INTRODUCTION TO SAFETY
INTRODUCTION TO SAFETYSAFETY is the state of being "safe" the
condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual,
financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological,
educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage,
error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be considered
non-desirable. SAFETY can also be defined to be the control of
recognized hazards to achieve an acceptable level of risk. This can
take the form of being protected from the event or from exposure to
something that causes health or economical losses. It can include
protection of people or of possessions.Types of SAFETYNormative
safetyNormative safety is when a product or design meets applicable
design standards and protection.Substantive safetySubstantive, or
objective safety occurs when the real-world safety history is
favourable, whether or not standards are met.Perceived
safetyPerceived, or subjective safety refers to the level of
comfort of users. For example, traffic signals are perceived as
safe, yet under some circumstances, they can increase traffic
crashes at an intersection. Traffic roundabouts have a generally
favorable safety record yet often make drivers nervous.SecurityAlso
called social safety or public safety, security is the risk of harm
due to intentional criminal acts such as assault, burglary or
vandalism.Because of the moral issues involved, security is of
higher importance to many people than substantive safety. SAFETY
MEASURESChemical analysisDestructive testing of samplesDrug testing
of employees, etc.Examination of activities by specialists to
minimize physical stress or increase productivityGeological surveys
to determine whether land or water sources are polluted, how firm
the ground is at a potential building site, etc.Government
regulation so suppliers know what standards their product is
expected to meet.Industry regulation so suppliers know what level
of quality is expected. Industry regulation is often imposed to
avoid potential government regulation.Instruction manuals
explaining how to use a product or perform an activityInstructional
videos demonstrating proper use of products* Root cause analysis to
identify causes of a system failure and correct
deficiencies.Periodic evaluations of employees, departments,
etc.Physical examinations to determine whether a person has a
physical condition that would create a problem.Safety
margins/Safety factors. For instance, a product rated to never be
required to handle more than 200 pounds might be designed to fail
under at least 400 pounds, a safety factor of two. Higher numbers
are used in more sensitive applications such as medical or transit
safety.Self-imposed regulation of various types.Implementation of
standard protocols and procedures so that activities are conducted
in a known way.Statements of ethics by industry organizations or an
individual company so its employees know what is expected of
them.Stress testing subjects a person or product to stresses in
excess of those the person or product is designed to handle, to
determining the "breaking point".Training of employees, vendors,
product usersVisual examination for dangerous situations such as
emergency exits blocked because they are being used as storage
areas.Visual examination for flaws such as cracks, peeling, loose
connections.X-ray analysis to see inside a sealed object such as a
weld, a cement wall or an airplane outer skin.PROCEDURE IN HAZARD
ANALYSIS IN THE WORKPLACETask hazard analysis is a technique used
to assess health and safety hazards associated with particular
tasks or jobs and to identify possible controls. A task hazard
analysis systematically breaks down the work/project into its basic
components. This allows the hazards at each step to be thoroughly
evaluated and leads to conclusions about procedures needed to
eliminate or control the hazards.BASIC STEPS IN HAZARD ANALYSIS IN
THE WORKPLACE1. Selecting the Task to be Analyzed:Tasks should be
prioritized to ensure the most critical are examined first. When
prioritizing task factors to be considered include:injury frequency
and severity;potential for severe injuries;new/modified tasks;
andinfrequently performed tasks.2. Breaking the Task into StepsThis
portion of the analysis, is usually done by observing a person
performing the task. The person should be experienced, and perform
the task under normal conditions. The inspector should explain to
the person, the reason for the observation, and make it clear that
the task, not the individual is being observed. The breakdown of
the task into steps should be discussed with the supervisor and the
person to ensure no steps have been missed.3. Identifying Potential
Hazards
Recognizing a workplace hazard is the first step in overcoming
it. But health and safety hazards are not always obvious. Hazard
recognition means:identifying potential hazards in the
workplace;identifying the adverse effects that may be associated
with these hazards;determining whether there is a possibility of
people being exposed or affected.Hazard assessment is a process of
evaluating an identified workplace hazard. The assessment covers
equipment, process and work procedures. An assessment considers
which workers/students, if any, are exposed -- or likely to be
exposed -- to an identified hazard and for how long.
4. Determining Preventative MeasuresRecognition and assessment
prepare the way for control or elimination of a hazard. Where an
assessment finds that a hazard is likely to adversely affect a
worker/student, some form of control is needed.HOUSEKEEPING
