Gas through the mains is highly dangerous and explosive if not used correctly.
- Only competent persons can touch either gas installations or gas-fuelled equipment.
- They must be Corgi Registered to carry out the tasks required (Domestic or Commercial).
Control measures include:
- Having a gas leak (or suspected gas leak) procedure
- Equipment must be regularly serviced
- All defects to equipment or installations must be reported - may need to follow gas leak procedures
- The gas shut off valve (which switches off the main gas supply) must be in an accessible position
- The room or area in which the gas appliance is situated must have good ventilation
- The equipment must be sited/used in a well-lit area
- Staff must receive information, instruction and training
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Approximately 30 people at work die every year as a result of electrocution. The majority of these deaths are caused by contact with overhead or underground cables.
The main hazards from electricity:
Electric shock - the effect on the body and central nervous system produced by the passage of the electric current. Common cause of death is ventricular fibrillation (spasm of the heart muscle). The vascular system ceases to function and the victim dies of suffocation. It’s the current that kills.
Burns - a current passing through a conductor (the person) produces heat. Burns can be caused by contact with hot conductors, e.g. metal, or by the passage of the electric current through the body.
Explosions - electrical short-circuiting or sparking from the electrical contacts in switches or other equipment. There needs to be combustible material, e.g. flammable vapours, dusts or gas.
Eye injuries - exposure to ultraviolet rays from accidental arcing in a process such as welding
Accumulators and batteries - hydrogen gas may be produced as a by-product of battery charging. This results in a potentially explosive atmosphere.
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Safe Systems of Work
Where work is to be undertaken on electrical apparatus or part of a circuit, a formally operated, safe system of work is essential. This commonly takes the form of a Permit to Work system, which ensures the following procedures and precautions:
- Switching off and locking out the electricity supply, i.e. isolation;
- Checking by the use of an appropriate voltage detection instrument that the circuit, that part of same to be worked on, is dead before work commences;
- High levels of supervision and control to ensure that work is undertaken correctly and that Permit to Work procedures are followed;
- Paying particular attention to the precautions where electrical installation or maintenance work is to be undertaken in wet surroundings, in external areas and in confined spaces;
- Examining appliances by a competent person on a regular basis, including the leads, and any extension leads used that may have become damaged;
- Implementing physical precautions, such as the erection of barriers and signs restricting access to the area; and
- Formal cancellation of the Permit to Work once the work is completed satisfactorily and return to service of the appliance, plant or system in question.
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How do you extinguish fires?
This involves the elimination of one side of the fire triangle.
Starvation - remove the fuel, e.g. turn off the gas supply, drag burning pallets away from the fire.
Smothering - remove the oxygen supply or adding inert gas (without oxygen) to the burning mixture, e.g. fire blanket onto a pan, or using a foam extinguisher. Main risk is that the fire may reignite when foam (wet chemical used for fat fryers) or blanket is removed as heat will still be present.
Carbon dioxide is commonly used in extinguishers and nitrogen is used in the petrochemical industry. Smothering is only effective when the source of oxygen is air. It is ineffective when the substance that is burning contains oxygen.
Cooling - commonest, cheapest and most effective method. For example,water sprayed onto a fire, will cause the temperature to be lowered. The steam produced acts as a blanket to smother reducing the potential for further ignition. Dry powder extinguishers rapidly absorb the heat and also smother.
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Electrical equipment - arcing, sparks, hot surfaces created by defective electrical equipment.
Spontaneous ignition - when some liquids are heated or sprayed onto a hot surface, they may ignite without an ignition source being present
Spontaneous combustion - when materials react with oxygen an exothermic reaction takes place, i.e. heat is emitted. May cause the material to ignite or burst into flames
Smoking - discarded smoking materials. Smoking in dangerous areas, e.g. flammable vapours present
Sparks - act as a source of ignition. Friction between surfaces where a machine contact a fixed part or two surfaces rubbing or sliding together during machine operation, e.g. grinders
Hot work - welding, soldering, hot cutting, brazing. Source of ignition, be careful where flammable vapours are present. Permit to work system is necessary when not in a workshop
Static electricity - electrostatic charging is produced by induction or friction, the charge can be carried away from the source, accumulated charge can be a source of ignition
Vehicles - maintenance and parking areas. Diesel and petrol engines, emissions, and hot surfaces, e.g. exhaust system can be a source of ignition
Open flames - many sources, e.g. boilers, furnaces, portable heating appliances, pilot lights. Poorly maintained or incorrectly used equipment can be a source of ignition
Lightning - source of ignition, protection by direct earthing
Arson - high-risk, e.g. 75% of school fires are caused by arson
Lack of management systems - no appropriate detection systems, means of raising the alarm. Poor housekeeping, no training etc.
Chemical reactions
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Hazard: Significant and serious injuries may occur if cranes are not inspected before use and if they are not used properly. Often these injuries occur when a worker is struck by an overhead load or caught within the crane's swing radius. Many crane fatalities occur when the boom of a crane or its load line contact an overhead power line.
Solutions:
- Check all crane controls to insure proper operation before use.
- Inspect wire rope, chains and hook for any damage.
- Know the weight of the load that the crane is to lift.
- Ensure that the load does not exceed the crane's rated capacity.
- Raise the load a few inches to verify balance and the effectiveness of the brake system.
- Check all rigging prior to use; do not wrap hoist ropes or chains around the load.
- Fully extend outriggers.
- Do not move a load over workers.
- Barricade accessible areas within the crane's swing radius.
- Watch for overhead electrical distribution and transmission lines and maintain a safe working clearance of at least 10 feet from energized electrical lines.
Slips, trips and falls on stairways are a major source of injuries and fatalities among construction workers.
Solutions:
- Stairway treads and walkways must be free of dangerous objects, debris and materials.
- Slippery conditions on stairways and walkways must be corrected immediately.
- Make sure that treads cover the entire step and landing.
- Stairways having four or more risers or rising more than 30 inches must have at least one handrail.
HAZARDS:
Ladders and stairways are source of injuries and fatalities among construction workers. OSHA estimates that there are 24,882 injuries and as many as 36 fatalities per year due to falls on stairways and ladders used in construction. Nearly half of these injuries were serious enough to require time off the job.
Solutions:
- Use the correct ladder for the task.
- Make sure that ladders are long enough to safely reach the work area.
- Mark or tag ("Do Not Use") damaged or defective ladders for repair or replacement, or destroy them immediately.
- Never load ladders beyond the maximum intended load or beyond the manufacturer's rated capacity.
- Be sure the load rating can support the weight of the user, including materials and tools.
- Avoid using ladders with metallic components near electrical work and overhead power lines.
