Hazard Identification for Public Entities

1. Hazard Identification for Public Entities By Richard Buttenshaw

2. Types of Public Entities • Municipalities – small towns to big cities • Utilities – Water, Sewer, Electric, Gas • Housing Authorities • Transit Authorities • Airport Authorities • Regional Planning Authorities Each has it’s own unique set of hazards

3. A process that detects existing and potential hazards so that they can be corrected before an incident occurs Checks for physical hazards Checks for behavioral hazards What is a Safety Inspection ?

4. Why do inspections ? • Eliminate a hazard that might cause an injury • Shows employees that the organization cares about their safety • Helps create a culture of safety • Employees feel part of the safety program if they can report hazards and get involved in inspections • Reduces accidents which in turn reduces costs for medical, WC premiums, lost time • Reputation is enhanced in the community

5. Everyday “eye ball” Departmental Vehicles & Equipment Outside inspections Types of inspections Planned and Continuous (one does not replace the other)

6. Decide what to inspect (inspection inventory) Create a safety inspection checklist Determine how to conduct inspections Determine when to inspect Determine who should inspect The inspectors need training Planning the inspections Get employee involvement – their knowledge of the items and conditions that need inspection will ensure that the inspection list you develop is comprehensive.

7. Inspection Inventory See Handout Item = the inspection item e.g. overhead hoist Critical Factor = things / parts to check e.g. cables, pulleys Conditions to Observe = what to look for e.g. frayed cable, cracked pulley Frequency = how often to check e.g. daily, weekly, monthly Responsibility = who is responsible for doing the inspection

8. Inspection Checklist See Handout

9. How to do the inspection Inspection Guidelines: • Notify affected individuals ahead of time • Give the department head a copy of the inspection checklist ahead of time • Invite the department head to be part of the inspection team • Check previous inspections and follow-up reports for trends, items not corrected, and common hazards • Review all incident/illness reports for that area • Allow enough time • Do not get in the way while performing the inspection • Bring all appropriate inspection tools • Use all applicable safety equipment and precautions for the area

10. How to do the inspection Inspection Guidelines: 10. Request permission to observe an employee performing a task • Remain objective and professional • Talk with employees and listen to all comments and concerns • Avoid promising more than you can deliver • Take detailed notes • Be clear/specific when recording observations • Remember that the purpose of the inspection is to find hazards – not to find fault • Identify positive/good things that you see as well as items/issues that need improvement • Avoid using employee names when documenting hazards

11. How to do the inspection Inspection Tools: • Safety inspection checklists • Notepad • Pencil or pen • Clipboard • Flashlight • Tape measure • Lockout/tagout supplies • Camera/audio/video recorder • Electrical testing equipment • Sampling devices and containers • Stopwatch • Special PPE

12. When to do the inspection • Planned inspections: • Regularly scheduled e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly • Intermittent e.g. when something breaks or someone gets hurt • Continuous inspections: • Hazard awareness • Part of every employee’s daily responsibilities • Vigilant • Alert to conditions with potential to cause incidents • Willing to initiate corrective action • Team effort, not “that’s someone else’s problem”

13. Who should do the inspection • Common inspectors: • Department head • Supervisor • Safety coordinator • Or all 3 as a team • Qualities of good inspectors: • Attitude – must be willing to actually do inspections • Skills – how to do inspections, interpersonal skills and diplomacy • Knowledge and experience – detailed knowledge of work area and knowledge of history of incidents

14. Training the inspectors • Tell them why we do inspections: • Eliminate a hazard that might cause an injury • Shows employees that the organization cares about their safety • Helps create a culture of safety • Employees feel part of the safety program if they can report hazards and get involved in inspections • Reduces accidents which in turn reduces costs for medical, WC premiums, lost time • Skills needed • Attitude, skills, knowledge and experience • Record Keeping • Explain all the forms and how to fill them in This is the most overlooked area Don’t assume

15. Documentation • Inspection Inventory • Inspection Checklists • Inspection Reports • Employee Report of Hazard • Tracking System Evidence of a program

16. Inspection Reports • See Handouts • Example • Blank • Guidelines

17. Employee Report of Hazard See Handout

18. Follow up • Never assume that hazards will be corrected just because they are documented • Set up a tracking system to monitor status: • Must assign responsibility • Must set target correction date • Must record completion date • Must record who completed the work • Once reported as corrected: • Physically verify it has been corrected • Record when and who did the verification • Require supervisors to report on status at safety meetings The key to the whole process

