UNIT 1 BASIC CONCEPT OF INDUSTRIAL

SAFETY
Structure
1.1 Introduction
Objectives
1.2 History of Safety Movement
1.3 Evolution of Modern Safety Concept
1.4 Design Aspects for Safe Operation
1.5 Maintenance and Turn Around
1.6 Safety Audits
1.7 Accident Analysis
1.8 Safety Training
1.9 Let Us Sum Up
1.10 Key Words
1.11 Answers to SAQs
1.12 References and Future Studies

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Study of history reveals that dating back from the age of ancient civilizations
in Egypt and Rome it has been a long journey for safety management system.
Time and again there has been delayed recognition of the importance of
safety and health at the place of work. In recent times remarkable
developments in safety management have taken place. It has enabled
industries to successfully reduce industrial injuries. Obviously, such
turnaround in injury statistics has not taken place overnight. In the following
section, a short review of the evolution of safety in the factories in India will
be made to have an historical perspective of interplay of various factors in the
safety management.

In order to be familiar with where you are going, it is very imperative that
you know where you have been. People devote a plenty of time
on discovering current trends in the workplace, but they does not often look
back and make efforts to find how work has evolved. The history of
workplace safety is one such area that does not get adequate consideration. In
this section, we will look at exactly how safety at workplace has enhanced
over the period of time.

Workplace safety started becoming matter of concerns in Europe country

with the labour movement while the Industrial Revolution was going on.
Workers and labours started forming unions and began to demand for better
working conditions during this movement. In response to this, the workplace
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 Introduction to was regulated and safer work practices were regulated by the Government
Industrial Safety
organizations. Because maximum organizations were industry oriented,
industries established safety regulations independent of each other. This
section will also cover how industries developed their safety standards.

Starting in the late 1600s shaft mining was in its increasing phase while the
steam pump made it feasible to remove water from deep shafts. Whereas in
the 1770s, steam engines turn out to be more proficient and fuel costs were
dropped, making mines to be more cost-effective.

Mines at that time often hired children for working, and were extremely
dangerous. In those years, in addition to equipment accidents, miners
confronted collapsing beams, suffocation, rock falls, and floods. In addition
to these failures, poisonous and flammable gases were invisible dangers that
could blast if ignited.

As time went by, advances in technology controlled their way into the mining
sector. In 1816 innovation of the safety lamps took place, and it helped in
preventing ignition of harmful gases found in mines. More developments
approached with the invention of electric lighting and battery-powered lamps.

Additional new kinds of hazards began to present themselves when

manufacturing unit started employing workers to factories. Working in
factories in that era was to spent long hours with poor ventilation
and dangerous equipment.

In 1784, poor working situations lead the spread of a fever outbreak among
cotton mill labors in the United Kingdom. This ultimately led to the
development of Health and Morals of Apprentices Act in the year 1802. This
act made it compulsive for factories to arrange for appropriate ventilation
and clean work places.
Objectives

After studying of this unit you should be able to:

 identify the history and evolution of safety movements

 identify efficient ways to recognize the procedures and activities that
ought to be effective for governing the risks and improving performance.
 employ essential theories and tools in order to plan and implement an
effectual risk management system.
 development of risk acceptance procedures.
 gain knowledge of maintenance and turn around.
 understand the fundamentals of safety audits, accidental analysis and
need for safety training.

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1.2 HISTORY OF SAFETY MOVEMENTS Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety

The history of safety movement can appropriately be said to parallel the

history of man. The laws like survival of the fittest and the law of self-
preservation generally overcame during the dark ages of early growth human
being. His upward climb has sustained to be a challenge with danger-the
mind and persistence of man challenging with the situations and forces of
nature; conditions changed slowly at first, but, as knowledge began growing,
with ever-increasing speed. If we look back in past over the path man has
journeyed; we treasure numerous milestones marking the way in the direction
of safety, all bearing aim of same purpose conservation of life. Today also if
we stand and look back we find the cave of ancient man; various abode of the
cliff dweller; the medieval castle, and the block house-mute confirmation of
the mutual thought -safety. The problem of safety transformed as the social
order of civilization transformed and became more and more complex. In
order to meet the mass element anticipated into the problem, todays’
generation have applied science (“the arrangement and correlation of
knowledge”) and engineering (“the art of organizing and directing men and
controlling the forces and materials of nature for the benefit of the human
race”). These are recognized as man’s most effective assistances of
conservation. Safety has turn out to be vital feature of all paces of life.

An ever-growing burden was retained upon man-power, as industries started

developing, multiplying and expanding into individual scale. The engineer to
the call and established engines and complicated machines; lifted man to a
higher plane; multiplied his powers a thousand fold, and was able to create a
new era for this world. This new era, however, was troubled with countless
different and unexpected hazards as consequences of evolution; and once
more man exhorted the engineer to safeguard him against the vulnerabilities
happening due to these invented engines and machines that had aided in the
escalation of his productive capability.

It would be challenging to create our history of the safety movement in a

rigorously sequential ground. Various industries have planned out their
individual difficulties more or less coherently. With the ever-growing
industries in today’s modern times, comes numerous invisible hazards and
threats to workers life for which there came need and development for
accident prevention methods in many plants of the industry in the year 1900.
The focusing of thought and purpose upon the expansion of this phase of
plant management discovered the fact that, as we had been inattentive in
preserving and protecting our minerals, forests and other natural resources, so
had we been woefully wasteful of the lives and limbs of our industrial
workers. We began to realize that this annual toll of life was not inexcusable
necessity we had believed it to be, but that, by the proper application of

13
 Introduction to systematized effort -purpose in addition to money- remarkable drops in
Industrial Safety
accident rate could be achieved.

World War II broke out during 1939-45. During wartime, the Government
relaxed application of the Factories Act to gear up production so as to meet
the requirements during the war. In the development, safety took a back seat.
Hectic production schedules and desperate attempts to meet the production
deadlines at any cost led to many industrial accidents specially incidents of
fire with loss of life and property. In 1945, Government of India appointed a
chief adviser of factories for advising the government on matters related to
occupational safety and health including firefighting measures in industrial
establishments.

A review of the history of safety legislation reveals the role of certain forces
in harnessing the cause of safety.
i) Role of Management or Owners:

For years, the value of safety as well as health at the work-place was
overlooked in the absence of any economic necessity to protect the life and
health of workmen. However, cause of safety has drawn support from the
management or the owners whenever they realize that the investment towards
safety makes a good business sense. Management are found to be proactive
about safety whenever they realize that
a) higher cost of premature replacement of equipment damaged or
destroyed by accidents,
b) prohibitive direct or indirect cost of compensation due to fatal or even
nonfatal accidents and
c) severe penalty awarded for noncompliance is less economical than the
investment on safety and health.
With the present compulsion to obtain ISO certification which requires
combination of occupational safety and health with quality and productivity,
administration finds that occupational safety and health do make a good
business sense. History also suggests that there are occasions when to bring
competitive parity among manufacturers, safety measures were demanded by
a group of management to be imposed upon those manufacturers who did not
care for those. Ultimately, whatever happened was indeed to the advantage to
the cause of safety of the people but in reality it was sheer business interest
rather than human interest that prevailed upon in implementing safety in the
industry.
ii) Role of Legislation:

In most of the cases, significant advances in safety have taken place through
legislative intervention. Safety legislation, to a vast extent, is engaged in an
examination of the actual state of affairs within 'man-machine-environment
14 system' to determine whether and to what extent modern technology can be
accepted by law. The legal system can never abandon the life and the health Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
of the citizens to the dangers inherent in modem technology. It must
determine as a reflection of the basic political decision as well, whether and
to what extent modern technology can be accepted by law. Thus, the legal
system constitutes the measures by which the political intent of the voter or
citizens can shape the components of man-machine-environment systems.
Industrial health and safety laws and standards are constructed are based on
technical approach to the management of occupational health and safety risk.
Technical literature defines risk management as a three staged process. First,
hazards in the work atmosphere are recognized; second, the risks posed by
these hazards are evaluated; and finally, suitable controls for risks are
carefully chosen according to a risk control hierarchy. According to the
principle of this hierarchy, the control actions that mark hazards at their
originating source and act on the work environment are more efficacious than
controls that intends to change the behaviour of exposed workers. Therefore,
technological control procedures, like substitution of hazardous materials or
procedures and engineering controls, are desirable to individual controls such
as the beginning of safe work practices or the usage of personal protecting
equipment.
iii) Role of Union Activism:

The legislative intervention is preceded by the union activism. In many

countries, collective negotiating has played a crucial part in workplace safety
enhancements for several years. Union encouragement has been exerted not
only in direct negotiations but also through financing or supporting safety
and health research, lobbying for safety and health legislation and supporting
liability suits filed by union members.
iv) The Role of Technology:

