishings of a high risebuilding. Anchoring pieces offurniture will prevent them fromsliding back and forth, even actingas battering rams to break throughwindows or walls. Carpets mayhelp reduce this action. Largewindows above the fourth and fifthfloor would have guard railsinstalled on the inside, and/ orshatter resistant plastic film on theglass

Movement of the ground is seldomthe actual cause of death or injury.Most casualties result from partialbuilding collapse, falling objectsand debris, like toppling chimneys,ceiling plaster and light fixtures.

PROCEDURES

All Personnel:

Before the shaking starts, know thesafe spots in your area:

• Against inside walls

• Under study tables, desks orsupported doorways

Know the danger spots:

• Windows

• Mirrors

• Hanging objects

• Tall unsecured furniture andfixtures

Know where your emergencytelephone numbers are kept.

During the shaking:

Drop, Cover, and Hold: The mostdangerous thing that can happenindoors is falling objects, so makesure you get under your desk whenthe ground shakes and hold ontoit.

If you are INDOORS:

• Seek refuge in the corner of theroom against the wall or undera desk or table.

• Stay away from glass windows,shelves, and heavy equipment.

• If you are under a table or desk,hold on to the furniture so itcan’t move away from you.

If you are OUTDOORS:

• Get into an open area awayfrom trees, buildings, walls andpower lines

• Do not use elevators

• If in a CROWDED PUBLICPLACE do not rush for thedoors. Move away from shelvesthat may contain objects thatcould fall.

If you are in an AUTOMOBILE:

• Stop in the safest placeavailable, preferably away frompower lines, street lights, andtrees. Remain in the vehicle forthe shelter it offers.

Caution: Always avoid power orutility lines. They may beenergized.

After the shaking stops:

• Check for injuries. Apply firstaid as you may be trained toprovide. Do NOT move injuredindividuals unless they are inimmediate danger

• If there is severe injury youshould call for help or sendsomeone for help, otherwise donot tie up the telephone lines.

• Be prepared for AFTER-SHOCKS. Evacuate thebuilding when advised to do so

Follow-Up Procedure:

• Secure the area and confirmthat concerned authoritieshave been notified

• Ensure all employees are clearof the area

• Provide reasonable assistanceto Fire, Ambulance andFacilities crews as requested

• Report any information toproper authorities relating tothe earthquake

• Do not return to an evacuatedbuilding unless told to do so.

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NICKEL – HEALTH HAZARDS

IntroductionWorking with nickel and itscompounds may affect your health.The possible health effects, thepreventative measures youremployer needs to apply, and theprecautions you should take aredealt with in this article.Not all forms of nickel present thesame dangers – this article will helpyou identify the specific hazardsfrom the nickel in your workplace.What is nickel?Nickel is a silvery-grey metal. It isused mainly:• in alloys with other metals;• as its compounds, which are

often a bright green colour.Where is it found?Nickel can be found in:• alloys, particularly nickel/copper

and nickel/chromium, in themanufacture of stainless steel,coins, magnets, chemical andfood process equipment, and inthe aerospace industry;

• polishing or other processes onstainless steel and nickel alloyarticles;

• the welding of nickel and alloysand when using welding rodscontaining nickel;

• the electroplating industry;• pigments for paint, pottery, glass

and plastics;• catalysts in the chemical

industry.How can it get into your body?Nickel can enter the body:• by breathing in dust, fumes or

mist containing nickel;• by skin contact with dust or

solutions containing nickel.

