Safety Management and Applications in Process Industries

WORKPLACE HAZARDS
A. What is Industrial Safety?
Industrial safety in the context of occupational safety and health refers to the management of all
operations and events within an industry, for protecting its employees and assets by minimizing
hazards, risks, accidents and near misses.
The relevant laws, compliance and best practices in the industry have most of the issues
addressed for the best protection possible. Employers are to make sure that these are strictly
adhered to in order to have maximum safety.

B. Goal of Industrial Safety

Worker safety and well-being

o Anticipation o Evaluation
o Recognition o Control
o
C. Steps to Protect Employees
o Anticipate potential hazards o Control exposure and risk
o Recognize potential hazards o (Not just for health hazards)
o Evaluate exposure and risk
D.
D. Hierarchy of Controls
1. Engineering controls: Remove hazard
o Process change, Chemical substitution
o Ventilation, Shielding, Guarding
o Requires little or no employee action
2. Administrative controls: Manage exposure
o Worker rotation, Procedures, Training
o Controlled access areas
o Requires employee action
o Hierarchy of Controls
 3. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
o Respirators, Gloves, Boots, Clothing
o Fall protection equipment, Hard hats
o Requires individual employee action
o Last line of defense, behind engineering and administrative controls
E. Workplace Hazards
E. Chemical Hazards
o Irritants o Specific organ agents
o Asphyxiants o Genetic activity
o Central Nervous System (CNS) Agents
o Acute versus Chronic
o
o E.1 Irritants
o Respiratory o Eye
o Skin
o Irritants
Primary/Secondary

o Primary at source of contact

o Secondary travels through blood to another area
Reversible/Irreversible

Sensitization

o Irritant that has a delayed reaction on subsequent exposure

o E.2 Asphyxiants
Simple Asphyxiants

o N2 o He
o CO2 o CH4
Dilute air so oxygen content is low

Chemical Asphyxiants
 o CO
o HCN- Hydrogen Cyanide or Prussic Acid is a colorless, extremely poisonous and
flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature
o H2S
Interact at cellular level to inhibit oxygen uptake.

F. Central Nervous System Depressants
o Narcotics o Depressants
o Anesthetics
o F.1 CNS Depressants
Aliphatic Hydrocarbons

o Increased chain length enhances effect

o Addition of an alcohol group (i.e. ethanol)
o Addition of a halide group enhances the effect
o
G. Specific Organ Attack
May be reversible or irreversible

o Blood - Hemotoxic
o Liver Hepatotoxic
o Lungs Pulmonotoxic
o Kidneys Nephrotoxic
o Skin Dermatotoxic
o Nerves & Brain Neurotoxic
o
H. Genetic Activity
Typically is irreversible

o Causes cancer Carcinogen

o Causes chromosome damage Mutagen
 o Causes birth defects Teratogen
o Causes damage to reproductive system -Reproductive Hazard
I. Anticipation of Chemical Hazards
Consider the following:

o Raw materials o Disposal of used products

o Intermediates formed o Maintenance materials
o Final products
Cradle to Grave thought process

Anticipation of Chemical Hazards

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established Permissible Exposure
limits
o They are defined in time weighted average, TWA, for most working conditions. Short Term
Exposure Limits, STEL, for 15 minute exposure. Ceiling, C, for maximum allowable
concentration.
American Council of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has established Threshold Limit
Values, TLV.
Anticipation of Chemical Hazards

Material Safety Data Sheets, MSDS

Recognition of Chemical Hazards

Odors
o Not all agents have detectable odor
Frequent headaches

Dermatitis

Drowsiness

Personality changes

Clusters of problems

J. Physical Hazards
Dusts and Fibers Corrosives

Noise Temperature Extremes

 Ionizing Radiation Non-Ionizing Radiation

J.1 Dusts and Fibers

Concerned about particle size and penetration into pulmonary track

o D > 0.5 micron does not reach lungs (but may ingest)
o 0.2 < D < 0.5 micron respirable and gets stuck in lungs
o D < 0.2 micron are exhaled
J.2 Noise Hazard Recognition