Technology has played a vital role in creating a need for extensive and
dynamic safety program. Scientists and engineers have been continuously
developing new equipment and process both for manufacturing as well as for
protecting the workers from hazardous work environment. Personal
protective equipment are made more comfortable and user friendly to
maintain the productive efficiency of the worker. In many places robotic
technology is used to ensure the safety and health of workers. Apart from the
equipment and gadgets, technology for manufacturing goods or providing
services, various innovative management technologies have been developed,
tested and implemented to promote and sustain safety and health status of the
working population in the world of work.
v) The Role of Research:

The research in the area of medical sciences, ergonomics, and industrial

hygiene assisted in defining limits on exposures in those cases where
complications may perhaps be evaded by restricting the amount or extent of 15
 Introduction to exposure. More significantly, research continues to identify materials and by-
Industrial Safety
products, those are irreversible in effect and in some cases, carcinogenic.
vi) The Role of Training

For doing the job efficiently and safely, it is essential that employees are
given systematic training. Selecting qualified and well trained personnel does
not minimize the need for such training. Training imparted in safety, need not
necessarily be termed as safety training and thereby create inhibition among
employees towards such training due to the taboo attached to the concept of
safety. Instead of professing “safety" as 'safe way of doing' and thereby
inducing a defensive stance, “safety" could be conceived as the 'right way of
doing'. As such, the purpose of the training is to educate employees about the
correct way of doing the job. When such training is imparted, care is taken to
produce goods or services ensuring quality, safety, customer delight and
minimizing damage or loss of any kind.

1.3 EVOLUTION OF MODERN SAFETY

CONCEPT
Concept of safety describes term safety as a state in which risk of harm to
persons or property damage is reduce to, and upheld at or below, an
acceptable level through a continuing process of hazard identification and
risk management. The origin of industrial revolution raised filthy and harmful
working conditions in many factories conditions where employers were slow
to address about the danger associated to them. Massachusetts l
legislators for the first time accommodated the nation’s first safety and health
legislation in 1877. This law necessitated diverse characteristics of safety
precautions/measures that we currently take for granted, especially guards for
belts, gears and shafts and efficient fire exits.
As industrial revolution landed on U.S. shores, there was uncertainty that
workers confronted new and exceptional dangers during that time. American
entrepreneurs formulated labor-saving devices and machineries those were
productive as well as profitable, but were very dangerous too. The bottom
line was not affected by the workplace accidents, but victim workers used to
opt for legal recourse by suing the company. Victim workers who went to
court hardly won any case, indirectly making work place safety anon profit
venture for numerous industrialists of that time. Worker working in the
hazardous occupations like mining, train transportation and manufacturing
opted for insurance policies to cover themselves in the event of sudden
accident or death, or by quitting a job completely. This resulted in companies
reimbursing greater salaries to the workers for their jobs that were deemed
more hazardous.
The state of New York in 1910, made workmen's compensation law that
enforced companies to automatically reimburse for workplace injuries that
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exterminated the requirement for relatives to take companies to court. By the Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
year 1921, 43 more states started adopting this New York's lead and
established their individual compensation laws.

Compensation laws and other liability costs turned out to be an expensive

proposition for workplace injuries for many industrialists. Due to this steady
increase in workplace safety was recorded. Large firms like railroading,
mining and manufacturing all of sudden started becoming interested in safety
at workplace. Manufacturing enterprises started developing safer equipment,
and managers of many manufacturing industries started getting tasks for
discovering workplace dangers. For instance, workers in mining and
construction started wearing safety glasses and hard hats.

The National Safety Council was formed in the year 1913 by a group of
business owners to combine the collective information, and to put this
collected knowledge via national agencies like the Bureau of Mines.
Incidents of tragedies in workplace declined unevenly between World Wars I
and II, and it was eminent to note that during time of economic boom safety
law prosecution be likely to take a back seat. With the expeditious growth of
industrial civilization employed children, women, and immigrants into the
labor force in large numbers. The Industrial revolution, and craving for mass
production, turned the workplace into a carnival of terrors. The days were
long, wages were low and work was generally unsafe. A novel methodology
called as Safety Management Systems (SMS) was developed regarding
industrial work place safety whose main objective is to prohibit human
trauma, death, and destruction to the environment. The emphasis of this
methodology is based upon an intensive accident investigation succeeded by
upgrading technology, operational processes and advance training. As can be
seen in Figure 1.1, along with technical enhancements the new focus is to
include and alleviate human error and organizational factors by means of
regulation and training, lessons were learned from past event inspections and
mishappening in other industries like in nuclear energy or space shuttle
operation.
Today

Figure 1.1: The Progression of Safety Thinking 17

 Introduction to
Industrial Safety
1.4 DESIGN ASPECTS FOR SAFE OPERATION
The safety by means of design aspects is defined as the fusion of hazard
analysis and risk estimation techniques right at the beginning of the design
and engineering phases and undertaking the operations necessary so that risks
of injury or damage can be minimized to a great extent. Design aspects play
very important role in safety operations because it reduces risks and
eliminates hazards during the course of life cycle of machinery, work sites,
their related equipment, materials and work procedures comprising their
construction, manufacture, use, repairs, and eventually dumping or reuse.

Designers can conduct assessments that can aid inconsiderably lessening the
threats to safety and health in the course of construction stage and through
consequent utilization and maintenance. Thus, they can be entitled as a key
contributor to the construction of health and safety. Safety and other
associated parameters could be directly influenced by the professional
designer. General principles of prevention must be taken into consideration
by the designers while developing respective designs. The idea of prevention
is mainly established for risk elimination and reduction. Safe design in
industrial safety comprises the control measures that must be incorporated
early in the design procedure in order to eradicate or, if it is not possible to
eliminate the risk completely then lessen the risks to health and safety all the
way through the life of the structure being designed. The main objective of
safe-design for safe operation is dependent upon the principle that each
individual has a right and is ethical to be safeguarded and protected from
uncalled risk of injury or harm. It anticipates with eradicating job-related
safety-health hazards at the design phase as well as governing risks
associated with the design of structure and it’s after use while planning and
design of processes or systems, structures, organizations, products, etc. Risk
of workers’ death, accident, and inadequate design might result in variety of
additional economic costs, like decreased asset life, reduced efficiency,
greater maintenance, and loftier employment and workers’ reimbursement
expenditures. It is more convenient to draw out hazards in the initial phase of
design rather than to upgrade or transform the present products to accomplish
safety. Safety and health regulation assign designers certain duties to, as far
as achievable, remove or govern the associated hazards at the time of the
construction, use and occupation of a workplace. Owners likewise hold a
“duty of care” assurance for workers to guarantee that, their employees are
not exposed to threats and dangers linked to a building or structure to be used
as a workplace as far as possible. Safe-design of any desired workstation will
always remain to be the driving segment of a broad spectrum with design
goals, comprising feasibility, aesthetics, cost, and usefulness. All these
objectives sometimes need to be balanced in a proper way so that safety and
health of workers is not compromised who responsible for building,
construction, maintenance or utilizing the building as workplace. These
18
sometimes-competing objectives need to be balanced in a manner that does Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
not compromise the safety and health of those who construct, maintain or use
a building or structure as a workplace. The safe-design advantages include
risk control and alleviate need for up gradation.

A wide variety of participants engages themselves in this methodology. With

discussion and communication with all the associated participants, the safe-
design elements can be improved prior to any actual construction. The safety
aspects of a design can be enhanced prior to construction if a participative
risk management approach is adopted.

A safe-design technique commences with the idea progression stage of a

construction while decisions are being made regarding:

 The scheme and its end purpose

 The required materials and it eventual utilization
 Available method of structure creation, its maintenance service,
operation, disassembly and ultimately discarding
 What safety regulations, codes of practice and available standards that
must be taken into account and conformed with

Ergonomics principles together with superior work design integrate and make
a safer design for structures and industries. Generally excellent work design
makes sure about workstation related vulnerabilities and dangers are evicted
or reduced in a way that all workers and labors’ safety is ensured, they
remain health and safe at their working place. It basically comprises the
design of work, workstations, functioning procedures, computer systems or
manufacturing processes.

On the other hand when we talk about accomplishing safer and reliable
design, its whole liability rests on the shoulders of those groups or
individuals who regulates and governs the design functions. This generally
embraces:

 Engineers, industrial designers or protractors are the responsible

personals that take forward the design on the instructions of a client.
 Individuals who make design decisions during any of the lifecycle
phases such as engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, installers, builders,
developers, project managers and work health and safety professionals.
 Any person who modifies the available design.
 Service designers associated with the service of existing plants like
ventilation and electrical systems.

