Health and Safety, NEBOSH, OSHA, IOSH, HSE.

What are accident causation theories? What is Domino theory? What are other theories about accident causation? Accident caused due to some failures existed at workplace and causation theories indicate those failures. Like maintenance failure, system failure, machine, individual etc. So ultimately it helps us to identify the key elements need to be taken care of to prevent the accident in future. Key accident causation theories are as below: Pure Chance theory, Bird’s accident triangle, Domino Theory, Energy transfer theory, accident proneness theory. Among these theories Domino theory is renowned one . Domino Theory This theory was developed by Late H.W. Heinrich (Herbert William Heinrich) in 1931.He was an American industrial safety pioneer from the 1930s. He was an Assistant Superintendent of the Engineering and Inspection Division of Travelers Insurance Company when he published his book Industrial Accident Prevention, A Scientific Approach in 1931. O...

What is accident? What are the benefits of Accident investigation? What are the common errors we do post accident?  Is accident investigation an active monitoring or reactive monitoring? Unexpected and undesired event lead to injury or illness to an individual is an accident. An event that results into injury or ill health (Provided in HSG245). At workplace while performing task by an individual either due to his own unsafe act or by others or due to existed unsafe condition undesired outcome is an accident. Also energy from the process equipment like conveyor belts, pulleys, vessels etc. flows in wrong direction and interacts with human (workplace worker etc) results into accident and ultimately injury. Post accident errors done by organisation : -           Forget to report or hide the accident leads to probability of recurrence. -           Manipulation of the site cond...

What is CPD? Why CPD is essential for any Health and Safety practitioner? What are the ways by which H&S practitioner evaluate and develop his own competence? CPD stands for continuing professional development. This is a type of action plan for growth of individual during his employment by way of identifying gaps in skills and action plan to improve those skills. It is true that always we cannot rely on individual expertise based on his education only. Today’s world is continuously changing world and every day we can see change in technological aspects related to health and safety.  Also same time H&S practitioner has to advise bottom line, middle line and top management personnel on H&S matters and this certainly make it essential for him to be updated and develop technical and personal skills. As time passes if individual is not in touch of his specific education theoretical and practical application of the same then there is a probability of loss of his exper...

Independent, competent (by virtue of skill, knowledge, education and training) professional to promote health and safety without involving into any other function within the Organisation is the key role of health and safety practitioner. Many industries appoint safety professional for compliance purpose and leave all safety related matters of the organisation on him. That is really sad because H&S practitioner is advisory role and he should advise the line team, management on below matters rather than performing line team responsibility in managing health and safety: 1-       Advise on Risk management (Identification of hazard, risk assessment and control measures following hierarchy .i.e. Elimination, Substitution, Engineering, Administrative and PPE). 2-       Health and Safety Training to all concerned. Technical trainings like Electrical safety etc. should be provided by line team including electrical department i...

There are three (03) significant key parts of Health and Safety policy . These are as below; 1-       Statement of intent which describes the intention of top management by assigning one of the accountable people from board to sign the H&S Policy and also policy should be updated . It means how they (by top management) are going to manage health and safety. It also clearly indicates their intention to follow the local, national and international regulations of Health and Safety. Clear cut good practices for managing health and safety .i.e reasonably practicable. Duty of care by both .i.e by organisation and by employee so as to achieve zero harm. 2-       Organsiation . Responsibility and accountability allocation. Who will do what? Organisation contains Monitoring and measurement part. Formation of safety committee, Rescue teams, fire fighting team, Emergency handling and key members’ role, nominated health and...

Turnbull Report 1999 (Originally known as  Internal Control: Guidance for Directors on the Combined Code) Health and Safety management was found to be one of the greatest weaknesses of the companies before 1999 because they were found to be focused on making monetary benefits. That is why finance was the primary importance area for any organisation while doing business. This report was made by Nigel Turnbull of Rank group plc for listed companies in London . This report was primarily focused on financial aspects and drafted to show the directors obligation to catch the business Fraud. However this reports also mentioned the weak internal controls related to health and safety management and its direct impact as a business risk. This report was set of combined code for companies’ directors. Importance for H&S : Turnbull report clearly mentioned about the similar gravity/ importance for health and safety management in the organisation like for Finance and other dep...

