OCCUPATIONAL

SAFETY
WMSU BS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

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Workplace Hazards

Safety Hazards
Something that has a potential for
injury

Health Hazards
Something that has a potential to
cause illness

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 Safety Hazards – something that has potential to cause injury
• Poor housekeeping hazards
• Fire hazards
• Machine hazards
• Material handling hazards
• Electrical hazards

 Health Hazards – Any agent or activity posing potential hazard to health

• Chemical hazards (vapors, mists, fumes, gases, dusts)
• Physical hazards (noise, vibration, illumination, extreme
temperature, extreme pressure, radiation)
• Biological hazards (bacteria, viruses, molds, fungi, protozoa; and
insects, parasites, plants, animals
• Ergonomics (improperly designed tools or work areas, improper
lifting or reaching, poor visual conditions, repeated motion in
awkward position 3
Hazards are Identified through:
 Walk through survey / ocular inspection
 Review of processes involved
 Knowing the raw materials used, products and
by-products
 Gathering of workers’ complaints
 Safety Data Sheet
Occupational Safety Hazards:

 Poor Housekeeping
 Fire
 Use of Machine
 Material Handling
 Electricity
 1. POOR HOUSEKEEPING

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 Housekeeping
 Housekeeping is not just keeping your workplace clean and
safe but it is an effective workplace organization.

 Housekeeping means there is a place for everything and

everything is in place. It is everybody’s business to observe it
in the workplace.

 Housekeeping is important because it lessens accidents and

related injuries and illnesses; it therefore improves
productivity, and minimizes direct and indirect costs of
accidents/illnesses.
Signs of Poor Housekeeping
 Cluttered and poorly arranged areas
 Materials gathering rust and dirt from disuse
 Blocked aisleways
 Material stuffed in corners and out-of-the-
way places
 Untidy or dangerous storage of materials
 Overflow storage areas and shelves
 Broken containers and damaged materials
 Presence of items no longer needed or in
excess
 Dusty, dirty floors and work surfaces
 Tools and equipment left in work areas
 No waste bins and containers
 Presence of spills and leaks
Accidents from Poor Housekeeping
 Being hit by falling objects
 Tripping over loose objects on floors, stairs and
platforms
 Slipping on greasy, wet or dirty surfaces
 Striking against projecting, poorly stacked items or
misplaced material
 Cutting, puncturing, or tearing the skin of hands or
other parts of the body on projecting nails, wire or
steel strapping
 Electrocution from exposed live wires
 Fires resulting from improper storage
 2. FIRE

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 What is fire?
 It is a chemical reaction between a flammable or combustible
substance and oxygen.

 It is frequently referred to as “rapid oxidation with the

evolution of light and heat.”

 To produce fire, three things must be present at the time:

Fuel, Heat and Oxygen.
 Elements of Fire
(Fire Triangle)

Fuel – can be any Oxygen – in sufficient

combustible quantities, combine with
material the fuel for combustion
to occur.

Heat – energy necessary to raise the temperature of the

fuel and the oxygen to a point at which they will react
together.
 Forms of Fuel

 Gas has neither definite shape nor volume and tends to

expand indefinitely (e.g., methane, butane, LPG)

 Liquid assumes the shape of the container in which it is placed

(e.g., gasoline, kerosene, solvents)

 Solid have a definite shape (e.g., wood, paper, plastic, cloth)

 Important Point to Remember
About Liquid Fuels
• FLASH POINT – the lowest Flammable Liquid Flashpoint
temperature at which liquid fuel °C
gives off flammable vapors Gasoline -42.8
Acetone -20
• FLAMMABLE LIQUID – a liquid Isopropyl Alcohol 12
having a flash point below Combustible Liquid
100°F (37.8°C)
Kerosene 37.8

• COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID – a liquid Corn Oil 254

having a flash point at or above The lower the flashpoint, the more
100°F (37.8°C) dangerous a substance is.
 Common sources of heat that
causes fire
 Overloaded electrical system

 Open flames

 Smoking / cigarette butts

 Hot surfaces

 Friction

 Cutting / welding

 Electrical spark
 Some Facts About Oxygen
At 23% concentration, the
At 16% concentration,
atmosphere is considered
combustion is slowed down
oxygen enriched and fire will
and will eventually diminish.
intensify.