What are the health hazards?The toxicity of nickel metal andinorganic nickel compounds vary,depending on their solubility (howeasily they dissolve). However,general short-term effects caninclude:• irritation of the skin on contactwith solutions of soluble nickel salts;• eye irritation from exposure tonickel dust, fumes, or splashes fromnickelcontaining solutions.Longer-term effects can include:• allergic reactions in the skin and

respiratory tract and asthma;• inflammation of the lungs;• cancer of the lung and nose,

particularly the sinuses.What does your employer have todo?The Control of SubstancesHazardous to Health (COSHH)Regulations 2002 require youremployer to:• assess the risks to your health

and the precautions needed foryour protection;

• prevent you being exposed tonickel and its compounds, orwhere this cannot reasonably bedone, adequately control yourexposure;

• maintain all fume and dustcontrols in efficient workingorder;

• provide fit testing of any tight-fitting respirators;

• find out how much nickel youare exposed to, normallythrough a monitoringprogramme, and tell you theresults;

• arrange any health checks thatare necessary;

(Contd. on next page)

• inform, instruct and train allemployees who may be exposedto nickel;

• reduce your exposure toairborne nickel and itscompounds so far as reasonablypracticable, and in any casebelow the workplace exposurelimits (WELs) assigned fornickel and its compounds asfollows:

• nickel and its water-insolublecompounds – 0.5 milligrams percubic metre of air averaged overan 8-hour period;

• water-soluble nickel compounds– 0.1 milligrams per cubic metreof air averaged over an 8-hourperiod.

What should you do?• Use the extraction equipment or

other control measurescorrectly.

• Use the protective clothing andequipment provided.

• Always use the washing facilitiesprovided, which should beadequate and suitable for yourneeds.

• If you have to wear a respiratormake sure:

• it fits properly;• if it is a tight-fitting mask, that

you have been fit tested and areclean shaven;

• it is clean and in good workingorder;

• the filter is changed regularly;• it is stored in a clean/dry place,

preferably a locker.• Report defects in enclosures,

extraction equipment or othercontrol measures to youremployers.

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HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

The purpose of the presentation is toeducate and familiarize the industriesgenerating hazardous waste onfollowing

• Legislations related to Hazardouswaste

• Hazardous waste

• Handling and disposal methods -Hazardous waste

• IWMA and its role inManagement of HazardousWaste

• Monitoring Mechanisms

• Forms applicable to HazardousWaste Management

• Role as Chemical Professionals

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste is a waste withproperties that make it dangerous orpotentially harmful to human healthor the environment. Hazardouswastes can be liquids, solids,contained gases, or sludges. They canbe the by-products of manufacturingprocesses or simply discardedcommercial products. The followingcharacteristics of Hazardous waste

are considered to be criteria forIdentification of Hazardous waste:

• IGNITABILITY

• CORROSIVITY

• REACTIVITY

• TOXICITY

Hazardous waste is regulated byelaborate legislation of which thefollowing are important

• The HW (Management,Handling & Trans-boundaryMovement) Rules, 2008 OriginalRules came in 1989, which wereamended in 2000, 2003, 2008,2010.

• Plastics Rules (Manufacture,Usage & Waste Management )Rules

• The Bio-Medical Waste(Management & Handling)Rules, 1998, 2003.

• The Municipal Solid Wastes(Management and Handling)Rules, 2000.

• E-Waste (Management andHandling), Rules, 2011

Effects of Waste Disposal

The disposal of waste hasconsequences on the environmentwhich must be properly monitoredand controlled. Some of the effectsare Resource depletion, Strain onavailability of land, Ground watercontamination by the leachate,Surface water contamination by therun-off, Bad odour, pests, rodents andwind-blown litter, Generation ofinflammable gas (e.g. methane) andfires, Bird menace, Epidemicsthrough stray animals, Acidity tosurrounding soil and Release of greenhouse gases.

Disposal Methods

Based on the analysis of HazardousWaste Characteristics, the method ofdisposal is decided. The generalmethods available for disposal areLandfill and incineration. The belowchart depicts the wastecharacteristics and method ofdisposal.

Secure Landfill

Landfill means a disposal facility or apart of a facility where hazardous

Nickel....(Contd. from previous page)

(Contd. on next page)

• Don’t eat or drink in work areaswhere nickel may be present.

What about health checks?The health of people exposed tonickel and its compounds should bemonitored by an occupationalhealth professional:• They will normally carry out an

examination after an offer ofemployment and will see you atregular intervals during youremployment. You will be askedto provide a urine sample so itsnickel content can be measured.

