Technical Preventing Measures

These measures have one point in common, in that they do not limit the effect of failures by adding protective equipment, but instead by process design or changing the process conditions. It is a huge advantage in not needing to rely on protective equipment, but instead to make the process intrinsically safe. 

Kletz also considers that the technical design of the process has a positive impact on its safety. Here too he quotes several principles to improve process safety by technical design  

In this section, the focus is on technical measures, with the objective of avoiding 

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Regarding the time depending concentration profiles only a very slight decrease of the contamination was observed interrupted by individual maxima e.g. in march 2003. The tendency to a lower contamination might be attribute to the technical prevention measures performed since 1999. 

For certain activities, like demolition, removal, repair work, or maintenance, in respect of which it is foreseeable that the OEL will be exceeded despite technical preventive measures, the directive contains special provisions. Firms performing demolition work have to provide evidence of their ability. Details of this can be decided upon by each of the member states. 

We propose to study in more detail each of these points constituting all the collective technical prevention measures designed to minimize or prevent the risk of skin chemical contamination in situations of potential exposure. 

Preventive and protective measures. Technical safety measures must always be developed no matter how inherently safe we think the process is. The scope of preventive and protection measures is large for the whole plant. Below, some preventive measures to be taken to prevent thermal runaways when a dangerous situation is recognized are listed ... 

Safety Handbook", Part III. Hazardous Compounds, Mixtures, and Reactions, Expl Res Sect, Expls Propints Lab, Pica tinny Arsenal, Dover, NJ (Dec 1959), pp 33-46 (List of compds, mists, and reactions which are, or may be, dangerous) 5) "Explosive Accident/lncident Abstracts" (A compilation listing description, causes preventive measures of 219 expl incidents reported to the Armed Services Explosives Safety Board by companies, governmental agencies other groups from Sept 1961 thru June 1967. The Abstracts are available as ASTIA Document 660020 from die National Technical Information Service, US Dept of Commerce, PO Box 1553, Ravensworth, Va 22151)... 

To address this situation, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH launched a pilot project in 1990 geared to the disposal of obsolete pesticides. Since then, environmentally sound disposal operations have evolved into a range of activities within the field of technical co-operation. The GTZ project disposed of more than 1800 tonnes of obsolete pesticide stocks in 8 developing countries in Africa and Asia. It also carried out several large-scale analytical surveys and prevention measures. 

Technical systems which contain material representing a hazard potential must be treated under controled, safe conditions. A respective design of the facility and its operational modes is checked by different kinds of safety considerations. In addition to the consequences of normal operation, the system behavior under accident conditions has to be considered in terms of sufficient measures for controling accidents. Assumptions are being made based upon experience which has been achieved in the course of the technical development and which has resulted in a system of laws, regulations, rules, guidelines, and recommendations, e.g., for the design of components, for quality assurance, for fire protection and also for accident prevention measures. 

By performing weight loss tests, technical personnel can estimate the corrosiveness of an environment over a period of time. If the corrosion rate is determined to be high, preventive measures can be taken to prolong the remaining life of the equipment. The preventive measures can include the addition of a corrosion inhibitor, a change in the process, an application of anticorrosion coatings, or the addition of a CP system. 

Development and realisation of effective technical safety measures to prevent accidents, to compensate for possible malfunctions, and to decrease the consequences of possible accidents Development and realisation of ways of localising radioactivity released in case of an accident Realisation of technical and organisational measures... 

Many preventive measures (technical, organizational and personal), which have led to the improvement of the working conditions and to the higher protection of workers, were taken in the operator s workplace. The lead concentration measuring confirmed the highest quahty of the working envhonment. 

In the prevention of exposure, the main elements are technical measures, i.e. avoidance of the irritant through its removal from the workplace or through technical shielding by the use of potent irritants in closed systems or automation, irritant replacement or removal (Lachapelle 1995b), and personal protection of the workers (Wigger-Alberti and Eisner 1998). Screening individuals for predisposition to irritant dermatitis and counselling of sensitive individuals may be appropriate preventive measures. 