Gaseous element in air

at 21% by volume. It is
essential for
respiration..

At 12 – 14% concentration,
flammable liquids will not
burn.
 Fires Can Be Classified According To The Fuel
It Consumes
Class Examples Pictogram
A – Ordinary Combustibles paper, wood, or plastic

B – Surface Fires Oil, gasoline, alcohol, grease, oil

– based paints

C – Energized Electrical Appliances, power tools, motors,

Equipment electrical panels

D – Combustible Metal Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium

D

K – Kitchen Fires Combustible vegetable or

cooking fats
 Mode of Fire Propagation
(Heat transfer)
MODE CHARACTERISTICS ILLUSTRATION

Conduction • Heat transfer to another body or

within a body by direct contact.
• Heat can be transferred through
steel beams, metal conduit, wire
and ducts.
trash

Convection • Transfer of heat through a

circulating medium, such as hot
air and gases.
• The hotter the gases, the faster
they rise.
Radiation Transfer of heat by the emission and
propagation of heat energy in the
form of rays or waves.
 The Burning Process
(Stages of Fire Development)
PHASE FIGURE CHARACTERISTICS

Ignition / Materials reach their ignition temperatures and a fire is

Incipient started.

Growth Fire begins to grow spreading chain of reaction resulting

in an increase in size.

Free - All the contents within the perimeter of the fire’s

Burning boundaries are burning.

Decay Fire will extinguish itself, when the fuel or oxygen

supply is exhausted.
 Causes of Fire Deaths

 Inhalation of Toxic fumes:

– Carbon Monoxide (CO)

– Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

– Hydrogen Cyanide (HCn)

 Deprivation of oxygen

 Backdraft or smoke explosion

Top Causes of Fire in the Philippines
 Faulty/Overloaded Electrical System
 Open flames and candles
 Neglected Electrical Devices/Appliances
 Liquefied Petroleum Gases
 Smoking and matches
 Lightning
 Spontaneous combustion
 Friction
 Sparks

Source: BFP
Tragic Fire Incidents In The Philippines

OZONE DISCO FIRE : 162 DEATHS plus

INJURIES
LUNG CENTER FIRE: 25 DEATHS plus
INJURIES
DAMAS de ISLAS de FILIPNAS FIRE: 23
DEATHS plus INJURIES
QC MANOR HOTEL FIRE: 75 DEATHS plus
INJURIES
NOVO JEANS AND SHIRTS CLOTHING
STORE FIRE: 17 DEATHS plus INJURIES
KENTEX MANUFACTURING FACTORY FIRE:
72 DEATHS plus INJURIES
 3. MATERIALS HANDLING

WMSU
 Materials Handling
A technique which includes the art of lifting, placing,
storing or moving of materials through the use of
appropriate handling equipment and men.

Manual Handling
 is the of lifting, transporting and packaging of products using
own physical strength.
 Hand operated handling, transporting and packaging of
products.

Mechanical Handling
 pertains to more rigid, powered and non-powered mechanics
mainly for handling bulky and heavy items
Hazards Associated with Materials
Handling

 Failure of the lifting equipment

 Falling load

 Collision

 Trapped between objects

 Manual Handling –
Mistakes That Cause Injuries
 Bending Back
 Twisting with load
 Attempting to much weight (load too heavy)
 Reaching too far
 Lifting to one side
 Off – balance shifting
 Failure to use personal PPE, such as gloves, safety
shoes
 Industrial Truck Safety
Popular Misconceptions

 “Anyone can drive a lift truck.”