• You should examine your skinregularly, looking for colour

changes, rashes and skindamage. The occupationalhealth professional will give youadvice.

• If additional examination ortests are needed, theoccupational health professionalwill explain.

What information can you get?Your employer should tell you about:• the risks to health from the use

of nickel;• the safe way of working, the

reasons for it, and how to useequipment properly, egextraction systems;

• the reasons for personal

protective equipment andclothing, the jobs where they arenecessary, and how they shouldbe used, stored and maintained;

• the results of any tests for nickellevels in the air of yourworkplace;

• the role of any healthsurveillance and arrangementsfor you to know the results;

If you have any worries or problemsabout working with nickel or itscompounds, ask your supervisor orsafety representative to discuss themwith your employer, or discuss themwith the occupational healthprofessional.

By Mr S Mani, Corporate SHE & CSR, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Chennai

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Hazardous....(Contd. from previous page)

waste is placed in or on land.

Landfill that uses liner to provideisolation of waste from adjacent cellsor waste. Liner means continuouslayer of natural or man-madematerial, beneath or, on the sides ofa surface impoundant, landfill orlandfill cells, which restrict thedownward or lateral escape ofhazardous waste, hazardous wasteconstituents, or leachate.

Incineration

Incineration is a high temperature,thermal oxidation process in whichhazardous wastes are converted in

presence of oxygen in the air intogases and incombustible solid residue.Gases are vented into atmospherethrough Gas cleaning system andsolid residue goes to landfill.Incineration is applied to certainwastes that cannot be recycled,reused or safely deposited in alandfill.

Eg. – Solvent Waste, PharmaceuticalsWaste, refinery waste etc.

Co Processing

Co-processing means the substitutionof primary fuel and raw material bywaste. It is a recovery of energy and

material from waste. This refers tothe use of waste materials inindustrial processes, such as cement,lime, or steel production and powerstations or any other largeCombustion plants.

Pre Processing

Pre-processing is the concept ofpreparing a wide variety of wastematerials into a homogeneousproduct of defined size and chemicalcomposition. It involves sizereduction and blending operations. Itdoes not involve any form of

Flow Chart on handling of Hazardous Waste

(Contd. on next page)

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chemical conditioning. It isessentially a mechanical operationutilizing shredding, pneumaticseparation, blending and sievingtechnologies. Individual wasteanalysis and compatibility testing isessential for safe and secureoperation. The variations in physicalstate, chemical properties and size ofthe different waste materials can beuniformly controlled. The final pre-processed materials can be co-

processed in anyresource intensiveindustry asalternative fuelsand raw materials.Therefore it iscalled AFR.

IWMA

The Associationnamed IndustrialWaste ManagementA s s o c i a t i o n(IWMA) was

inaugurated in TNPCB auditoriumto give credence to active support bythe Government of Tamil Nadu. Thecommittee was registered as a non-profit Association withrepresentation from industries ofTamilnadu in 2002.

This Committee comprisingindustrial representatives was formedunder the auspices of Tamil NaduPollution Control Board (TNPCB) to

coordinate the establishment andoperation of CHWTSDF forhazardous waste generated byindustries in Tamil Nadu. This wasregistered as a non-profit Associationwith representation from industries ofTamilnadu in 2002.

IWMA has membership of around1900 companies of small, mediumand lager scale industries of variousdiscipline such as textile, Printing,Automobile, leather, Pharmaceuticaland Engineering etc.,

Monitoring Ground Water, SurfaceWater, Air and Soil quality areregularly monitored through selfmonitoring programme, TNPCBInspections and Third Party

Role as Chemical Professionals

Use - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE,RECOVER - Principle. Sensitize LineManagement and Leadership aboutLaw. Use various Networksconstantly to share/bring new ideas.