Safer design for industries can be accomplished to a greater extent by

common harmony of all the parties who are responsible for commanding and
19
 Introduction to influencing the design outcome, by incorporating safety provisions into the
Industrial Safety
design. If we are considering design for any industrial plant there are
following things that should be considered while designing the plant:

Pre-Design
Recognize Create Risk
problem/Need Context

Concept Development
Collect Detect
Information Hazards

Communicate and Document

Monitor and Review

Design Options
Produce Examine and
Multiple Estimate Risks
Solutions

Design Synthesis
Select Eradicate and
Solution Govern Risks

Design Completion

Implement and Test

Figure 1.2: Safe Design Model

 Including entire facets of lifecycle of any manufactured component of

plant beginning from manufacturing, then its utilization, to demounting
and eventually discarding.
 Appropriate design for safe and sound assembly and its establishment.
 Design to enable safe usage by considering, for example, the physical
characteristics of users, the maximum number of tasks an operator can
probably accomplish at a time, the layout of the workstation or
environment in which the plant may be used.
 Estimate proposed utilizations well as reasonably predictable misuse.

20
 Consider the complications workforces might face while delivering Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
services or restoration of the plant.
 Assessment of failure ways or breakdown and restructuring and
designing the plant to break down in a safe mode.

The safe plant and equipment are capable of saving between 5 to 10% of their
total cost by lowering inventories of dangerous materials which leads to
reduced requirement for protective equipment and therefore cost of testing
and maintenance of the equipment is brought down to a considerable amount.
Huge costs might have to be bear due to unsafe design like re-equipment,
workers’ reimbursement and insurance charges, eco-friendly clean-up and
negligence claims. Since inflated prices directly affects the lifecycle of
persons who purchase and utilize such products, so these persons get benefits
from safe designs.

A safe design methodology outcome can be many including following:

 Inhibit injury and sickness

 Elevated exploitation of products, systems and facilities
 Improves efficiency
 Cut down prices
 Superior forecast, systematizes production and functioning expenditures
over the lifecycle of a product
 Abide by legislation
 Invent, for which safe design calls for new and innovative thinking.

1.5 MAINTENANCE AND TURN AROUND

Manufacturing companies generally runs process management that involves
maintaining, repairing and installing of the machine and equipment. The
performance and competitiveness of manufacturing companies is dependent
on the reliability and productivity of their production facilities. This
necessitates the demand for enhancing the production system’s exercitation
that has brought forth the maintenance functions into the spotlight. In order to
provide superior quality as well as prompt services to the consumers and be
in top position in terms of competition, factors like equipment maintenance
and system reliability plays very are important role. For that reason,
sustainable performance of any industry indirectly relies on the maintenance
management.

Maintenance generally encompasses all the aspects related to technical and

administrative operations those are generally imperative to keep equipment,
installations and additional associated physical resources in the desired
operating condition or reconstruct them back to the running condition in case 21
 Introduction to of failure. The main targets associated with maintenance are to accomplish
Industrial Safety
production target with the desired quality on time and be within the decided
limits of system condition as well as safety. The maintenance supervisors
should keep few main objectives in mind like assuring proper system
functioning, taking care of safety related issues, insuring system life and
lastly safeguarding human well-being.

Further, maintenance assets are exercised thoroughly in order to keep a check

on the running conditions of the manufacturing equipment, also weather plant
has attained its design life or not, safety standards are met or not, and to keep
a note on raw material consumption. If any company or industry does not
hold well maintained equipment then that particular plant will find it difficult
in providing higher quality products delivered on time to the market resulting
in decrement in customer values in terms of profit, quality, time and service.
A proficient human resource team with highly qualified personals, in any
manufacturing and maintenance departments holds a very prominent position
and is considered as very influential factor for conducting a successful
maintenance processes. Around 56 % of the accidents taking place are
associated with machineries and devices of plants linked with running
elementary manufacturing operations. Whereas other processes like
preparation of production for providing smooth flow involving operations
like maintenance, repairing, controlling, cleaning, installing, formulating and
dismantling machines accounts for approximately 25% altogether.

Investigations studies for the years from 2004 to 2010 indicates that all the
accidents occurred during these years were due to inappropriate condition of
the material object as well as improper operation of machines and devices.
By utilizing Risk Management System it was made possible to improve
safety of work station by utilizing machines and devices which resolved
issues associated with excessive utilization, insufficient maintenance and
repairs.

Repair word encloses all the organizational and technical actions whose main
aim or goal is to retrofit or repair the breakdown machine by making the
machine in the state of usable condition. All the results of breakdown
machines are transmitted to technical maintenance subsystem whose main
aim is to either to eradicate breakdown machines’ unfitness or to conduct
some severely required maintenance operations to repair the machine back to
its original running condition. Thus we can define the word repair as a
process whose main aim is to convert the machines’ unfitness into the state of
fitness prior to breakdown. While considering physical side of repair, it
embraces with replacement of components or parts of machine that are
damaged, changing the impaired part or restoring is by conducting a number
of other necessary operations. Repair process of a machine is generally
conducted at regular interval of time for checking the status of machine
fitness. Periodical repairs generally aim at bringing back the machine to the
22
original form once it has performed its desired operations and number of runs, Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
its total working hours, as well as volume of work it has accomplished,
assessment of its technical condition on the basis of diagnostic report. As
soon as technical parameters or economic indicators are perceived it indicates
machines unfitness or improperness in its functioning. Repair of machine is
generally of two types in nature, i.e. periodical or ad hoc.

Periodical repairs generally embrace day to day repairs; medium repairs, and
overhauls, whereas the ad hoc repairs are generally aimed at bringing back
the machine to its original state of fitness which was lost due to some
mishappening such as an emergency damage, an accident, etc. These are also
termed as post-failure repair. Whereas on the other hand maintenance is a
process that is responsible for cutting down the wear-out dynamics of
mechanisms, subassemblies or other components of a machine.

Various operations like general external visual inspection, initial cleaning,

inspection of technical condition of machine, its protection against corrosion,
checking lubrication of various parts and mechanisms in line with relative
instructions. Maintenance operations are carried out during technical
maintenance, technical inspections and repairs. Using the criterion of time,
we can distinguish between short-term maintenance (up to 1 year) and long-
term maintenance (more than 1 year). The scope and frequency of conducting
technical treatments and/ or technical maintenance operations are prescribed
in relative provisions for each type of maintenance. On the other hand,
installing machines and devices covers such operations as: transporting them
(internal transport, maneuvering), placing on their base plates, fixing, cabling,
piping, adjusting, making trial runs and checking the machine’s operation
with no load. Apart from installing machines or facilities, we also have to do
here with de-installing them before they are relocated to another site or
scrapped.

Besides, design and manufacturing of the machine is based in such a way that
it should perform its prescribed functions with all the safety measures
keeping in mind that it can be operated, adjusted and maintained by the
operator without any hazardous to the operator under all the conditions
(though it is handled in a improper way) as referred in both machinery
directive and also in ordinance. Also, machine should be used in such a way
to eliminate risk for the entire life time of the machine which also includes its
assembly, dismantling, transport, stoppage, and during scrapping stages.

Further, the manufacturer should also point out the vital measures such as
types and schedules of inspections with maintenance procedure to be taken
during the operation in the operation manual. Also, should be including the
wearable parts and its replacement after it is being worn-out. The
replacement procedure with the new ones for the worn out parts with easiest
and safer manner should also be included in the manual. The obligatory
23
 Introduction to technical measures compliant to the method of action for the replacement of
Industrial Safety
the necessary parts must also be available. Furthermore, the display of the
safety, maintenance and the adjustment procedures should be provided away
from the hazardous zones. Manufacturers should also take the possibility of
carrying out the maintenance, repairing, cleaning and other necessary actions
when the machine is in not working for both automatic as well as for other
machines too should be provided by the manufacturer in order to diagnose
the machine’s defects.

The company management plays an active role in deciding its machineries

operation and its fitness to achieve optimum effects. The optimization
criterion which is most commonly used is having understood the total amount
of money spent in order for the operation and maintenance of the machine.
Therefore, to avoid direct losses, a increasing trend shows using of external
companies for repair and maintenance of machine and devices. The package
of outsourcing also includes diagnose, maintenance and transportation as well.
Apart from the economic benefit the outsourcing also includes the risk
management which facilitates the maintenance activates that occurs during
hazardous. The occurrence of the accidents is the basic and the commonly
used criteria for the reactive measure of the safety of work. These accidents
also account for many reasons and are classification of these accidents is
different too. The classification which is most often used is based between
technical, organizational and human reasons. Such classification helps to
refers the accidents with reference to the technical reasons of maintenance,
repair and installing: improper safety measures taken during repair and
overhaul of the objects, improper maintenance of the objects, defects in the
materials being hidden, defects occurs during the construction of the object,
improper controlling of the elements, usage of material with improper
material with strength, fails to takes care of collective safety measure,
improper working of signaling systems during hazardous and finally not
attaining the required technical parameters.

