Q&A 3 Flashcards
Explain effective leadership in terms of corporate governance?
• Legitimacy • Ethical Culture • Effective control • Good performance (LEEG) = (outcome and leadership)
Explain corporate governance?
- Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled
Corporate governance is a: - set of processes, - customs, - policies, - laws, and - institutions affecting the way a corporation is: - directed, - administered or - controlled.
Name four items that would feature in a Department of Labour inspection?
• Proof of registration with the Compensation Commissioner and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), as well as proof of the last payments made.
• A summary of legislation displayed in the workplace for the:
- OHS Act and the Regulations
- BCEA
- EEA
• The appointment of health and safety representatives for the workplace. This appointed person should have a letter of appointment, and the labour inspector will request the minutes of previous meetings that were held.
• The employer and employees trained to recognise health and safety hazards and risks including:
- Are moving parts like drive belts and chains guarded?
- Are chemicals used safely and stored in a safe place?
- Are emergency exits clearly marked and easily accessible?
- Are fire extinguishers accessible and serviced regularly?
- Are flammable materials stored and used correctly, for instance not near hot surfaces or areas?
- Are all electrical wires insulated and proper plugs used in the workplace?
• The provision of fully equipped first-aid boxes on the premises.
• Whether or not the employer reports occupational injuries and diseases to the Department of Labour in the manner and time required.
• Whether there are clean and hygienic toilets and washing facilities provided for both sexes.
What are the powers of the EMI?
- Routine inspection:
- Investigation:
- Enforcement:
- Administrative powers
A range of powers can be conferred on environmental management inspectors, including powers of:
• Routine inspection:
o Entering premises to ascertain compliance
o Seizing evidence of non-compliance
• Investigation:
o Questioning witnesses
o Copying documents
o Inspecting and removing articles or substances
o Taking photographs and audio-visual recordings
o Taking samples
o Removing waste
• Enforcement:
o Searching and seizing premises, containers, vessels, vehicles and aircraft
o Searching pack animals
o Establishing roadblocks
o Arresting
• Administrative powers:
o Issuing compliance notices
Explain legislation?
Is law that is passed by a legislature or other governing body, such as a body of representatives that have been democratically or otherwise elected or appointed. It can be considered the body of written law.
Explain section 24 and Chapter 2 of the constitution?
The Bill of Rights – provides every South African citizen with fundamental rights: 1. rights to equality, 2. human dignity, 3. freedom, 4, privacy and 5. freedom of expression, among others.
Explain Hybrid legal system and Habeas Corpus?
A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee (e.g. institutionalized mental patient) before the court to determine if the person’s imprisonment or detention is lawful. A habeas petition proceeds as a civil action against the State agent (usually a warden) who holds the defendant in custody.
Where there is a lack of intent the burden of proof requires…….or……..to be proven?
Either Negligence or Recklessness be proven
Name the categories of people entitled to compensation in terms of COID ACT?
- Employees; or
* Direct dependents of employees.
Explain Prohibition, Contravention and improvement notices?
- Prohibition notice:
1. In the case of threatening danger, prohibit a particular action, process, machine or equipment.
2. closing an entire facility or site.
3. No disregard this notice.
4. Take immediate effect. - Contravention notice:
1. Contravene certain Regulations or a section of the Act,
2. the employer may be given the opportunity to correct the contravention within a time, usually 60 days. - Improvement notice:
1. H&S measures do not satisfactorily protect the H&S of Workers.
2. Employer to bring in effective measures in a specified amount of time - Prohibition notice: In the case of threatening danger, an inspector may prohibit a particular action, process, or the use of a machine or equipment, by means of a prohibition notice. A prohibition notice in the extreme may include closing an entire facility or site. No person may disregard the contents of such a notice and compliance must take place with immediate effect.
