Manual handling accidents

External filters are also used to filter the fryer oils. These filters are similar in principle to the built-in filters. Operation of these filters is hazardous because of the high oil temperature and manual handling of the hot oil. Burns from the hot oil is one of the common accidents in the fast food restaurants. Figure 4 shows the schematic diagram for an external filter. 

Manual handling should be avoided where possible to reduce the risk of human error and accidents. 

Because back injuries and manual handling accidents have the potential to cause severe and prolonged disabihty, a prevention strategy must be adopted. 

Until a few years ago, accidents caused by the manual handling of loads were the largest single cause of over three-day accidents reported to the HSE. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations recognized this fact... 

Figure 13.3 Main injury sites caused by manual handling accidents.

In the United States, machinery is one of the top four sources of compensable work injuries and accounts for nearly 10 percent of all injuries. The other sources are manual handling accidents, which cause 23 percent of all injuries falls, 20 percent and struck by falling or moving objects, 14 percent. 

A safety survey is a detailed examination of a number of critical areas of operation, e.g. process safety, manual handling operations, or an in-depth study of the whole health and safety operations of a workplace. A survey examines, for instance, health and safety management procediues, environmental working conditions, occupational health and hygiene arrangements, the wide field of safety and accident prevention, and the system for the provision of information, instruction and training for staff and other persons affected by the organisation s operations. 

The views of staff and employees can be of particular use in identifying manual handling problems. Involvement in the assessment process should be encouraged, particularly in reporting problems associated with particular tasks. Records of accidents and ill-health are also valuable indicators of risk as are absentee records, poor productivity and morale, and excessive product damage. 

Is there a risk of injury An understanding of the types of potential injury will be supplemented with the past experiences of the employer, including accident/ill-health information relating to manual handling and the general numerical guidelines contained in official guidance. 

Stubbs D and A Nicholson (1979) Manual handling and back injuries in the construction industry an investigation. Journal of Occupational Accidents, vol 2, pp 179-190. 

How are accident investigations handled Who handles them Are the results of these investigations revealed to the workers Does anyone learn from prior mistakes What changes have taken place to make the facility safer How does a team member know how to perform a job safely Is there a safety manual Does everyone who needs access to the safety manual have it Is there a site-specific safety plan for current work activity Who has access to this plan How about job safety analyses (JSAs) Have all of the work tasks been analyzed for safety concerns and appropriate safety systems been implemented What does a worker do after a close call Is there any investigation when no damage is done Is any report made out ... 

Of the enormous toll of injuries attributed to manual handling by far the greater number (two-thirds) are strains and sprains. By knowing the mechanics of the body as they apply to lifting and handling and by following some simple rules the toll of these accidents can be much reduced. 

Owing to a poor design, the maximum pressure that could be handled by the NaOH scrubber was only one-quarter of that developed after the first 30 min, and thus, even if working, the scrubber was not effective in preventing the accident [32]. Finally, a further cause of the release was that the refrigeration system, designed to inhibit the volatilization of MIC, had been left idle - the MIC was kept at 20 ° C, not the 4.5 °C advised by the manual, to reduce energy costs, and to allow the use of the coolant elsewhere. 

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