Apart from this, the reasons which also relate to such problems includes
negligence of the supervisions to deviate from work health and safety
measures as well as fails to keep up the regulations, lack of manuals for the
operation of the objects, performing machines without having removed the
hazards, operators using their legs and arms carelessly in the hazard zone,
using the materials without having tested its strength for the required job,
also using the materials with proper inspection or the required measures in
the hazard zone without the safeguards.

The last and also the most significant reasons among statistically are the
human errors which includes lack of attention being paid during the operation,

getting startled due to laziness, unaware of hazards being happed, lack of

experience as well as the pace to cope up with work and also lack of
24
knowledge in handling machines, unaware of rules and regulations, drinking Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
alcohol or taking drugs or psychotropic substances also accounts.
It is also very necessary the factors that should be taken care before accidents
happen while installing, maintaining and even during repairing of
machineries and devices which enables for preventive actions and also the
effective policies to help improving the conditions of the working area.
The complex bustle appears to happen when a large industry with large
bunch of workers is shutdown or turnaround. This can be avoided by the
sophisticated planning to overcome the shutdown and also to effective return
on operation. This shutdown lets you necessitates the proper industrial safety
with optimal facility in accordance with the technology and the safety
guidelines that can protect your employees and their surrounding
environment. Let us consider an example of refining and petrochemical
industries that has the effective maintenance services which is capable of
involving following things:

 Design-build
 Engineering
 Installation and inspection
 Custom manufacturing
 Maintenance and repair
 Fabrication
 Retubing
 24*7*365 Emergency service
 Project managements
 Turnarounds
 Heat exchangers/Fin Fans
 Specialty field maintenance
 Refractory
 Refinery maintenance
 Tank maintenance/Repair
 Shutdowns
 Bolt torqueing
 Welding
 Power plant outages
The maintenance company should have personals having ultra-specialized
and experienced skills in order for the smooth functioning of enormous and
critical maintenance projects. The turnarounds become very costly for any
industry and accounts for almost significant amount of budget typically
between 10 - 20%. During the critical time around the shutdown, a group of
skilled personnel’s are necessary to carryout programs and processes to
initiate the adequate safety of the employees and workers in the industry. The
25
 Introduction to safety and the maintenance measures taken by the specialized team should
Industrial Safety
also be able to provide improve quality control and accountability and also
must have access round the clock as well. This will reduce initial capital
investment and also reduce the burden on the administration.

1.6 SAFETY AUDITS

A Safety audit is a necessary part which is course of well planned,
documented and independent examination for the local estimation for the
standard of controls and also the efficacy of the system intended for
occupational health and safety board system. It is a methodology which is
pro-active for the measurement of health and safety performance of the bunch
of people in the organization. It also aid to develop necessary principles
needed for the further developments between the individuals in the
organizational strengths with a proper documentation having control of
weakness in the organization. It is thus enables to a widescreen for effective
planning decisions.
Safety audits are designed and implemented with the view for the safety,
health and also for the identification of fire hazards. With the help of these
surveys made to compliance the regulations and fire codes to detect the
unsafe hazards. It is also to be noticed that these surveys also serves the
purpose of the concept for self-regulation and co-regulation which is
axiomatic in nature having advent with the performance standard and also
serves as duty of care phenomena. Therefore, this act as obligation to self-
regulate with such reinforces makes a promising audit process as a skill
management tool to survive in today’s competitive and sensitive world
market. This well structured and a thoroughly conducted audit helps to
provide an objective with a view focus on the actual status, recognize the
loopholes or the weakness around the corner, identify the success parameters,
and further helps to estimate compliance, regulating the essential policy
including the procedure for statutory requirements, and also provide social
and ethical norms.
The investigation made during the audit, makes the assessments for
compliance in such a way to applicable for building and fire codes and also
helps in detecting the unsafe fire hazards. Safety audits are essentially a part
of preliminary checking the effectiveness of the several programs; this will
not facilitate regular inspections. As the safety inspections for unsafe hazards
are done on a weekly basis with the supervisors leading the team and monthly
basis by the head of the management. This raises five basic questions to be
answered. Every person in the team with the leader should conduct the audit
of fact finding manner to grab the data. In order to achieve at this stage, the
team must have knowledge of companies program with various local, state
and federal necessities.

The audit draws focus on the measurable remarks, recommendations and

corrective actions on following five questions:
26
 1) Does the program cover all regulatory and best industry practice Basic Concept of
requirements? If it is being employed, is it effective or not? Industrial Safety

2) Are the program requirements being met?

3) Is there documented proof of compliance?
4) Is employee training effective – can and do they apply specific safe
behaviors?
5) Whether appropriate workplace precautions are in place?

Safety Depends on: A schematic diagram of the factors on which safety

depends in shown in Figure 1.3.

Accidents and
Work permit incidents
analysis
Engineering

Procurement Software
Hardware
Emergency
Maintenance

Humanware

PPE
Leadership
Health and
Hygiene
Task
Observation

Figure 1.3: Factors on Which Safety Depends

Types of Audits
These audits are generally classified in two ways. They are internally as well
as externally.
While internal audits are conducted by group of skilled personnel’s within the
same organization, external auditors are outsourced for external audits.
Internal Safety Audits
These audits are conducted by either the safety committee members or safety
representatives or safety officer and procedure followed generally going
through the records, matching standards with targets and physical
observations at workplace.

External Safety Audits

27
 Introduction to These audits are conducted by external persons for auditing from certified
Industrial Safety
agencies and remaining procedure is almost same.
So far as purpose, content, sequence and depth of investigation are concerned,
both types have almost similar lines of actions. The main differences lie in
the method. Practically, internal Audit turns subjective since it is about
examining one’s own self, own organization, own system, own people etc.
Although organizations claim that they authorize internal auditors with total
independence. Auditors are selected from neighboring departments. They
might have been trained and groomed as auditors yet, they remain internal
only. They can’t reveal the weakness of management and put it in black and
white. Rather, practically, they are given the task of developing ways and
means to hide the weaknesses and highlight the strengths of the organization,
as an advocate does for his client. Internal auditing is practically meant as
preparation for third party external auditing.
Third party independent audits are to be conducted by expert agencies
comprising well-trained lead auditors, experienced hands, technical experts,
legal specialists and others. Organizations must give them full freedom to
judge neutrally and independently without exercising any influence from any
quarter. Objectivity becomes the key motto and their disclosures are to
betaken as bare facts, based on which further lines of correction and
improvements are to follow. This is the right course of actions.
It is worth mentioning here, that audit should not be taken as a mere ritual or
a formality only, but to be treated as a detailed prescription by an expert
independent agency for effecting improvements in work culture and job
execution. Let it be a means for curing the ills and health improvement. As a
patient gets a health check-up and goes ahead with the treatment prescribed
by the doctor, so should the organization act with positivity and vigor for
excellence.

Figure 1.4: Other Modes of Verification

28
 Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety

Figure 1.5: Different Levels of Verification

Considering the objectives of safety audit there are mentioned below:

 Validate compliance with established standards (regulations, internal

policies and industry wise standards of practice).
 Pinpoint deviation from designed and planned operating and
maintenance route and standards.
 Recognize conditions or operating procedures that may perhaps lead to
an accident and substantial losses to life or property.

Safety audit is carried out by experts in the respective fields who scrutinize
management system, facilities and activities of the organization on safety
aspects assess the prevailing hazards, the level of prevention, protection and
emergency management preparedness and consequently formulate a
recommendation to upgrade safety inputs to avert mishaps and limit
consequences.

Safety audit is an important phase in industrial sector owing to following

reasons:

 It ensures that management system is functioning in a manner that

protects employees, customers, workers, communities, the environment,
assets against risks
 It is a control mechanism
 Identification of opportunities for further improvement
 Increases safety awareness
 Greater confidence regarding compliance with regulatory requirements

Safety surveys are intended for the inspection of all types of unsafe physical
and environment conditions with the detailed observations. The
occupier/manager of factory and other workers must provide required
cooperation to the authorities conducting surveys. Safety surveys also helps
in determining safety and training needs of workers, supervisors as well as
managers etc. Further reports under observations and remedial measures are 29
 Introduction to discussed in joint meeting of all heads and owner of plant. For each
Industrial Safety
observation noted in survey, remedial measures may be suggested. Also
action plan can be drawn for taking up suggested remedial measures within
time limits.
There are five steps of conducting successful audits:
1) Preparing for an Audit:

Before the audit begins, it is essential to determine the members among the
team as well as what the team will be auditing.