In contrast to neat oils, water-based metalwork fluids are the most relevant irritants in the automobile industry. The irritant potential of these fluids depends on their different components, the quality of preventive measures and the continuous care of the fluids. Components with an irritating potential are organic acids, amines, emulsifiers, preservatives, biocides, antifoams and system cleaners. Often, the quality of technical care of the metalwork fluid is inversely proportional to the irritant effect. Actually trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) measurement offers new chances in the evaluation irritant potential of different metalwork fluids (Hiiner et al. 1994). Figure 1 shows such a TEWL measurement. It was confirmed by an intervention study in a metalwork factory that, in contrast to metalwork fluids A and C, fluid B was not associated with irritant contact dermatitis. The amine component seems to play a relevant role in the irritant potential (Lautenschlager et al. 1997), if the pH value does not exceed pH 9.5. The risk of irritant dermatitis, particularly hand eczema, is closely associated with the duration of exposure. In general, an exposure of less than 2 h per day will not cause an irritant hand eczema... 

Several references were made in Chapter 3, Serious Injury Prevention, to human errors as the causal factors for accidents. And it was said that many serious injuries result from recurring but potentially avoidable human errors, and that organizational, cultural, technical, and management systems deficiencies often lead to those errors. Emphasizing human error reduction above the worker level, although proposed many years ago as a preventive measure, is not prominent in the work of safety professionals. 

Once the hazard potential inherent in a technical installation exceeds specific limits—which may be defined by the use of >ecific amounts of substances—systematic planning of accident prevention measures will become mandatory. 

On occasion, the solution for an ergonomics situation may require going beyond the typical preventive measures to include considering the totality of the socio-technical system in place. 

Preventive measures that are needed are also all specified by P sentences. They relate to general precautions, measures relating to the technical use, health, and recommendations for storage and disposal. 

The MSDS of a chemical completes label s data. It must be written, provided, and updated by the manufacturer or distributor of chemicals. The recommendations of the Globally Harmonized Systran of the United Nations establish the universal framework of MSDS in 16 sections. Security officers and doctors must find the knowledge necessary to understand the nature and intensity of the danger of chemicals. From knowledge of the danger, they will be able to evaluate the real level of risk in the specific conditions of use of the products. They will finally, at the end of this analytical approach, select and implement preventive measures. It makes sense to focus on the collective technical means of prevention rather than personal protective equipment (PPE) (see Sect. 5.3.1). Better redo the waterproofing of the roof of a workshop than give each worker an umbrella to protect themselves from the rain (Fig. 5.4). 

The first step will be, in all cases, the establishment of an information and training in risk management. It is generally mandatory at workplace. It is also presCTibed on all packaging products for the consumer, as we explained in Sect. 5.2. Apart from the essential information, two types of preventive measures must be put in place technical collective measures and individual protective equipment. Collective actions must always be the priority. Individual measures can be conceived only when collective action leaves a residual persistent risk. 

Individual measures of prevention should never be a first-line approach. As noted in Sect. 5.3.1, the danger of a chemical may pose a risk during use or during casual contact it is, above all, to develop an approach based on collective technical prevention. If it is showed as impossible and insufficient or if a residual risk reminds after implementation, only then one will turn to ways of personnel prevention equipment (PPE). 

Although the above discussed preventive measures can help to reduce the occurrence of mycotoxins in the human food chain, exclusion of toxinogenic microflora is technically impossible and in many cases it is necessary to detoxify and decontaminate large amounts of crop or feed in order to protect the health of consumers or Hvestock, and to prevent economic losses. In practice, detoxification or decontamination procedures include degradation of mycotoxins to inactive products, prevention of new toxic products formation and maintaining the nutritional value of the material. Generally, there are three possible solutions based on physical, chemical or biological principles. 

Rudin-Brovm, C. M., and Parker, H. A. 2004. Behavioural adaptation to adaptive cruise control (ACC) Implications for preventive strategies. Transportation Research Part F, 7, 59-76. Rumar, K., Berggmnd, U., Jemherg, R, and Ytterbom, U. 1976. Driver reaction to a technical safety measure Studded tires. Human Factors, 18(5), 443 54. 

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