Hazard Hunts

Hazards – Blog

I am often asked about some of the hazards I generally found during inspections. These are by far the most frequent hazard I found while conducting inspections.  Most of them are actually very simple to fix.

Description: A bench grinder in the maintenance shop was not safeguarding to OSHA’s minimum requirements.  OSHA requires the following items with respect to bench grinders:

•  Tool rests (work rests) shall be kept adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening of 1/8” to prevent the work from being jammed between the wheel and the rest.
• Tongue guards shall be kept adjusted to within 1/4” of the outside of the grinding wheel to deflect fragments away from the operator should the wheel shatter.
• As the bench grinder is designed for a fixed location, it must be securely anchored to prevent walking or moving during operation. (1910.212b)
• Immediately before mounting, all abrasive wheels are to be closely inspected and sounded (ring tested) by the user to make sure they have not been damaged in transit, storage, or otherwise.

Condition:  Work rests. On offhand grinding machines, work rests shall be used to support the work. They shall be of rigid construction and designed to be adjustable to compensate for wheel wear. Work rests shall be kept adjusted closely to the wheel with a maximum opening of one-eighth inch to prevent the work from being jammed between the wheel and the rest, which may cause wheel breakage. The work rest shall be securely clamped after each adjustment. The adjustment shall not be made with the wheel in motion.  Exposure adjustment. Safety guards of the types described in Subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph, where the operator stands in front of the opening, shall be constructed so that the peripheral protecting member can be adjusted to the constantly decreasing diameter of the wheel. The maximum angular exposure above the horizontal plane of the wheel spindle as specified in paragraphs (b)(3) and (4) of this section shall never be exceeded, and the distance between the wheel periphery and the adjustable tongue or the end of the peripheral member at the top shall never exceed one-fourth inch. (See Figures O-18, O-19, O-20, O-21, O-22, and O-23.)  Inspection. Immediately before mounting, all wheels shall be closely inspected and sounded by the user (ring test) to make sure they have not been damaged in transit, storage, or otherwise. The spindle speed of the machine shall be checked before mounting of the wheel to be certain that it does not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel. Wheels should be tapped gently with a light nonmetallic implement, such as the handle of a screwdriver for light wheels, or a wooden mallet for heavier wheels. If they sound cracked (dead), they shall not be used. This is known as the "Ring Test".

Standard: 1910.215(a)(4), 1910.215(b)(9), 1910.215(d)(1)

Potential Effects: Cuts to fingers and penetration injuries from contact with or disintegration of the grinding wheel.

Recommended Action: Ensure the grinder is bolted to the bench and adjust the tongue guard and tool rest to the specifications listed above.  As the wheel is ground down, readjust the guards.  This adjustment should be checked routinely before energizing the wheel, as a standard safe operating procedure.  Ring test stones.

Procedures for ring test stone: To conduct the ring test on smaller wheels, they should be tapped lightly with a light nonmetallic implement, such as the handle of a screwdriver for light wheels, or a wooden mallet for heavier wheels. Tap wheels about 45 degrees each side of the vertical centerline and about one or two inches from the periphery.  Then rotate the wheel 45 degrees and repeat the test.  A sound and undamaged wheel will give a clear metallic tone.  If cracked, there will be a dead sound and not a clear "ring." If they sound cracked (dead) they must not be used. Wheels must be dry and free from sawdust when applying the ring test, otherwise the sound will be deadened.  It should also be noted that organic bond wheels do not emit the same clear metallic ring as do vitrified and silicate wheels.

Larger wheels may be tested by vibration to detect damage.  To perform the vibration test, an abrasive wheel is set on a test fixture in a horizontal position and coated with a thin layer of fine dry sand.  The wheel is vibrated gently.  As the wheel vibrates, the sand granules respond to the vibration.  The granules will move away from any cracks that may be in the wheel.  Conversely, the granules will be uniformly distributed over the surface of a sound and undamaged wheel.

Note that the spindle speed of the machine must be checked before mounting the wheel to be certain that it does not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel. 

Author:  Deborah Grow, Safety Specialist

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Safety & Health Management System is like a puzzle

Safety & Health Management System is like a puzzle

All the pieces must be put together for it to work

SH Mgt. System Elements

• Management Leadership and Employee Involvement
• Worksite Analysis
• Hazard Prevention and Control
• Safety and Health Training

SH Elements Interrelated

• All elements of a safety and health system are interrelated.
• All pieces are related to all other pieces.
•  A flaw in one piece will probably impact all the other pieces, and therefore the system as a whole.

The Bigger Picture of the Safety & Health Management System

Now let's talk about the safety and health management system and its components:

• A system is an established arrangement of components that work together to attain a certain objective, in this case to prevent injuries and illnesses in the workplace. 
• Within a system, all parts are interconnected and affect each other.

 Overview of System Components

• Management must provide the resources and authority so all personnel can find the hazards in the worksite and, once found, to eliminate or to control those hazards.
• Training is the backbone of this system. For management to lead, for personnel to analyze the worksite for hazards, and for hazards to be eliminated or controlled, everyone involved must be trained.
• No parts of this system exist independently. An effective and functioning program is the sum of all the parts.