- Contravention notice: If a provision of a Regulation or a section of the Act is contravened, the inspector may serve this particular notice on the employer. A contravention of the Act itself can result in immediate prosecution, but in the case of a contravention of a Regulation, the employer may be given the opportunity to correct the contravention within a time limit specified in the notice, which is usually 60 days.
- Improvement notice: Where the health and safety measures that the employer has instituted do not satisfactorily protect the health and safety of the workers, the inspector may require the employer to bring about more effective measures, usually within a specified amount of time and at the discretion of the inspector. This ‘lesser’ notice, which prescribes the corrective measures needed, is then served on the employer.
Is the OHS ACT applicable to Vessels and Marine?
No
Explain the difference between criminal and civil liability?
CRIMINAL LIABILITY:
LIABILITY TYPE: Public
LEGAL ENTITY: The state is always the prosecuting authority
LEGAL PROCESS: Prosecution
BURDEN OF PROOF: Beyond a reasonable doubt
POSSIBLE OUTCOME: Guilty
PENALTY INCURRED: Jail time or fine, or both
CIVIL LIABILITY:
LIABILITY TYPE: Privat
LEGAL ENTITY: An action between two or more parties whether the parties are natural or juristic persons or a combination of both
LEGAL PROCESS: Action (usually in the form of a lawsuit)
BURDEN OF PROOF: On the balance of probability
POSSIBLE OUTCOME: Liable
PENALTY INCURRED: Damages (these are usually in monetary terms), although damages can also be in the form of restitution or a form of redress
Provide and example of a crime that will fall under criminal liability?
Homicide, which involves the illigal killing of a person
As per Nema provide the following sections of the Act;
- Controlling of Incidents
- Protection of person refusing to do anything to
pollute the environment
- Explain what Section 30 and 32 address
- Controlling of Incidents: Section 30
- Protection of person refusing to do anything to
pollute the environment: Section 29 - Explain:
- Section 30: Control of Incident, and
- Section 32 address: Legal standing to enforce Environmental Laws
Explain the positive outcomes arise from the passing of Nema law and List citing of legislation from regulation onwards.
To provide for co-operative, environmental governance by establishing principles for decision-making on matters affecting the environment
Explain several and joint liability, vicarious liability and strict liability?
- several and joint liability:
- More than one party can be held liable for a given offence - vicarious liability:
- law holds a person/employer, liable for the wrongful act or omission of another, regardless of whether it was that person’s fault - strict liability:
- No need to prove intent for a person’s acts or omissions in order to make them liable. -
Committing the act or omission is de facto culpability: you committed the act or omission and you are instantly liable.
- applies in both criminal and civil law. - several and joint liability: More than one party can be held liable for a given offence
- vicarious liability: it is a legal term that is used in describing a situation where the law holds a person, or an employer, liable for the wrongful act or omission of another, regardless of whether it was that person’s fault
- strict liability: There is no need to prove intent for a person’s acts or omissions in order to make them liable. Committing the act or omission is de facto culpability: you committed the act or omission and you are instantly liable. Strict liability applies in both criminal and civil law.
Provide two examples of international law and explain how they have an influenced our South African HSE law?
This law forms an important supplementary role in the formulation of South African HSE law. Sources of international HSE law are multi-dimensional and include:
• IOL = The International Labour Organization
• WHO = World Health Organization
• UNEP = UN Environment Programme
• ICJ = International Court of Justice
• UNESCO = UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• Conventions*
• Protocols*
• MEAs = Multilateral environmental agreements
• Judicial decisions in other jurisdictions
• Jurisprudence by legal scholars
• Customary law
What is the aim of the corporate governance outcomes.
- Legitimacy
- Ethical Culture
- Effective control
- Good performance
(Out = LEEG)
Explain Common Law and provide four examples of common law?
Common law is that part of South African law that is not contained in legislation but is an equally important aspect of the country’s legal system.
It is referred to as ‘the unwritten law of the land’.