Some of the industry approach external consultant who are specialized in

safety auditing to avoid the burden. Others depend on the internal to perform
audit from different domain within the same company. It is very necessary to
choose wisely the members of the team from production line workers and
also the managers when audit is being conducted internally. If the team
members are with more diverse knowledge, the broader will be the
perspective. As the production line workers has the in-depth knowledge of
the course of action and someone from outside the company can look after
the overlooked issues. Every member of the team should have gone adequate
training on how to audit in order make it successful. Since anybody can audit
anything, but the important thing should be accomplished are the scope and
the objectives set before the audit begins. This audit also starts with a
reviewing the applicable standard and its codes that benefit the audit process
and also the skill of the team members. Apart from this, previous audits can
be a beneficial source of information for the team members to review
especially if the set objectives and recommendations are implemented and are
working.
2) Conduct the Audit:

Audits benefits companies to asses and improve their process planning and
implementation which in turn help employee’s safety. These audits also play
an important role to track the progress to reach the safety goals. As a result,
these audits gauge what need to be improved with what is working well in the
stream. The execution of audit starts with the reviewing of the written plan,
procedures including necessary documents which could help auditors to set
up the baseline for the written process with the actual action taking place.
This audit also takes care of the strengths and the weaknesses in the actual
plan that compares both what is written in the procedure and what is
happening actually in the production.

Interaction with employees of the production line who operates machinery in

addition with the audition procedure being followed gives additional insight.
Since the employees use the process very often, they can better explain the
things fully not only the operation of the machineries and also what can be
done differently. Interestingly, some auditors simply make notes on the
30
checklists and others simply make notes on the observation. Because making Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
notes will not meet the requirements as the audits are designed to meet
specific objectives which can facilitate to be established, therefore it is best to
know the method which best suits to meet capturing the information.
3) Create an Audit Report and Recommended Actions:

Once the audit is being done, every member of the team should compile the
notes made and summarize the report that enables the findings. This should
also include the area audited along with the person who conducted it with the
list of the persons interviewed should also be mentioned.

The final audit report will be the objective and concise which will have both
positive and negative findings. It actually reflects the findings and
perspective of every team member. In addition, the audit will also have the
recommendation on the area to be improved based on these findings.
4) Set Corrective Action Priorities:

Audits reveal curative actions to be implemented immediately and the minor

action that the company can consider in a near future for further improvement.
This list might have short or long issues such that each issue needs to be
addressed right away.

The audit team with the help of the managers and supervisors set up the
priorities to detect the level of hazards. Highest priority should be paid to
those with high risk followed by the lower risk values.

Once the priorities are finalized with the items at high risk, the team assigns
tasks with the review date and its completion. It is the job of the team to set
up the outline on how to complete the task and record it that will benefit the
future audits with ease.
5) Publish Audit Results:

Employees would be aware of what’s going well and which part of the
machinery needs to be improved. Posting the results of the audits on the
website of the company intranet, in the appropriate venues will enhance and
encourage the transparency among the workers for their safety facility that
company has taken up.

The audit that is posted will also help everyone understand the changes that
need to be implemented and how these changes will enhance their personal
safety during the work in the production line. The audit will also
acknowledge the every member of team with managers and employee for
their effort during the process of audit. These acknowledgements also
encourage having conversation with the goodwill for the future audits.

These safety audits are time consuming with huge effort is paid, however
similar to the processes which rely on the time and effort, the team present 31
 Introduction to the valuable results that push the company’s effort towards their employees
Industrial Safety
safety. This will enable for the company to have proactive safety measure
that can avoid injuries, illness and death of the employees.

Audits focus on the effective implementation of the safety plans with double
check the processes which are accurate on the basis of the procedure that are
underlined previously in the audit. Without the procedure being followed will
let the audit time consuming and tend not to perform future audits frequently.
Just like the preventive maintenance allotted for equipments, audits also helps
to fetch and prevent the injuries and fatalities.

Noteworthy
Strength

Observation
Weakness/ Risk Nonconformity
Oppotunit
y
Failure
Weakness/
Oppotunity

Figure 1.6: Outcomes of Audit

1.7 ACCIDENT ANALYSIS

Today’s comparative and sensitive environment, companies look after
different techniques to be incorporated to fetch highest benefits. Total quality
management (TQM), just in time (JIT), manufacturing and total employee
involvement (TEI) is such good examples of different techniques. These
techniques will help in optimization of the processes being used as the asset
of the companies. Safety department is one such main part of the company
which has a strong influence on the asses or the responsibility of the
employees for maintaining the different concepts in order to meet the
underlined targets of the company without the support of such departments
including the strategy led by quality and maintenance. There is obviously no
doubt that safety of the individual has vital role in every company. In recent
days, the prior attention of the companies is being the safety of the employees
that has become the evil, i.e. which is regarded to be expense and becomes
non-value added amount. Without the companies cannot endure for more
time, i.e. by not considering the safety as one of the prime agenda because the
others companies which are considering it will put out the business as a
competitive weapon.
32
Investigation of the accidents in the production line is primarily regarded as a Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
fact-finding procedure; which are based on the facts that were not followed
which could also be prevented in order to avoid recurrences of similar
accidents. If properly handled, accidents can also be reduced and that enables
the safety and health awareness among the employees, and builds affinity
between the supervisor and the injured. These injuries and also the illness
among the workers can be reduced to great extent by minimizing the
hazardous conditions. Although it is to be remembered that it cannot be
completely eliminate all accidents. However, it will be easier and cost
effective, if it can be reduce and eliminate the hazards than to teach
employees to be safe from being injured in the working area. It is significant
to note that reducing or minimizing the hazards is important. This can be
better accomplished by changing the worn parts and equipments, installing
the safety guards, by enhancing the material handling technique, and by
adopting less hazardous chemicals.
It is also important to rectify the causes and adopting the corrective measures
as is the objective of any accident investigation procedure. Examples of such
areas to be probes include unsafe conditions, poorly underlined tasks,
inadequate procedures and lack of accountability. Even the minor injuries
that occurred on the floor evoke the usage of incorrect practices, which if
corrected could be used to avoid such hazards. Therefore, every minor injury
should also be considered and investigated in the same manner as vigor with
thoroughness.
Ultimately, the principal purpose of the fact findings is the investigations of
the accidents. Even the smallest of the smallest factors should be considered
which an important factor in the investigation. Also, the reference from the
well investigated on the accidents could also help to prevent such injuries,
accidents in future, not only that it can be cater to serve as a opportunity to
learn, and build the trust among employees. The accidents that occur in
industries are termed as industrial accidents. These occur as a result of faulty
equipment or machinery and also due to the negligence of the worker. These
accidents can be reduced with proper safety measures and precautions. There
will always be some of the valid reasons for these accidents to happen. Also,
chances of occurring accidents during running the machine and equipments
are also quite often. Therefore, proper training with the prior knowledge
among the workers can reduce the danger of accidents as operation in
industry is always a full chance of accidents. Carelessness among the workers
also leads to accidents. The number of accidents will be increased if a worker
shows negligent behavior under the influence of intoxicants.
Classification of Accidents

Accidents are classified into three categories on the basis of the length of the
recovery:

33
 Introduction to 1) First Aid Cases:
Industrial Safety
The injuries happened due to minor accidents are not considered to be serious
as the worker is given the first aid in factory hospital. As the worker gets the
medical treatment in the factory hospital can return to start the work. This
will not be time consuming except for the time taken to treat the worker with
the first aid. Also, there will be no compensation being paid due to minor
injuries.
2) Home case accidents:

Preliminary aid in treatment is being at the factory hospital and allows the
worker to go home for the fast recovery. During this wound will be healed
and the worker will be ready to resume his duties. Therefore, worker may
lose a shift or day of his duties during the accident. This type of accidents
also not serves the purpose of compensation for the injured as this will not
fall under workmen’s compensation act.

3) Lost Time Accidents:

These accidents are entitled for the compensation from the company. The
worker will be allowed to take leave on the work on the issue of accident for
a day and entitled to take many days if necessary. During this the worker will
be hospitalized as a result of temporary or a permanent disablement might
occur.
 Monitor & measure Set goals, by
This leads to an enquiry followed objectives,
Follow
 the and standards
work Allocate
plansif there exists
investigation a resources
difference in causes is found concerning the accident. As a example, if the
body part such as hand, leg or any other part is injured or being cut. In recent
times, a systematic technique is being implemented to analyze and prevent
the process of PDCA which is commonly termed as Plan-Do-Check-Act, and
is commonly followed by all the industries in identifying the causes (Figure
1.7).

