Safety in Maintenance (SIM)

Submitted as an assignment to: Dr. P.C. Tewari For the 8th semester course of MRE By Kavindra Mohan Mishra 108236 (IEM-1)

Maintenance concerns the "combination of all technical, administrative and managerial actions during the life cycle of an item intended to retain it in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform the required function". Maintenance is a generic term for variety of tasks in very different types of sectors and all kinds of working environments. Maintenance activities include: inspection testing measurement replacement adjustment repair upkeep fault detection replacement of parts servicing lubrication, cleaning Regular maintenance is essential to keep equipment, machines and the work environment safe and reliable. Lack of maintenance or inadequate maintenance can lead to dangerous situations, accidents and health problems. Maintenance is a high-risk activity with some of the hazards resulting from the nature of the work. Maintenance is carried out in all sectors and all workplaces. Firstly, good maintenance is essential to keep machines and work environment safe and reliable. Secondly, maintenance itself is a high-risk activity and it has to be performed in a safe way, with appropriate protection of maintenance workers and other people present in the workplace. Maintenance-specific hazards and risks In addition to the risks associated with any working environment, maintenance operations involve some specific risks. Physical hazards excessive heat and cold radiation (ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, electromagnetic fields) high physical workload ergonomics-related risks: due to poor design of machinery, process and work environment from the point of view of maintenance difficult to reach the objects to be maintained - strenuous movements

Chemical hazards Asbestos, glass fibre Vapours, fumes, dust (e.g. asphalt fumes, diesel exhaust, crystalline silica) Solvents Biological hazards Bacteria (e.g. legionella, salmonella) Mould and fungi In maintenance activities, contrary to normal operation, direct contact between the worker and machine cannot be reduced substantially - maintenance is an activity where workers need to be in close contact with processes. Maintenance operations typically include both disassembly and reassembly,

often involving complicated machinery. This can be associated with a greater risk of human error, increasing the accident risk. Working under time-pressure is also typical for maintenance operations, especially when shutdowns or high-priority repairs are involved. Maintenance involves changing tasks and working environment. This is especially true in case of contract workers. Subcontracting is an aggravating factor in terms of safety and health numerous accidents and incidents relate to subcontracting maintenance. Basic rules to get it right The specific details of maintenance vary between industry sectors and depending on tasks. But there are some common principles: get-it-right Integration of OSH management into maintenance management Structured approach based on risk assessment Clear roles and responsibilities Safe systems of work and clear guidelines to follow Adequate training and competence Involvement of workers in the risk assessment and maintenance management process Effective communication

Five basic rules for safe maintenance Planning: Maintenance should start with proper planning. A risk assessment should be carried out and workers should be involved in this process. Making the work area safe: The work area needs to be secured by preventing unauthorised access, for example, by using barriers and signs. The area also needs to be kept clean and safe, with power lockedoff, moving parts of machinery secured, temporary ventilation installed, and safe routes established for workers to enter and exit the work area. Using the appropriate equipment: Workers involved in maintenance tasks should have the appropriate tools and equipment, which may be different from those that they normally use. Considering that they may be working in areas that are not designed to have people working in them, and that they may be exposed to a variety of hazards, they must also have appropriate personal protective equipment. Working as planned: Safe work procedures have to be communicated, understood by workers and supervisors and applied correctly. The work should be monitored so that the agreed safe systems of work and sites rules are observed. Final check: The maintenance process needs to end with checks to make sure that the task has been completed, that the item under maintenance is in a safe condition, and that all waste material that has been generated during the maintenance process has been cleaned away. When all is checked and declared safe, then the task can be signed off, and supervisors and other workers can be notified.

Facts and figures: Analyses of EUROSTAT data based on the ESAW methodology (European statistics on accidents at work) can help identify accidents related to maintenance operations in several European countries. It is estimated that around 15-20% (depending on country) of all accidents and 10-15% of all fatal accidents are related to maintenance operations. Hazards Maintenance, repair tuning adjustment is fourth on the list of top 10 working processes accounting for the highest number of fatal accidents over 2003-05 (EUROSTAT-ESAW). Accidents increasingly tend to happen not during normal operation, but rather during repair, maintenance, cleaning, adjusting, etc. According to a survey conducted in 2005 in France, maintenance is the most subcontracted function in industry. An analysis of a French work accidents database shows that in 2002 maintenance employees were the second most frequent victims of accidents related to subcontracting, just behind construction workers. An analysis of the results of the Spanish National Survey of Working Conditions (2007) indicates higher exposure of maintenance workers to noise and to hand arm and whole body vibrations compared to other workers. They are also more exposed to dangerous substances, vapours and fumes. Around 25% of all electrical injury accidents are caused by portable electrical equipment. Faulty leads to equipment cause around 2000 fires each year. A major cause of such accidents and fires is the failure to carry out inspections and maintenance (HSE).

References:: Wikipedia Google search http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets/90/view http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/