Common law in South Africa comprises: • Roman-Dutch law • English legal principles • Tribal/traditional law • Law of contract between parties • Precedent
What does the following address:
- OHSA 29(2)
- OSHA 24(1)(a)
- OHSA 29(2): An Interpreter
2. OSHA 24(1)(a): Ill Health Injuries
Explain the possible symptoms of whole body syndrome?
- attacks of whitening (blanching) of one or more fingers when exposed to cold
- tingling and loss of sensation in the fingers
- loss of light touch
- pain and cold sensations between periodic white finger attacks
- loss of grip strength
- bone cysts in fingers and wrists
List and explain four routes of exposure?
- Inhalation: Breathe in
- Ingestion: Eat it
- Skin absorption: Touch it
- Injection: Right in:
Provide the correct Hazard description as per the GHS?
GHS01: Explosive GHS02: Flammable GHS03: Oxidizing GHS04: Compressed Gas GHS05: Corrosive GHS06: Toxic GHS07: Harmful GHS08: Health Hazard GHS09: Environmental Hazard (EFOCCTHHE)
Explain the purpose of OREP?
The purpose of an occupational risk exposure profile [OREP) is to determine the nature and extent the medical surveillance that needs to be performed.
OREP is the formal documentation of the resulty of a hazard identification and risk assessment that has been formulated for a single occupationg
exposure group (i.e. a job category) or even specific employees.
- An OHMP and OHNP need the following to be completed to develop an OREP:
1. Health risk assessments relevant to the employee or group of employees.
2. Person-job specification (still often referred to in industry as the ‘man-job’ specification).
Name the health stressors and provide one example of each?
- Chemical stressors: dust
- Physical stressors: illustration, noise, ventilation, thermal conditions, radiation, vibration
- Biological stressors: rodents, humans, insect, birds and bats, cooling towers, mould
List the advantages of good illumination?
- Preserving human energy
- Decreasing risk of accidents
- Increase productivity
Name auditory and non-auditory health effects?
Auditory: - Temporary Threshold Shift - Noise-induced hearing loss Non-auditory: - Wide range of influences on the human body
Name four dust-related diseases?
- Silicosis
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Contact Dermatitis
- COPD
Explain Medical and Biological monitoring and provide two examples of each?
MEDICAL:
Medical surveillance is the method by which a worker’s health is tested and ascertained.
X-Rays, MRI/CAT scan, Eye test, BP test
BIOLOGICAL:
Skin swabs, biopsy, lung function, blood test
Provide a list of the roles and functions of an Occupational Hygienist?
- Measuring
- Identification
- Control
- Evaluation
(MICE = Occupation Hygienist)
Explain ‘at risk employee’ and provide four examples?
An ‘at-risk’ employee is that employee who will require more medical surveillance due to:
- A more hazardous type of work/environment,
- Specific physical condition or demographic.
• Construction workers
• Workers in smelting processes
• Chemical workers
• Sanitation workers
• Work in confined spaces
• Work in hazardous locations
• Working at heights
• Pilots
Explain the difference between toxicology and toxic agent?
- Toxicology is: “the science of poisons” and “the study if adverse effects of chemicals or physical agents on living organisms”.
- A toxic agent is anything that can produce an adverse biological effect. Toxic agents may be chemicals (such as cyanide), physical (such as radiation) and biological (such as snake venom).
Briefly name the type of sampling methods with a short description of each?
- Personal monitoring
- Static monitoring (area or static sampling)
- Worst-case sampling
- Number of samples/sample range
- Frequency and duration of sampling
- Worker determination factors
- Different methods of sampling
- Interpretation of results
- Personal monitoring: Personal monitoring is the measurement of a specific employee’s exposure to a given stressor.
- Static monitoring (area or static sampling): Static monitoring is preferred when monitoring to determine the efficiency of control measures and where concentrations are uniform.
- Worst-case sampling: Workers who are suspected of greatest exposure to a given hazard (stressor) should be given priority in a monitoring strategy.