 Worksite Analysis is Just ONE piece of the puzzle!

Worksite Analysis

• Worksite analysis involves a variety of worksite examinations to identify not only existing hazards, but also conditions and operations in which changes might create hazards.
• Effective management actively analyzes the work and the worksite, to anticipate and prevent harmful occurrences.

Comprehensive surveys

• For small businesses, OSHA-funded, state-run consultation services can conduct a comprehensive survey at no cost. Many workers’ compensation carriers and other insurance companies offer expert services to help their clients evaluate safety and health hazards. Numerous private consultants provide a variety of safety and health expert services. Larger businesses may find the needed expertise at the company or corporate level.
• For the industrial hygiene survey, at a minimum, all chemicals and hazardous materials in the plant should be inventoried, the hazard communication program should be reviewed, and air samples analyzed. For many industries, a survey of noise levels, a review of the respirator program, and a review of ergonomic risk factors are needed.

Here’s a suggested plan to identify all worksite hazards:

• Conduct a comprehensive, baseline survey for safety and health and periodic, comprehensive update surveys.
• Conduct periodic and daily safety and health inspections of the workplace.
• Perform routine job safety hazard analyses. (JSA or JHA)
• Change analysis of planned and new facilities, processes, materials, and equipment.

Conduct Self Assessments/Bench Marking

• In order to get where you want to go, it is essential to know where you are starting from.
• You can use a variety of self-audit mechanisms to compare your site processes with other recognized models of excellence such as SHARP sites or Star VPP sites.
• Visiting other sites to gain first hand information is also invaluable.
• You can use perception surveys to measure the strengths and weaknesses of your site safety culture.
• These surveys can give you data from various viewpoints within the organization. For instance, you can measure differences in employees' and managers' perceptions on various issues.
• This is an excellent way to determine whether alignment issues exist and, if so, what they are. One example is the Safety and Health Program Check Up.
• At this stage, it is important to look at issues that surface as symptoms of larger system failures. For example, ask what major system failed to detect the unguarded machine, or why the system failed to notice that incident investigations are not being performed on time, or if workers are being blamed for the failures. Your greatest level of success will come when these larger system failures are recognized and addressed.

Develop an Inspection Program

• To identify hazardous conditions and employee behavior and determine what actions are required to reduce or eliminate accident potential. 
• Additionally, inspections can help determine the extent to which employees adhere to the company's safety program, operating procedures, rules and regulations.
• Developing a self-inspection program and associated checklists can help to protect company assets from fire, employee injury and injury to the public.  
• Their development will require the attention of someone who has a sound knowledge of the company's operations and as well as knowledge of relevant safety standards and local codes.
• The self-inspection program should be a process of fact finding with an emphasis on identifying potential hazards and developing the necessary corrective actions necessary to eliminate them.
• Routine site safety and health inspections are designed to catch hazards missed at other stages. This type of inspection should be done at regular intervals, generally on a weekly basis. In addition, procedures should be established that provide a daily inspection of the work area

You can use a checklist already developed or make your own, based on:
~ Past problems.
~ Standards that apply to your industry.
~ Input from everyone involved.
~ Your company's safety practices or rules.

Important things to remember about inspections are:
~ Inspections should cover every part of the worksite.
~ They should be done at regular intervals.
~ In-house inspectors should be trained to recognize and control hazards.
~ Identified hazards should be tracked to correction.
~ Information from inspections should be used to improve the hazard prevention and control program.

Perform routine job safety hazard analyses (JSA, JHA, or JSHA)

• Hazard analysis techniques can be quite complex. While this is necessary in some cases, frequently a basic, step-by-step review of the operation is sufficient. One of the most commonly used techniques is the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). Jobs that were initially designed with safety in mind may now include hazards or improper operations. When done for every job, this analysis periodically puts processes back on the safety track.
• Other, more sophisticated techniques are called for when there are complex risks involved. These techniques include: WHAT-IF Checklist, Hazard, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, and Fault Tree Analysis. 

 Change Analysis

• Anytime something new is brought into the workplace, whether it be a piece of equipment, different materials, a new process, or an entirely new building, new hazards may unintentionally be introduced. Before considering a change for a worksite, it should be analyzed thoroughly beforehand. Change analysis helps in heading off a problem before it develops.

You may find change analysis useful when:
~  Building or leasing a new facility.
~  Installing new equipment.
~  Using new materials.
~ Starting up new processes.
~  Staffing changes occur.

Author: Deborah Grow, Safety Specialist

Private Safety Consultant, assistant Damon Fall Protection and Coordinator EHS Network ~ Kansas.  Extensive safety experience in General Industry, Construction, D.O.T. Compliance, and OSHA consultation project.  Contact Deborah if you would like to schedule a consultation

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Information in this post was taken from OSHA's Safety & Health Management e-tools

For more information visit OSHA's e-tools

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/mod2_sample_sh_program.html

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/comp2.html