Cross Section of A Land FillHazardous....(Contd. from previous page)

A View of Incinerator of Tamilnadu Waste Management Limited

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Safety poster - Manual Lifting

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CASE STUDYCASE STUDY 1:

SERIOUS ACCIDENTDURING MATERIALHANDLING DUE TOUNSAFE SYSTEM OF WORK

In one factory a worker met with aserious accident, while loading theM. S. Plates on the platform of thetruck, sustaining serious headinjury which proved fatal. Thisaccident occurred due to adoptionof unsafe system of work.

ABOUT ACCIDENT:

On the day of accident, thedeceased worker, had attended theduty at 8.30 am as usual along withthree coworkers And the work ofloading the MS plates (size – 5m.x1.25m. x 6mm ) in the truck wasbeing carried on in the stored yardof the factory.

In store yard of the factory, thereare various types of material suchas MS bars, angles, channels, pipesincluding MS Plates and on thesaid day the work of loading of MSplates was to be completed, whichwas started with the help of JCBloader for lifting the plates,employing four workers.

The system and arrangement ofloading the M S plates in the truckwas as follows.

The plate which was to be loadedin the truck was being made holeslengthwise at a distance of onemeter from both the ends of theplate by gas cutter. Then the wirerope ( 5/ 8’ ) with Dshackle wasbolted in both the holes and theplate was lifted vertically by JCB(power-76 hp. ) 6 inch above theheight of platform of the truck (4ft.) and was being dropped on the

(Contd. on next page)

platform which was fallinghorizontally with huge sound onthe platform with most of theportion outside the platform of thetruck in imbalance position Thenthe four workers were used to pushthe plate inside, on the platformso as to load it completely on theplatform.

It is marked that, the JCB which isused specifically for diggingpurpose was used for lifting andloading the heavy plates resultinginto the said fatal accident.

On the day of accident, thedeceased worker, along with hiscoworkers started the work ofloading at 9 am. and completed theloading of one MS plate by 9.30am. As there were total 12 Platesthe supervisor thought that

loading may consume more timeif plates are loaded one by one andtherefore second time two plateswere taken at a time, which weremade holes by gas cutter and wirerope with Dshackle was bolted toboth the plates and was liftedvertically by the hand (bucket) ofJCB and dropped on the platformof the truck.

The plates fell horizontally on theplatform in such a way that mostof the portion ( 75 %) was outsidethe platform. Immediately afterfalling the plates, the deceasedworker who was standing thereitself, started loading the plates,along with three coworkers bypushing the said plates inside, onthe platform and while doing so,the plates which were in imbalanceposition due to maximum portionoutside, fell on the body of theworkers. However the othercoworkers escaped miraculouslyand the plates fell on the back ofthe deceased sustaining serioushead and neck injury. The otherworkers nearby rush to the spot.However the deceased worker wasprofusely bleeding. He was

immediately taken to Hospital.However Doctor examined anddeclared him dead.

WHAT WENT WRONG:

The lifting of heavy M S plates byJCB loader is itself very dangerousact since it is not meant for liftingplates but for the use of digging the

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Case Study....(Contd. from previous page)

(Contd. on next page)

soil. Further for loading the platesafter falling in imbalance positionon the platform of the truck, theworkers should not have allowedto push it inside , on the platformof the truck unless stable positionof the plates was ensured whichwas not done and resulted into thesaid fatal accident.

Secondly, the arrangement used inconnection with handling that islifting the plates was done by JCBloader which is at all not meant forthe said purpose.

The Management should haveprovided and carried out the saidwork of lifting and loading bymaking the arrangement ofsuitable crane to ensure the healthand safety of the workers at workand further by adopting the propersystem of work that are safe andwithout the risk to health, whichcould have prevented the saidaccident.

REMEDIAL MEASURES :

1) Suitable crane with adequatelifting capacity shall beprovided for lifting / handlingthe heavy MS plates.

2) The plates shall not be liftedvertically and dropped downfrom the distance which isdangerous to cause accident.