Definition of notice: The fact of observing or paying attention to something. First thing, Improvement and Prohibition notices are being given in health and safety related aspects at workplace.  Secondly these are type of measures of Government authorities to improve health and safety at workplace. As name suggest Improvement notice means certainly to improve and prohibition notice means immediate termination of that activity / task for which prohibition notice has been given or otherwise specified contravention has been rectified within given time frame. Both notices are legal and can lead to prosecution. Failure to follow either of notice is a punishable offence. Improvement Notice: Certainly there is a legal contravention and it is likely to continue. No risk specified and covers circumstances where there is no risk. Notice takes effect when specified but not earlier than 21 days after issue. Effect of appeal -Suspension of notice until appeal is determined. Notice w...

Biological monitoring is a way of assessing chemical exposures by measuring the chemical or its breakdown products in a biological sample (usually urine, blood or breath). https://www.hsl.gov.uk Metabolites (substances the body converts the chemical into) in exposed workers. These measurements are made on samples of breath, urine or blood, or any. combination of these. ... chemicals that can be assessed by biological monitoring. Biological monitoring in the workplace is being done to diagnose internal dose of harmful chemicals. Ref: www.hse.gov.uk We do this at workplace to diagnose any adverse effects on the body of worker. To understand the level of exposure one has received during his workplace activities. Advantages of Biological monitoring are as follows: - It helps in assessing exposure and harmful effects of chemical received by a worker by all routes .i.e Inhalation through breath, absorption through skin, intake through mouth etc....

Mechanism of Steam explosion: Violent  boiling of water into steam due to either super heated water or rapidly heated by fine hot debris generate within it or with the interaction of molten metal. Water changes into gas quickly and exponentially in volume. Due to steam explosion spray of boiling hot water or steam happens which ultimately lead to hot burn. If anyone tries to contain the same steam or boiling hot water then probability of over pressure and rupture of containment exist. Examples of processes where Steam explosion can happen are Hot meal in Cement industries when interacts water creates steam explosion, Molten material in aluminum, steel industries when interacts with water, steam explosion in steam turbine etc.

Is BLEVE caused by failure of pressurized systems? What is the process of BLEVE? Yes, BLEVE (Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) caused by failure of pressurized systems. BLEVE happens when vessel filled with pressurized liquid above its boiling point ruptured and release explosive contents. Process of BLEVE is as mentioned below: 11 -       Vessel liquid heats up due to external heat source. 22 -       Vessel wall suffer excess vapor pressure. 33 -       Vapor moves out from vessel through safety vent/ safety relief valve etc. 44 -       Vessel liquid boils as continue receive external heat. 55 -       Vessel wall will rupture due to thermal shock. 66 -       Explosion of pressure wall. 77 -       Released vapor will form the cloud. 88       Vapor cloud...

Anyone who is working himself and without direct supervision is known as Lone worker. Eg. People working in remote shops, patrol pumps, courier boys etc. Is there any law in support of Lone working? No not any such specific law is present for lone working however all health and safety legislation indirectly applicable to lone working. For eg. Health and Safety at work act 1974 made responsible employer to provide & ensure health, safety and welfare of employees. Requirements of safe system of works, H&S policies, IITS (information, instruction, training and supervision). Management of Health and Safety at work regulations 1999 require employers to make suitable and sufficient risk assessments of risks to their employees. Similarly indirect requirements posed by some other legislation which are ;  The Workplace ( Health ,  Safety and Welfare) Regulations   1992,  RIDDOR,  The  Health and Safety  ( First-Aid ) Regulations 1981 ...