19. Job Hazard Analysis • What is it ? • A method for studying a task to: • Identify hazards and potential injuries associated with each step • Develop solutions that will eliminate, minimize, and prevent hazards • Similar techniques: • Job Safety Analysis (JSA) • Job Observation

20. Steps of Job Hazard Analysis • Selection of job to be analyzed 2. Break job down into tasks or activities performed 3. Observe how each task or activity is performed 4. Identify hazards of each task or activity 5. Develop improvements to eliminate or reduce the hazards

21. Job Selection – Step 1 • Tasks that have the most safety and health hazards • Tasks that have a high frequency of incidents • Tasks that have a potential for serious incidents • Tasks that always follow the same steps Think probability, frequency, severity Do all jobs need a JHA? - NO

22. Job Breakdown – Step 2 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. Get employee involvement

23. Break job down into key steps AVOID!! • Making the breakdown so detailed that an unnecessarily large number of steps results • Making the job breakdown so general that basic steps are not recorded • Make sure you describe “what is done” and don’t describe “how it works”

24. Work Observation – Step 3 and 4 • Select experienced worker(s) who will cooperate and participate in the JHA process • Explain purpose of JHA • Observe the employee perform the job and write down basic steps • Completely describe each step • Note deviations – different people do the job in different ways • How might the employee’s perception of a “hazard” differ from that of the employer or supervisor?

25. An alternative – Step 3 and 4 • People don’t like being watched ! • An alternative is interview and discussion: • Talk with people who do the job • Ask them to tell you, step by step, what they do when they perform the task

26. Develop Solutions - Step 5 • Find a new way to do job • Change physical conditions that create hazards • Change the work procedure • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Engineering + Administrative + PPE

27. 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 . Remember,PPE is the last level of control!

28. Control Measures It is now time to identify the desired control measures for each hazard. • How might the employee’s perception of a “control measure” differ from that of the employer or supervisor?

29. A completed JHA worksheet • See Handouts • Example • Blank

30. The “Safe Operating Procedure” is the last step of the process developed from the worksheets. Include in your Safety Manual Review regularly at Safety Meetings What to do with completed JHAs Workers in their first year with their employer account for more than 50% of disabling claims – why?

31. Housekeeping and Sanitation Tools and Equipment Material Handling and Storage Motorized vehicles Personal and Protective Equipment Fire Walking & Working Surfaces Exits Examples Of Common Sources of Hazards

32. Identifying types of hazards • Equipment: • Pressure: in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. • Mechanical: sharp points and edges, weight, rotating parts, stability and impact. • Fire: think sources of ignition and fuel. • Electrical: inadequate insulation, broken electrical lines or equipment, lightning strike, static discharge.

33. Identifying types of hazards • Chemical: • Inhalation: enters body by being breathed in. • Ingestion: enters the body through the mouth often by contamination of food by dirty hands. • Absorption: some chemicals can be absorbed through the skin. • Injection: enters the body means that punctured the skin.

34. Identifying types of hazards • Physical: • Slip, trip or fall • Caught in, on or between • Overexertion • Vibration • Struck by or struck against • Noise • Contact with extreme heat, cold or electrical • Material handling

35. Identifying types of hazards • Biological: • Contact with: • Fungi • Viruses • Bacteria • Parasites • Contaminated water

36. Identifying types of hazards • Ergonomic: • Inappropriate work environment • Poor lighting • Poor tool design • Inappropriate tools • Repeated motion in awkward positions • Poor workstation layout

37. Identifying types of hazards • Employee Behavior: • Wearing PPE • Lockout / tagout • Confined space entry • Horse play • Just plain wrong !

38. Accident Types Think mechanics of injury – what hurts people: • Struck-byorStruck-against • Contact-byorContact-with • Caught-on, Caught-in or Caught-between • Fall-to-surface or Fall-to-below • Over-exertion • Bodily reaction • Over-exposure

39. What To Do When Hazards Are Identified • Correct it yourself or write work order • Report it to supervisor or safety coordinator • Document it • Bring it up in the next Safety Meeting

40. Spot the Hazard

41. Perhaps complacency is the biggest hazard of all! Famous Last Words:“Well that’s how we’ve always done it and no ones ever got hurt” ……………. Yet!

42. Questions? Thank You.