3) The proper system of liftingand loading shall be adopted toensure safety and absence ofrisk to the health of theworkers.

4) The workers shall be wellacquainted and properlytrained to carry out the loadingof heavy plates.

5) Protective wears like safetyshoes, helmet, hand gloves

shall be provided to theworkers.

CASE STUDY 2:

SERIOUS ACCIDENTWHILE HANDLINGHIGHLY FLAMMABLESOLVENT

A fatal accident had occurredwhile carrying out themanufacturing process forrubber hose, in which use of ahighly flammable solvent wasinvolved.

HISTORY:

The factory was involved inthe manufacturing of rubberhoses required forautomobiles. Themanufacturing process was asfollows. Raw rubber andchemicals were mixed in arubber mill to obtain sheets ofrubber compound. The rubbercompound sheets were sent tothe extrusion machine, whereinner tube of the rubber hosewas prepared. Then braiding ofpolyester yarn was formed onthe inner tube on the braidingmachine. After carrying outsurface treatment by usingtoluene, the reinforced inner tubewas subjected to co-extrusionprocess for outer formation. Therubber hose so obtained was thencut and mounted on the mandrel.

Then vulcanization is carried outand hose was extracted from themandrel. The hose was thenpacked and dispatched.

The extrusion machine used in thesaid process included extrusionbarrel provided with a screw inside.The screw was driven by theelectric motor through a gearbox.The barrel of the machine wasprovided with a straight head and

the cross head at its outlet calleddie head block. The braided innertube passes initially through atoluene trough and through thestraight head, while the rubberstrip was fed to the screw conveyor,which passes it to the cross headto form outer over the braidedinner tube. The die head block wasrequired to be heated initially tomaintain a rubber flow. In thefactory, heating of head block wascarried out with the help of aportable kerosene burner. Once, itwas heated initially, further heatingtook place due to friction of screw

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Case Study....(Contd. from previous page)

and a rubber. A trough (tank) ofcapacity 15 L containing toluenewas mounted on the stand. Thestand was portable and was keptadjacent to the die head block ofthe extrusion machine, whilecarrying out the outer formation.The water cooling arrangementwas provided for the cooling of theextruded rubber hose. Then thehose was applied with a powder toprevent sticking.

ABOUT ACCIDENT:

The deceased worker was workingas an operator. On the day ofincidence, the deceased workeralong with four workers workingas helpers were entrusted with thework of co extrusion process onExtrusion machine for theformation of different sizes ofrubber hoses. Accordingly, theystarted carrying out the said work.The work involved was as follows.

The deceased worker fitted the diehead block for the job and carriedout setting. One worker ignited thekerosene burner and startedheating of the die head block by akerosene burner. Then thedeceased worker asked anotherworker to pour toluene into thetrough. While the worker wascarrying out heating of the diehead block with the help ofkerosene burner, the other workerwas pouring toluene into thetrough with the help of a 20 Lcapacity drum manually. At thattime, the flame of the keroseneburner reached the toluene in thetrough and toluene in the troughand a drum caught fire. Due to thisthe drum flew up and the burning

toluene splashed over all of themand they received burn injuries.The fire was extinguishedimmediately within 5 minutes withthe help of extinguishers. Theywere shifted to the Hospital, forthe treatment. The deceasedworker received about 50% burninjuries and he succumbed to burninjuries while under the treatmentin the Hospital. The other workersreceived about 30%, 40%, 4%,15% burn injuries and weredischarged from the hospital afterthe treatment.

OBSERVATIONS:

A rectangular MS trough (tank)of capacity 15 litres and having sizeabout 1200 mm length x 150 mmwidth x 175 mm depth was kepton the MS stand of height 800mm. The trough is not foundfastened with the stand. Thesludge of rubber solution is foundaccumulated at the bottom of thetrough. The top of the trough wasfound open and the cover providedis not found fixable. The kerosenefired burner was found used forheating the die head block.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

The trough containing toluene washaving its top open. The vapoursof highly flammable solvent-toluene formed flammable mixturewith the air. The flammablemixture received a source ofignition from the open flame of thekerosene burner. As a result,flammable mixture formed bytoluene with air caught fire Thefire reached to the drum, whichflew up from the hands of theworker. The burning toluenesplashed over all of them and their

clothes caught fire and theyreceived burn injuries.

