Design workplaces, hazard controls

R. A. Wadden and P. A. Scheff, Engineering Design for the Control of Workplace Hazards, McGraw-HiU Book Co. Inc., New York, 1987. 

The prevention of personnel and environmental incidents in work-related environments or situations. Effective occupational safety efforts involve the control and elimination of recognized workplace hazards to attain an acceptable level of risk and promote the wellness of workers. Optimal occupational safety results from a continuous proactive process of anticipating, identifying, designing, implementing, and evaluating risk-reduction practices. 

This chapter discusses the requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE). It also addresses other control mechanisms and procedures. Engineering controls should be the primary method used to eliminate or minimize hazard exposure in the workplace. Administrative controls must be set in motion prior to the use of PPE. When such controls are not practical or applicable, PPE shall be employed to reduce or eliminate personnel exposure to hazards. PPE will be provided, used, and maintained when it has been determined that its use is required and that such use will lessen the likelihood of occupational injuries and/or illnesses. All personal protective clothing and equipment should be of a safe design and appropriate for the work to be performed. Only those items of protective clothing and equipment that meet National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards are to be procured or accepted for use. 

Personal protective equipment should not be used as a substitute for engineering, work practice, or administrative controls. Personal protective equipment should be used in conjvmction with these controls to insure employee safety and health in the workplace. Personal protective equipment includes all clothing and other work accessories designed to create a barrier against workplace hazards. An example of engineering and administrative controls is the use of sound absorbing blankets in a low lift, reducing the need for ear protection. 

Good workplace design and proper equipment placement including guards and controls. Equipment inspections and preventive maintenance conducted as scheduled. Organization conducts inspections, audits, and hazard surveys on regular basis. Corrective actions and hazard controls implemented immediately to eliminate risks. Employees formally commit to work safely and maintain hazard-free work areas. 

A guide to the integrity, workplace environment and miscellaneous aspects of the Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc) Regulations 1996 Control of substances hazardous to health m fumigation operations... 

Assessment. An analysis of the hazards present in this laboratory show the most significant hazard to be the release of vapor CSM from engineering controls and into the workplace. The significance of this hazard mandates further efforts in system safety in the form of a Preliminary Hazard List (PHL) and a Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA). The user must in this instance take an active role in the design review process. 

A program is necessary for identifying all materials in the workplace, and making employees aware of the hazards of these materials and the necessary precautions to be taken to prevent or control personnel exposure. Materials Hazard Identification and information gathering is an essential element of fire prevention. The hazardous properties of all chemical substances used in the workplace should be known in order to develop the appropriate design, routine handling practices, and fire prevention plan. 

In former years, many efforts to promote safe practices consisted almost entirely of a campaign that alerted employees to the hazards in their workplace and urged them to work safely. The modem concept is that hazards that cannot be eliminated should be controlled, first by design and then by procedural means. Procedural means consist in relying on employees to perform tasks properly and safely. Use of procedures is a less desirable means of accident prevention than is good design but because all hazards cannot be eliminated by design companies rely on the safe practices of their workers. To ensure safe work practices by their employees, companies must have an effective safety promotion plan. 

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