 “They handle just like a car.”
 “They are easier to drive than a car.”
 “You don’t need any training to safely drive a fork
lift.”
 4. ELECTRICITY

WMSU
 What is Electricity?
A form of energy resulting from the existence of
charged particles. Electricity is the flow of moving
electrons. When the electrons flow it is called an
electrical current.

Failure to ensure a safe design, proper work

procedures, proper servicing and maintenance
of electrical equipment often result in bodily
harm or death, property damage or both.
 Electrical Accidents
There are three direct and two indirect types of
electrical accidents:
 Direct:
 Electrocution or death due to electrical shock
 Electrical shock
 Burns
 Indirect:
 Falls
 Fire
 Causes of Electrical Accidents
 Contact with live conductors
 Short circuiting
 Arcs and sparks
 Overloading
 Inadequate grounding
 Non-usage of standard replacement
 Wet environment
 Electrical Hazards
FIRES -
Electricity is one of the most common causes of fires
both in the home and in the workplace. Electric short
circuiting, arcing, sparks, overloading, use of defective
or misused electrical equipment are major causes of
electrical fires.
 Clues That Electrical Hazards Exist
 Tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses
 Warm tools, wires, cords, connections, or junction boxes
 Circuit breaker that shuts off a circuit
 Worn or frayed insulation around wire or connection
 Causes of
Electrocution Fatalities

 Contact with Overhead Power lines

 Not following Lockout/Tagout procedures
 Contact with Live Circuits
 Poorly Maintained Extension Cords
 Defective Power Tools
Electrical - such as wiring, grounding, bonding, power panels, outlets,
and switches.

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Risk Electrical

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 Electricity and Water
 The likelihood of being shock is greatly
multiplied in damp locations
 People are excellent conductors
 Never use electrical equipment in damp or wet
areas
 Do Not spray water around any electrical source
 Important Terminologies
Current (amperes)
is the amount of electricity flow in a conductor.
Voltage (volts)
is the force which causes electrons to flow in
a conductor.
Resistance (ohms)
is the opposition of a material to the flow of
electricity.
High Voltage Low Voltage
660 volts or more less than 660 volts
More Frequent Accidents Happen
at Low Voltage Areas

 Most employees work and move around

in this area
 Not all workers have the proper trainings
and experience
 It is treated as less dangerous.
 Electrical Shock
An electrical shock is received when electrical current passes
through the body.
How Shocks Occur?
Electric shock normally occurs in one of three ways.
Individuals —
• must come in contact with both wires of the electric circuit,
• must come in contact with one wire of an energized circuit and the
ground,
• must come in contact with a metal part that accidentally becomes
energized and the ground.
 Shock Severity
• Severity of the shock depends on:
• Path of current through the body
• Amount of current flowing through the
body (amps)
• Duration of the shocking current through
the body

• LOW VOLTAGE DOES NOT MEAN LOW

HAZARD
 5. USE OF MACHINE

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 What is a Machine?

 An assemblage of parts that transmit forces, motion and

energy in a predetermined manner.
 Can be simple or compound.
Mechanical - such as points of operation, power transmission points,
in-running nip points, shear points, and other moving parts (e.g.
damaged equipment, forklifts, cranes, power press, and unguarded
machines/equipment).

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Where Mechanical
Hazards Occur
other moving parts

power transmission

point of operation
Hazards Associated With Machines
workpiece
exposed machine movement projectile
parts hazards
noise
 Hazardous Mechanical Motions

 Rotating – turning around on

an axis or center
 Reciprocating – the back and
forth movements of a
machine part
 Transversing – continuous
straight line motion of a
machine element in either
direction
 Causes Of Machine Related
Accidents
 An individual making unwanted contact with a moving part of
a machine.

 Something flying from the machine.

 A machine malfunction, including mechanical and electrical

energy sources failure.

 Workpiece movement during a forming or cutting process.

 Effects Of Machine Related
Accidents

 Can result to severe injuries.

 Loss of trained and skilled employee.

 Loss in productivity.

 Damaged equipment.
Risk Mechanical

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