Figure 1.7: The Modified PDCA Process for a Safety Management System Immediately
After an Accident

 Ensure any injured or ill employee receives medical care immediately;

34
 Start the accident-investigation process promptly; Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
 Maintain conditions at the accident scene, as much as possible;
 Involve the right people - supervisor, employee, witnesses and others;
 Form a fact-finding committee in the event of very serious accidents.

The details of the information regarding accident-investigation including the

name of the injured with respect to the date and time of the injured,
occupation held in the company with his task being performed when injury
took place, his shift and the department he represent, employee’s address
showing his age or date of birth, tenure of his service with the employer, time
of the shift started, hospital and the physician name, with the type of injury
he underwent, describing his illness with the accident, a summary drawn
contributing to the accident, corrective measures taken so far with persons,
statements of the injured person along with the witness, can be presented to
showcase how the safety in the working area is being managed and what else
is necessary to be implemented. This develops the appropriate justification
for addressing the common causes of accidents and its prevention in future.

Management review the reports of the investigation made on the accident to

ensures to develop the underlined remedial actions. This report on the
accident is very informative for the top level executives to take necessary
action. With this they will be informed all the time about the accident
investigation, allows to draw question on why such accident happened and
lets them take a serious step to avoid such incidents being happened in future.
This further will be followed by the handing over the reports to the authority
to take the necessary action such as maintenance staff. These reports will
have photographs or the drawings or other information that give insight about
the accident including the statement of the witness and also the information
given by others. The lack in follow up in the process of the accident
investigations reveals the greatest deficiency that create turbulence in
rectifying or taking corrective measures that led during the accident. A good
investigation report on the accident narrates the specific corrective actions,
and the person who actually needs to take action, and deadline for the
completion of the target. This will be followed by the members of the
responsible management to follow up in order to ensure the implementation
of the deadline with corrective measures. After being implemented all the
actions taken on behalf should be provided with a summary of the sequence,
causes and measures taken for the betterment of the working area. Also,
every employee should be aware of similar kind of operations. This should be
assigned to the supervisor or the members of the team. This will be served in
three fold:

 To provide additional safety training,

 To make operational changes based on the facts involved in the accident,
35
 Introduction to  To let employees know that the company cares about their safety and
Industrial Safety
health.

Most importantly the management should encourage the employees

suggestions in regards to the safety as well as health concerning factors and
let them participate in investigation process. Thus management should seek
the opportunity for the employee participation.

PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Process: The process is an essential part as it

provides an opted way to analyze the accident investigation which also acts
as acumen to avoid or prevent the occurrence of the accidents both by the
company and the government (Figure 1.7). In order to acquire an effective
investigation, therefore it should approach from the basic causes of the
incident to happen and use data of the previous results. However, availability
of enormous theoretical concepts and also the models that are associated with
it can explain the how and why accidents happen. This provides a platform,
upon which they can exhibit their expertise to analyze, investigate, and draw
the preventive actions against accidents. Among the theories so far used, the
three most commonly used are; domino theory of causation, system theory,
and hazard-barrier-target theory. Domino theory insights on the consequence
of errors that made the accident to happen right from social environment to
the unsafe condition and from fault or person to the unsafe act of the worker
that led to an injury. Whereas the other method of system theory denotes may
of the causes that indulge of faulty system components; and finally according
to hazard-barrier-target theory, despite the barriers that have already been
introduced to avoid the hazards but they happen to occur due to repeated
exposure of the flaws.

The application of analysis technique such as PDCA in order to depict and

classify the prime causes of accidents might help to provide sophisticated
information and being a lesson to be learned from the data. The use of PDCA
technique to identify the causes for the accidents allows developing a
individual model that can be a combination of two or more models in
defining the safety management system that incorporates the systematic and
practical approach prospective on vulnerable components. The reports on the
accidents comprised of experts decision on the culpable components from the
safety management system with basic of the causes of the investigation.

Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) Process: A

recent study on the statistical research has highlighted deeply the human error
being the primary factor that is being the majority of the accidents. This was
also suggested by the analytical foundation for a Human Factors Analysis and
Classification System (HFACS) to characterize the role of human error
quantitatively. HFACS, being the commonly used tool to investigate the role
of human contributions even in the area of the aviation accidents as
underlined in the widespread of the evaluation scheme. This study by the
36
HFACS on analytical criteria in a fuzzy atmosphere to investigate the Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
accidents in a consistent manner. Also, the other quantification technique
such as Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is being integrated on the
existing framework of HFACS to investigate in a more quantifiable manner
the contributions of human error to accidents. After that, the use of pair wise
comparison technique allows drawing active and latent failures that can be a
cause for the future accidents in the working area of the industries. This is
based on the methodology that comprises of group discussion ability of an
individual to enhance the performance of the model outcomes.

HFACS has become a most powerful tool in analysis of the human factors
that contribute to the different types of accidents. The principal aim of the
HFACS being used against the traditional method is to depict the accurate
reason that led the accident to happen. Accident analysis usually focuses on
proper identification of the most important phenomena that emerge in the
course of an accident. The analyzed accident models differ in both their level
of detail and their scope of applicability. More general models enable a rough
analysis of the phenomena only.

Since the accident is represented as a series of consecutive events, it is a

sequential model. A basic drawback of the sequential models consists of the
fact that they only allow one to investigate phenomena that appear directly in
the course of the accident, neglecting the indication of accident causes which,
by their nature, must have emerged earlier. These causes had exerted their
influence before the accident happened, thereby making it possible for the
phenomena to follow. Since, first of all, the mistakes made by designers of
machines and workstations are to be analyzed, the sequential model is not
suitable for our purposes. A relatively large group of accident models
comprises those based on the analysis of human behaviour under stress.

1.8 SAFETY TRAINING

No business firm anticipate to have a better safety concern without the head
of the firm, be a president, chief executive officer or the owner can explain
the issue of personal leadership with specific activities rely on the safety; a
key value is the ultimate priority in the organization. The head of the
organization should also communicate to every employees of the
organization to understand the safety process and procedures and also
encourage them to participate in safety programs conducted by the
organization. Every business will essentially have established a follow
through on procedures and also the practices that every employee is reached
with intranet or some other way about the safety and health issues as prime
responsibility is as equal as quality and cost effectiveness. Safety and health
program is the term used to define the safety measures that has been
undertaken in the prospect of combination of procedures, processes with the
37
 Introduction to help of organization policies including actions and decisions. With the
Industrial Safety
effective leadership and execution of each of the elements in the program are
an essential part of safety and health issues.

With the safety measures taken in concern of all the employees in the
organization, the performance pays off with very influencing profit in the
business. It also enhances the production efficiency and morale among the
employees, compensation cost for the lower workers and allows the worker
to keep on the keep during the shift. Every organization in the business area
confronts a problem of multitude that need to have a treatment on immediate
attention. If the problem has not found any solution, it will tempt to overlook
on safety and health issues also. It is likely to be solved when the accident
occurs and keeping in mind the mistakes should not be repeated to reduce the
accidents. As a result the burden in providing the compensation and also the
claims made by the accidents will defer the organizations profit and quality.

It is the job of every employee to become familiar to the procedures of safety

and health issues in the working area of the organization. As these laws are
defined on the basis of duties, actions and also ensure to have the employees’
concern. In addition to this, companies must also be familiar with the
government regulation on environmental protection agency (EPA), building
codes as well as the regulation of the fire safety.

The following are the well scripted safe practices in the working area, and are
being recognized by every organization for their employee’s safety
procedures:

Provide guidelines for controlling potential hazards;

 Communicate your company’s accident-prevention policies

 Contribute useful information during training
 Contribute useful information during training

Every business, irrespective of its unit capacity and employee’s size and it
should adopt better safety practices and communicated for the better
understanding among the workers. Sometimes, it is also necessary to adopt
the special safe work practices in the particular domain or subdivision or
department of the company, in order to avoid hazards depending on the
nature of work with available technology. The adopted safety procedures
ensure to be used as a supplement for other actions taken by the management,
to build a better workplace with integrity of safety in all domain functions.
Not meeting the desired rules and regulations will bring down the potential of
the company’s in order to achieve its safety performance. It is necessary in
developing safe work practices, as it is will be essential to develop practices
and procedures pertaining to specific and reasonable issues. A procedure
which cannot be followed will eventually enforce potential ineffectiveness in
38
other concern also. Therefore, giving equal significance one can effectively Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
remove the hurdle or can control the hazard, also it will minimize the need of
safety in the working area. The organization with excellent brains will
develop the technique to have safe work practices that are involved with
companies operation, they may be supervisors and employees, who has the
basic knowledge of their own work safety of the working area.