It is revealed that-

i) The precautions were nottaken to prevent initiation ofignition from sources such asopen flames from keroseneburner. The highly flammablesolvent toluene ought not tohave been handled unless thekerosene burner is stopped ortaken away from the workplace to prevent the initiationof ignition from the open flamefrom the kerosene burner.

ii) The precautionary noticeshowing information andinstructions in respect oftoluene, was not displayed nearthe machine to ensure safety ofworkers at work.

iii) Also, while carrying out thesaid work, supervision was notprovided on the work to ensuresafety of workers at work.

REMEDIAL MEASURESSUGGESTED:

i) The open flame keroseneburner shall not be used, wherehighly flammable solvents liketoluene are being used.

ii) Arrangement can be made tofill the tolune troughmechanically.

iii) The tolune trough area can bewell ventillated so as to dilutethe tolune vapour.

iv) Precautionary notice showinginformation, instruction inrespect of toluene shall bedisplayed near the machine.Such work shall be carried outunder supervision of a qualifiedsupervisor.

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VITAL FIRST AID TIPSHAND INJURIES:Cuts: Put direct pressure on woundand keep injured hand elevatedabove the shoulder to stop bleedng.Clean up the wound and apply ster-ile dressing.Minor Heat Burns: Soak in coldwater immediately and continuesoaking till pain subsides. If the skinis broken, cover with sterile dressing.Don't apply ointment or grease. Bet-ter to seek medical help.Sprains, Blows: Put on cold com-presses to reduce pain and swelling.Get medical help to ascertain theextent of injury and treatment.Blisters: Leave blistered skin unbro-ken; avoid further irritation and pres-sure. Clean up and apply sterile dress-ing if skin is broken. Get medicalhelp.Chemical Burns: Flush injured areathoroughly in cool running water foratleast ten minutes to dilute andwash away the chemical. Seek themedical help immediately.Amputation: Put the amputatedlimb in an uncontaminated bag of iceand rush the victim with it to thenearest emergency unit of a hospitalfor treatment.SPINAL INJURY:The spinal cord connects the brain tothe rest of the body. Together theymake up the central nervous system.The spine is made up of:• the spinal cord itself• the bones that protect the spinal

cord (called vertebrae)• the discs of tissue between the

vertebrae• the surrounding muscles• and the nerves which branch off

it, to carry messages between thebrain and the rest of the body inthe form of high-speed electricpulses.

The spinal cord connects to indi-vidual muscles and tells them to

move (called motor function). It alsoconnects to organs like the skin,which communicates feelings liketouch, pain and heat (called sensoryfunctions).The greatest risk if someone has aspinal injury is that their spinal cordwill be either temporarily or perma-nently damaged. If this happens,they’ll become paralysed from thepoint of injury down.The most common cause of a spinalinjury is extreme force, violent twist-ing or bending forwards or back-wards. You should be aware of thepossibility of a spinal injury if some-one has:• fallen from a height, e.g. a ladder• fallen awkwardly, e.g. while doing

gymnastics• dived into a shallow pool and hit

the bottom• fallen from a moving vehicle, e.g.