o Need to shout o Degraded hearing after work

o Ringing sensation o Auditory testing
o J.3 Typical Noise Sources
o Source Sound Level (dB)
o Rocket 195
o Jet Engine 160
o Rock Band 115
o Power Lawn Mower 95
o Factory 90
o Noisy Office 80
o Conversation 65
o Quite Room 40
o Whisper 20
o J.4 OSHA Sound Level PELs (Permissible Exposure Limit)
o Sound Level (dB) Exposure Time Limit (hr)
o < 90 No Limit
o 90 8
o 95 4
o 100 2
o 105 1
 o 110
o 115
o > 115 0
o
o J.5 Noise Control
o Enclose equipment o Intake/Exhaust mufflers
o Enclose operator o Padded mountings
o Slower rotational speed
o J.6 Corrosive Hazards
Usually concerned with the effect of corrosives on process equipment

Concern for contact of workers with corrosives

o Usually involves necrosis, the death of local tissue due to contact of agent
o J.7 Temperature Extremes
Heat Stress

o Heat Stroke o Heat Exhaustion

Cold Stress

o Frostbite o Hypothermia
o J.8 Heat Stress
Bodys Energy Balance

o Metabolic rate o Convection

o Radiation o Sweating
o
External Conditions

o Temperature o Air movement

o Humidity o Radiation
o J.9 Cold Stress
Less Common in Industrial Situations
 o Cold climates o Wind chill
o Refrigerated space
Responses to Cold Stress

o Body core temperature is typically 37C

o Shivering when body Tc < 36C
o Lose Consciousness at Tc < 34C
J.10 Temperature Stress Control

Hot Stress

o Air movement o Remove to cooler location

o Periodic rest

Cold Stress

o Limit exposure time o Protective clothing

o J.11 Ionizing Radiation
Physical damage to cells

Possible genetic damage

Types of Radiation

o Alpha emitted from nuclei of radioactive particles

o Beta similar to but with more penetrating (~ 1 cm)
o X-ray produced from high speed electrons striking material
o Gamma originates from nucleus, produces burns
o Neutrons emitted from disintegration of isotopes, very penetrating
o J.12 Common Units to Measure Radiation
Rad the unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to the absorption of 100 ergs/g

Roentgen exposure to x-rays or gamma rays equal to absorption in 1 cm 3 of air to produce 1

electrostatic unit of charge
Rem the dosage of ionizing radiation that will cause the same biological effect as 1 rad of x-,
gamma or beta
 Curie the rate at which radioactive material emits particles, 3.7x10 10 disintegrations per second

o J.13 Protection from Ionizing Radiation

Alpha, Beta - Little protection required

X-ray, Gamma - Extensive high

o density shielding
Neutrons - Special shielding techniques

o J. 14 Non-Ionizing Radiation
Low frequency - ~ 3 m wavelength

Microwaves - 3 m to 3 mm

Infrared - 3 mm to 750 nm

Visible light - 750 nm to 400 nm

Ultraviolet Radiation

o UV-A 400 to 320 nm

Harmful only to eyes, causes sun tan
o UV-B 320 to 280 nm
Causes skin damage (sun burn), source arc welding
o UV-C 280 to 220 nm
Severe damage, source germicidal lamps
o J.15 Laser Light
o Especially dangerous for eyes o Corneal burns
o Retinal burns
K.
L. K. Ergonomic Hazards
Physiological Hazards

o Awkward movements o Muscle strain

Psychological Hazards

o Boredom o Concentrated attention

o Simulated inputs
 o Ergonomic Hazards
Increasing emphasis due to repetitive nature of some industrial manufacturing jobs.

Also with more operators working at computers or workstations there are ergonomic concerns.

o
o
o
L. Biological Hazards
Pathogenic organisms

o Five levels of classification

1 least dangerous
5 most dangerous
o Pathogenic organisms are typically not found in a chemical processing facility
o Possible biological hazards in an industrial setting
AIDS
Hepatitis B
o Biological Hazards
Industries with possible biological hazards

o Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
o Food processing or agricultural products
Typically hazards are well contained

o
o M. Engineers Responsibility
o Be aware of industrial hazards and possible effects.
o Design or assist in designing safer systems that minimize worker exposure to hazards.
o As a manager encourage proper safety procedures and good housekeeping to minimize
employees exposure to hazardous situations.