Hazard Assessment

Why Hazard Assessment?  29 CFR Part Subpart I u Increases Awareness of Workplace Hazards u Provides opportunity to identify and control workplace hazards u Can lead to increased productivity u May prevent an Occupational Injury or Illness

What is PPE? Equipment worn by an employee that is designed to prevent injury or illness from a specific hazard.

Before PPE u Administrative Controls –Change Work Practices –Change Hazardous Duties –Cease Hazardous Duties u Engineering Controls –Sound insulation –Guards –Tools

Administrative Changes ! For Example.... Vs u Working off Ladder u Oil based paint u Sand blasting in booth u Jackhammering u Gloved hand u Working off Scaffold u Water based paint u Sand blasting in cabinet u Hole Ram u Hot Sticks

Engineering Controls u Machine Guards u Sound deadening/dampening u Shielding

Controlling Hazards PPE devices alone should not be relied on to provide protection against hazards, but should be used in conjunction with guards, engineering controls, and sound work practices.

Assessment and Selection It is necessary to consider certain general guidelines for assessing the foot, head, eye and face, and hand hazard situations that exist in an occupational operation or process, and to match the protective devices to the particular hazard. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to exercise common sense and appropriate expertise to accomplish these tasks.

Assessment Guidelines. Conduct a walk through survey of the areas in question. The purpose of the survey (or field observation) is to identify sources of hazards to workers and co workers.

Hazard Sources u sources of MOTION u sources of EXTREME temperatures u types of chemical exposures u sources of harmful dust u sources of light radiation u sources of falling objects or potential for dropping objects u sources of sharp objects u sources or rolling or pinching objects u layout of workplace and location of co workers u any electrical hazards

In addition.... injury/ accident data should be reviewed to help identify problem areas.

Organize data Following the walkthrough survey, it is necessary to organize the data and information for use in the assessment of hazards. The objective is to prepare for an analysis of the hazards in the environment to enable proper selection of protective equipment.

Analyze data u Having gathered and organized data on a workplace, an estimate of the potential for injuries should be made. Each of the basic hazards should be reviewed and a determination made as to the type, level of risk. and seriousness of potential injury from each of the hazards found in the area. u The possibility of exposure to several hazards simultaneously should be considered.

Selection guidelines u Become familiar with the potential hazards and the type of protective equipment that is available, and what it can do; i.e.., splash protection, impact protection, etc. u Compare the hazards associated with the environment; i.e.., impact velocities, masses, projectile shape, radiation intensities, with the capabilities of the available protective equipment

Selection guidelines (cont.) u Select the protective equipment which ensures a level of protection greater than the minimum required to protect employees from the hazards. u Fit the user with the protective device and give instructions on care and use of the PPE.

Selection Note u It is very important that end users be made aware of all warning labels for and limitations of their PPE

Reassessment of hazards It is the responsibility of the supervisor to reassess the workplace hazard situation as necessary, by identifying and evaluating new equipment and processes, reviewing accident records, and reevaluating the suitability of previously selected PPE

JOB SAFETY ANALYSIS

Job Safety Analysis The breaking down into its component parts of any method or procedure to determine the hazards connected with each key step and the requirements for performing it safely.

Job Safety Analysis Priorities u New Jobs u Severity Potential u History of Disabling Injuries u Frequency of Accidents

Job Safety Analysis u Job means “task” u (Changing a tire not auto mechanic) u “key” steps u too detailed becomes cumbersome u not enough detail becomes useless

Break job down into key steps AVOID!! u making the breakdown so detailed That an unnecessarily large number of steps results u making the job breakdown so general that basic steps are not recorded

Key Steps TOO MUCH Changing a Flat Tire u Pull off road u Put car in “park” u Set brake u Activate emergency flashers u Open door u Get out of car u Walk to trunk u Put key in lock u Open trunk u Remove jack u Remove Spare tire

Key Steps NOT ENOUGH Changing a Flat Tire u Park car u take off flat tire u put on spare tire u drive away

Key Job Steps JUST RIGHT Changing a Flat tire u Park car, set brake u remove jack & tire from trunk u loosen log nuts u jack up car u remove tire u set new tire u jack down car u tighten lug nuts u store tire & jack

Hazards u Parking Car –Struck by Traffic u Removing tire & jack –Back Strain –bang head on trunk u Loosen lug nuts –back/arm strain –slip & fall u Jacking up car –car could fall off jack u Setting new tire –fingers pinched –back strain u Tighten nuts –back strain –slip & fall

Work Observation u Select experienced worker(s) who will cooperate and participate in the JSA process. u Explain purpose of JSA u Observe the employee perform the job and write down basic steps u Completely describe each step u Note deviations (Very Important!)

Job Safety Analysis

Identify Hazards & Potential Accidents u Search for Hazards u Produced by Work u Produced by Environment u Repeat job observation as many times as necessary to identify all hazards

Develop Solutions u Find a new way to do job u Change physical conditions that create hazards u Change the work procedure u Reduce frequency

New way to do job u Determine the work goal of the job, and then analyze the various ways of reaching this goal to see which way is safest. u Consider work saving tools and equipment.

Change in physical conditions u Tools, materials, equipment layout or location u Study change carefully for other benefits (costs, time savings)

Change in work procedures u What should the worker do to eliminate the hazard u How should it be done? u Document changes in detail

Reduce frequency u What can be done to reduce the frequency of the job?? u Identify parts that cause frequent repairs - change u Reduce vibration save machine parts

What effects?? u A job that has been redesigned may affect other jobs or work processes. u Check or reobserve the new process once it has been redesigned