a motorbike, or a horse• been in a collapsed rugby scrum• been in a motor vehicle which

suddenly crashes• been hit by a heavy object falling

across their back• had an injury to the head or face.What to look for - Spinal injuryIf you think someone may have in-jured their spine, these are the sevenkey things to look for:If the vertebrae (bones protecting thespinal cord) are damaged:1) pain in the neck or back2) unusual shape or twist in the

normal curve of the spine3) soreness and/or bruising in the

skin over the spineIf the spinal cord is damaged:4) loss of control over limbs – may

not be able to move arms or legs5) loss of sensation, or abnormal

sensations, e.g. burning or tingling6) loss of bladder and/or bowel con-

trol

7) breathing difficultiesWhat you need to do - Spinal in-juryIf they’re conscious:• Reassure them and tell them not

to move• Call an ambulance or ask some-

one else to call one for you• You need to stop their head or

neck from moving to preventfurther damage

• To do this, kneel or lie behindtheir head. Rest your elbows onthe ground or on your knees tokeep your arms steady. Grip eachside of their head, without cover-ing the ears, to support their headin this position so that the head,neck and spine are in a straightline

• You need to support the headuntil emergency services can takeover, no matter how long it takesfor them to come. If there issomeone who can help you, askthem to put rolled-up blankets,towels or clothes on either side ofthe head to help support it.

If they’re unconscious:• Open their airway using the jaw-

thrust technique. To do this, putyour fingertips at the angles of thejaw and gently lift to open theairway, avoiding tilting the neck

• Then check if they’re breathing• If they’re breathing, continue to

support their head and call for anambulance. If you can’t maintainan open airway then carefullyfollow the instructions of how toput someone with a spinal injuryin the recovery position.

If they’re not breathing, you’ll needto start CPR (cardiopulmonary resus-citation)While waiting for help to arrive, keepchecking their breathing, pulse andlevel of response.

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IN THE NEWS

World Environmental Day – June 5, 2015

World Environment Day (WED) this year takes centre stage on 5 June 2015 at the Expo Milano, Italy,as one of the United Nation’s international celebrations. There is evidence that the rate of consumptionof the planet’s resources is now unsustainable and possibly at a tipping point where Earth’s naturalregenerative capacity could be lost forever. Today, the human race consumes resources the equivalentof 1.5 planets. This means that it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate whatwe consume in a year. By 2030 we will need two planets to sustain our ways of living if the currentconsumption and production patterns remain the same, and with a rising population.

This year’s theme for WED – Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care – thereforeexpresses the challenge of creating opportunities for inclusive and sustainable economic development,while attempting to stabilise the rate of resource use and reduce environmental impacts. What is theone thing you pledge to do in order to restore our planet’s natural regenerative ability? Bike to work,change your light, fix leaky pipes or recycle old devices? If seven billion people were to each makeone positive change towards a sustainable lifestyle, what would our world be like?

This year, World Environment Day challenges everyone to re-imagine their dreams for a good life de-linked from excessive consumption. Celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June by sharing your visionfor a life of well being on a sustainable planet.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2015

ILO Director-General: Building a culture of prevention on occupational safety and health: Thenews is punctuated periodically by intense coverage of dramatic, heartbreaking stories that captureglobal attention: health workers infected while caring for patients with deadly diseases, trapped minerswho may or may not resurface, factory building collapses, plane crashes, explosions of oil rigs andnuclear accidents.

While the media eventually move on to other topics, working in hazardous conditions is actually a daily,routine and unseen affair for many workers. The numbers are striking. Over 313 million workers suffernon-fatal occupational injuries each year, equating to 860,000 people injured on the job daily. Everysingle day, 6,400 people die from an occupational accident or disease, amounting to 2.3 million deathseach year. Work-related accidents or diseases can definitely be placed in the high-burden categoryof all global health problems.

Economic recession or pressure to maximize profits cannot justify cutting corners in workplace safety.

Actually, failure to do so comes at a high price. Four per cent of global gross domestic product, equivalentto an astounding US$2.8 trillion, is drained off annually by costs related to lost working time, interruptionsin production, treatment of occupational injuries and diseases, rehabilitation and compensation.

A long-standing ILO priority, occupational safety and health was recognized as a fundamental humanright in the 2008 Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work . It is time to turn this human rightinto reality for workers everywhere.

Good governance on occupational safety and health shows that prevention pays. Today, on the occasionof World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the ILO calls for urgent action to build a culture of preventionon occupational safety and health.

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