People interest towards buying increases monotonically when they are aware
of the process. Such kind of participation will enhance the quality of
knowledge of participants in enduring to reduce the accidents or hazards or
eliminate it. Writing the safe working practices with the ease in
understanding by effective utilization of a local language will also affect
positively. Whenever necessary, remind them of what to do, rather than what
is not should be done. As the example, say, “Use a lifting device to move
the ...,” rather than “Don’t lift the device without using a ....”, it is also in
practice to give the safest work practices program to the newly recruited or
the transferred employees in order to ensure to do their work is being done
without any causalities. Also as motioned above, training must be a
continuous process. It is the job of the supervisors to frequently review the
general as well as the department wise specific work practices along in
correlation with its employees. As the supervisors and employees are mostly
involved in performing the maintenance work so they should be aware of safe
work practices of each and every department. Due importance should given
to develop safe work practices in order to ensure safe operation of dangerous
equipments as in case there will be only few skilled workers available to
operate such equipments or workers capable of working in such hazards
condition or environment. Therefore educating and training will be extremely
helpful to have safe work practices. Despite training being the essential part
of any operational safety and health program, however it should not replace
the policy to eliminate or minimize the hazards in the work area.

Safety and health meetings are important in getting employees actively

involved in the company’s efforts to maintain a safe and healthful working
environment. Safety meetings can involve requesting employee ideas about
safety policies and procedures, setting up employee teams to develop safe
work practices or encouraging employees to report unsafe procedures,
processes and conditions. Supervisors also can ask workers for their ideas on
how to solve specific problems. The supervisor’s ability to develop and
conduct interesting and rewarding meetings is only limited by his or her own
creativity. If the safety discussion involves an accident or illness, focus the
discussion on the facts surrounding the incident, the injury and the causes that
allowed the incident to occur. Discussion of a failure to adhere to a safety
procedure should cover why such behavior is wrong, the potential hazards
and constructive discussion on how to correctly follow procedures.

39
 Introduction to Discussion involving work being planned should include potential hazards,
Industrial Safety
developing suggested engineering approaches to reduce risk, identifying
safety equipment to be used and developing basic safe operating procedures.
This is an excellent opportunity to involve the workers in the planning
process.

It is important that all operating unit members know they are part of the
occupational safety and health team. Recognizing that you count on each one
to contribute to the success of the team can stimulate ideas and energies that
will help strengthen each person’s commitment to making the workplace as
safe as possible. Achieving teamwork requires active cooperation and
involvement on the part of both the employees and management.

Safety and health training provides specific instructions to employees so they

can perform their jobs in a safe and healthful manner. Safety and health
training also is intended to impart knowledge so workers can identify
workplace hazards and initiate changes themselves. Creating interest,
commitment and awareness is the challenge those involved in training must
successfully meet. Safety and health training can be put under orientation
program when a person is promoted from one department to another
department or while he’s learning that new job for which he is appointed for.
While in case of temporary transfer to other departments, cross training is
considered to be extremely important for safety and health of those
employees who are being transferred.

Supervisors form a check list comprising of specific items for discussion

which they find an effective technique and helps them in covering their
points during the orientation program. These training methods turn into
successful session when there is consistency and confidence amongst number
of participants attending the training session.

A well-organized, well-planned, and well-executed safety orientation

programs results in building a strong foundation for each person’s future
safety and health performance. It should be confirmed by each supervisor
leading the orientation program that each new employee gets a copy of
detailed safe work practices and measures. The supervisor should also ensure
that need for safe work practices and procedures are well and thoroughly
understood by all the new employees who have attended the orientation
program.

Following are few steps adopted for conducting effective job safety training
program:

 Briefly explain the main objectives of conducting the safety training

programs and also reason why these training programs are so important
for any new employee. Once the doubt about why this training is
important and what’s in it for him or her is clear in the minds of a person
40
 attending the program, his or her interest in learning will automatically Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
grow if he or she understands.
 Categorize each key step of a job by breaking down the total job or
process into specific part. This detailed outline of a job or procedure may
be able to help and guide the workers in understanding their job nature
and related process. Also this detailed outline of a job involving how
safety integrates into each step of the job, workers learn about how to
accomplish their work and do their job safely and correctly.
 Elaborate new workers about the appropriate ways of doing their job or
procedure. Simply demonstrating how to conduct a specific job safely is
generally lacking. Before proceeding to the next step, trainer should
pause at one point every time to highlight the key points. Trainer should
encourage the employees to ask questions at each stage so that they are
able to clear their doubts related to safety and training at the time of
orientation program itself for better understanding.
 Ask the employees to conduct their allotted job or procedure by
describing each and every step in detail about what he or she has to do
and also why they have to do. By doing this and allowing an employee to
recite and conduct his respective job, this will ultimately let trainer know
about whether the person attending the program is able to understand the
aspects of safety and health and he or she can complete the task safely.
 The dedicated trainer must visit periodically to check and see whether
the worker is doing well in his job or not and also to check if he or she
has any queries or difficulties in conducting his job. The early follow-up
process is a very important procedure as it allows identifying the
improper work procedures in an early stage and helps in correcting them
as well as helping employees in developing safe and efficient work
habits.
Supervisors must conduct safety and health training programs on regular
basis for smooth functioning of the job and procedures in a plant. The safety
aspects inculcated in the training program might include information related
to monthly safety and health meetings; safety training linked to modifications
in the work processes or procedures, systematic personal safety contacts,
safety training linked to the work nature and safety compliance which might
be about fire safety, emergency actions, lockout/tagout, and hazard
communication.
Each company or industry should take responsibility of providing work
station that is free of life threating hazards for employees. It is important to
take measures for eliminate hazards in the work environment, on the other
hand it might be impossible or infeasible to eradicate all the hazards
completely through engineering design, guarding or administrative controls.
In such cases PPE (Personal protective equipment) might be adopted for
safety purpose of employees. 41
 Introduction to Personal protective equipment (PPE) generally comprises of following
Industrial Safety
protective equipment:

 Hand protection- heat or chemical-resistant gloves.

 Face and eye protection- safety glasses, goggles and face shields
 Head protection- hard hats and bump caps
 Protective footwear- safety shoes, rubber boots and metatarsal guards
The personal protective equipment type required during any tragedy or
circumstances will solely depends upon the particular hazard that might occur,
the exposure duration and will ultimately depend upon exposure intensity. In
order to safeguard employees against identified hazards, it is important to
make employees use of PPE. In order to be effective, the opted PPE should
be readily available, should be of correct size and should be designed
properly for the use intended. PPE use ensures and increases employees’
safety against damaged or defective equipment. PPE program must be
arranged for training employees about the benefits of PPE and is considered
as an important part of it. Training session of about 10-15 minutes is required
regarding safety footwear, safety eyewear and hard hats so as to elaborate the
objectives, policy, responsibilities and procedures. Whereas PPE devices
associated with respiratory protection or hearing protection demands for
requires more extensive education and training.
Broad information regarding when and what PPE is required; how to adjust
and wear the PPE; and the restrictions, appropriate care, utilization,
maintenance and the ultimate disposal of PPE must be strictly included in the
PPE training. Supervisors should ensure and ask employees to demonstrate
an understanding of necessities and capability of using PPE properly before
they are given permission to conduct works requiring PPE. Employees
should be informed about the basis of selection decisions of PPE devices and
insure that employees also get the decision logic used behind opting for
particular PPE device. Make arrangement for new training sessions in case of
obsolete previous trainings in case where there are changes in work station or
type of PPE used earlier, also in case when there is lack of knowledge or skill
predicted from employee’s behaviour with assigned PPE.
The PPE program should be in written form by each company that encloses
all the aspects of safety equipment procedures in detail.
Safety officer of coordinator of any company is a responsible personal for
assessing company’s hazard sites and sources and will accordingly select the
PPE device according to type of risk. Supervisors or team leaders are strictly
instructed to check that correct PPE device is available, is in functional
condition and is worn by employees correctly. Supervisors should train their
employees about how to exchange their equipment and what one should do in
case if any problem or difficulty occurs with that particular equipment during
functioning.

42
Each supervisor or team leader should be able to assess the hazards and Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety
should be able to manage their employees, and then only those supervisors
will be titled as effective coach. Supervisor should communicate their
employees the need for wearing PPE devices while working in their
respective sites via in formal training sessions, in informal one on one
conversation or by setting example like by wearing hand gloves in front of
the employee, by wearing helmet by themselves.
New or transferred employees usually begin their work by attending
orientation program related to safety and health concerns. Safety and health
orientation programs helps in periodically fixing meetings or discussions
associated to safety and health issues and ultimately check the knowledge of
attending employee by making them doing work in hazard possessing sites
and by checking their knowledge by the way they opt for their respective PPE
devices for the same.
These activities generally hold very important place for education, training
and communication, as these generally not allow for supervisory contact and
discussion with employees regarding safety and health issues.
It is suggested that more frequent yet less formal contact with labours
promotes effective training regarding safety process. Supervisors and team
leaders’ gets details of status amongst labours regarding safety and health by
promoting one-on-one communication and they get an chance to find out
what employee holds opinion about safety, assists in clarifying doubts and
get to know their expectations and promote understanding and commitment
due to which benefits stay with organizations as well.
When organization is systematic and organized its productivity and
performance are automatically enhanced owing to providing training to
employees, opportunity and right to participate during decision making
process. When there is freedom to speech, and employees are allowed to put
on their thoughts and ideas in front of team leaders regarding improving
safety and health related concerns and when employee know that they will
not lose their jobs as an outcome of putting their knowledge for enhancing
safety and productivity of an organization. The employee and company’s
safety gets commitment from supervisor when safety aspects are monitored
periodically. By making safety aspects and it’s monitoring as a part of any
supervisor’s performance, leads to profit of both the company and as well as
of supervisor. This process of monitoring is easy procedure which can be
done and managed via little bit of training. A supervisor set aside 5 to 15
minutes in morning meeting or by any other mode and communicates the
importance of safety and health to employees weekly, biweekly or at a
minimum, monthly
Training can be made for discussing needs to identify various possible
hazards, protective equipment for improving process, redesigning work place
so as to do proper risk assessment. If employees willingly participate into the
discussion and supervisors respond to their queries and concerns and
inculcate their ideas into the final decision making, then beginning of trust
and personal ownership takes place amongst both the side. When a work 43
 Introduction to environment is build where supervisor and employees both consider safety
Industrial Safety
and health aspects as their duty and mutual responsibility then performance is
improved with least wastage of time which generally takes place owing to
illness or accidents.
Supervisor or team leaders can record their information regarding the recent
conducted meetings with the employees in a record known as employee
safety contact/observation record. Supervisor can record or jot down the
important points confronted during conversation or discussion done during
meeting with the employees for example pocket cards that contains record of
each meeting for tracking purpose.
Supervisor can make use of these safety tools to identify the injury or illness
of any employee going through it by using safety observations records and
can solve their problems. Yet there are many companies who confront with
increasing worker’s reimbursement costs as well as costs associated to work
station ambience that generally leading to illness or accidents.
A variety of factors contribute to organizational safety performance. The
culture of organization is also affected by company values and beliefs.
Organizational culture aids in recognizing and handling hazards via effective
safety methods which indirectly helps in identifying and eradicating injuries
and illness which might affect the organizations safety and health if not
solved prior to actual happening. The overall safety and accident prevention
is monitored by senior management’s leaders and desired actions are taken up
under their supervisions.

SAQ 1 T/F
a) State True or False
i) The Cost of lost time of injured worker is indirect
cost of accident.
ii) The purpose of a lock-out/tag-out procedure is to
secure harmful energy sources to prevent injury.
iii) Shock is defined as an abnormal condition of the
body where there is insufficient blood delivered to
the body’s cells.
iv) A confined space is deemed ready for employee
entry when the unit operations foreman declares it
ready.
b) Why all minor injuries should be reported. Provide
two reasons?
c) Why it is required to keep a record of all accident, however small?
d) Name 4 areas into which accident costs may be classified?
e) What are the immediate and ultimate objectives of an accident
investigation? Qualify your answer?

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1.9 LET US SUM UP Basic Concept of
Industrial Safety

Safety concept is defined as a state in which risk of harm to persons or

property damage is reduce to, and upheld at or below, an acceptable level
through a continuing process of hazard identification and risk management.
On the other hand when we talk about accomplishing safer and reliable
design, its whole liability rests on the shoulders of those groups or
individuals who regulates and governs the design functions. Industrial
revolution elevated the unsafe and dangerous working environments in many
factories conditions in which labours were unaware of the dangers and
hazards associated to their work place or workstation. So an industry
providing importance and greatly determining the safety culture by focusing
on accident prevention on a priority basis and preventing employees against
injury or harm. A company’s performance can be escalated by appointing
dedicated supervisor for regularly monitoring, devoting and arranging
training sessions for making understand labours, employees and new comers
about safety aspects via orientation programs. This leads to excellent results
and directly leads to enhanced performance of industries. These resources
assist in enhancing the supervisor’s effectiveness in incorporating safety
performance into day-to-day functions. Comprising safety aspects as a crucial
factor helps in enhancing supervisors’ and managers’ overall performance
appraisals and it draws a clear picture that organization is dedicated towards
managing risks that might occur in day to day life, and prevents chances of
accidents and reduces chances of illness in work environment. There should
be an agreement amongst the manager and the supervisor to what activities
will be taken into account by the supervisor to forecast the safety issues
concerned with the work environment, and proper actions will be ultimately
taken by the supervisor to assure the safety and health issues of the work
station. Organizations’ safety revolves around the safety culture and the
culture of the organization. It is important that all the responsible authorities
of the organization take part in maintaining incremental improvement in
safety and health.

1.10 KEY WORDS

Safety: Freedom from (unacceptable) risk of harm to persons. Safety may
also encompass environmental or asset damage/loss.
Audit – an assessment of a safety and health program’s documentation and
or a physical location to ensure regulation compliance by a trained safety
professional.
Employee – Every laborer or mechanic, regardless of the contractual
relationship which may be alleged to exist between the laborer and mechanic
and the contractor or subcontractor who engaged him. “Laborer” generally
means one who performs manual labor or who labors at an occupation
45
 Introduction to requiring physical strength; “mechanic” generally means a worker skilled
Industrial Safety
with tools.
Employer – Contractor or subcontractor.
Hazard – A chance, an accident, a chance of being injured or harmed, danger,
a possible source of danger to life, to health, property, or environment.
House keeping Audit – an assessment of a physical location to ensure
regulation compliance by a trained safety professional.
Inspection – The act of inspecting, official examination or review, an
organized examination, or formal evaluation excise.

1.11 ANSWERS TO SAQs

SAQ 1
a)
i) True
ii) True
iii) True
iv) False
b)
1. To prevent reoccurrence.
2. In case of litigation.
3. To prevent sepsis.
c)
1. Accidents prevention.
2. In case of litigation.
d)
1. Wage losses
2. Production losses
3. Medical costs
4. Property Damage
5. Invention costs
6. Insurance costs
e) The immediate objective- is to get accurate information about the cause
and circumstances of the accident.

The Ultimate objective- is to prevent future reoccurrence’s of similar

accidents, to uncover new hazards, and to devise methods to control these
hazards.

46
 Basic Concept of
1.12 REFERENCES AND FURTHER STUDIES Industrial Safety

1) Marcel Simard, Alain Marchand, “A multilevel analysis of

organizational factors related to the taking of safety initiatives by work
groups” vol. 1, pp. 5-9, (1995).
2) Marc A. Rose, “Engineering Health and Safety Module and Case
Studies”, vol. 1, pp. 1-9, July (2004).
3) Paivi Hamalainen, Jukka Takala, Kaija Leena Saarela, “Global estimates
of occupational accidents”, vol. 1, pp. 2-3, (2005).
4) “Management of Industrial Accident Prevention and Preparedness” A
Training Resource Package UNEP, vol. 1, pp. 55-97, June (1996).
5) Muhammad Shahid, Tufail, Hamid, Mehovic, “Investigation of the ways
to improve the performance of a plant” vol. 1, pp. 1-6, June (2007).
6) J. Leslie Goodier,E. Boudreau,G. Coletta. R. Lucas, “Industrial Health
and Safety Criteria for Abrasive Blast Cleaning Operations ”. vol. 1, pp.
5-7, June (1996).
7) S. J. Ahn, A systematic procedure for evaluation of safety management
systems in chemical processes, Ph.D. Thesis, Seoul National University
(2008).
8) A. Jacobsson, J. Sales and F. Mushtaq, Journal of Loss Prevention in the
Process Industries, 22, 213 (2009).
9) K. D. Kim, Safety management system, Books Hill Inc., Seoul,
373(2004).
10) M. S. Mannan, T. M. O’Connor and N. Keren, Journal of Hazardous
Materials, 163, 349 (2009).
11) KOSHA, Industrial accidents in South Korea during 2008, KOSHANET
(2009).
12) M. Celik and S. Cebi, Accident Analysis and Prevention, 41, 66 A
(2009).
13) M. Bevilacqua, F. E. Ciarapica and G. Giacchetta, Accident Analysis and
Prevention, 40, 1468 (2008).
14) M. Tweeddale, Managing risk and reliability of process plants, Gulf
Professional Publishing, New York (2003).
15) Department of Environmental Protection of Yeosu City Government,List
of accidents in Yeosu petrochemical complex, Yeosu City (2005).
16) CCPS, Guidelines for risk based process safety, CCPS of the AIChE,
Wiley (2007).

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