- Number of samples/sample range: As a rule, workers can be divided into populations and sub- populations by considering their type of work, work environment and shifts..
- Frequency and duration of sampling: Monitoring must be repeated as required by legislation.
- Worker determination factors: Several factors influence the choice of an employee for monitoring.
- Different methods of sampling: The two main methods of sampling are direct-reading methods and indirect-reading methods. Direct- reading devices give an instant result of the concentration, while indirect sampling devices collect the sample with subsequent analysis required in a laboratory.
- Interpretation of results: Once sampling has been completed, the results will normally be a statement of the facts
Name two toxicity effects and how and where the toxins enter the body?
(SLAC = Systemic, Local, Acute, Cronic)
- Systemic effects: Systemic effects are toxic effects in tissues distant from the route of absorption
- Local effect: Local effects occur primarily at the route of absorption, i.e. the toxic effect is mostly local.
- Acute effects: Exposure is characterised by sharpness or severity with a rapid onset and a relatively short duration.
- Chronic effects: Chronic effects occur when a person is exposed to a low concentration for prolonged periods of time (months, years, even decades).
List the four stages of PHC?
Stage 1: Primary prevention
- Health Promotion
- Specific protection
Stage 2: Secondary prevention
- Prompt and effective treatment
- Limitation of disability
Stage 3. Tertiary prevention
- Rehabilitation
Define PHC?
PHC can be defined as essential healthcare that is both:
- preventative.
- curative.
Preventative, i.e. the proactive means by which good occupational health is maintained; and curative, i.e. the reactive means of providing first aid and trying to limit disability and, thereafter, rehabilitation if so required.
List three benefits of PHC?
- Improved productivity
- Reduced benefit cost
- Reduced human resources and development cost
During the quality of illumination, we take into consideration the distribution of brightness in a visual environment, which includes four factors. Provide two factors?
- The degree of glare and contrast
- The colour of the light
List four advantages of good illumination?
- Preserving human energy
- Decreasing the risk of accidents
- Increasing productivity
What is the following expressed in? Noise, Vibration and HCA?
Frequency
Hertz
Mg/m3
Provide four examples of non-ionising radiation?
UV Radiation
Infrared
Laser
Microwave and high radio frequency
List three main categories of addiction?
Substance use addiction
Behavior addiction
Impulse disorder
Explain a fatigue management plan and provide an example?
- is a formal plan that seeks to minimise the risk of harm from fatigue to employees in the workplace.
Example:
• Detecting signs of fatigue.
• Clear understanding of employees/jobs prone to fatigue.
• Setting limits on working hours or standby
• Flexibility regarding shift work.
Provide four signs of mental fatigue and four examples of physical fatigue?
Mental Fatigue: • Negative mood • Reduced ability to communicate effectively • Slips and lapses in cognition • Poor memory, especially short-term
Physical Fatigue
• Tiredness even after sleep
• Reduced hand-eye coordination or slow reflexes
• Blurred vision or impaired visual perception
• Need for extended sleep during days off work
• Fidgeting
Explain general ventilation and provide two types of this type of ventilation?
- Natural general ventilation
- General mechanical ventilation
General ventilation (think Blow) reduces airborne concentrations of chemicals by diluting the workplace air with cleaner air from outside. Two types: • Natural general ventilation (wind and thermal forces) and features of buildings and designs to remove gases, dust, etc. • General mechanical ventilation occurs when air velocity is created by mechanical means with the use of fans.
Explain general ventilation and provide two types of this type of ventilation?
General ventilation reduces airborne concentrations of chemicals by diluting the workplace air with cleaner air from outside.
There are two types of general ventilation:
• Natural general ventilation uses forces derived from nature (wind and thermal forces) and features of buildings and designs to remove gases, dust, etc.
• General mechanical ventilation occurs when air velocity is created by mechanical means with the use of fans.
Provide the classes of toxins and a brief explanation of each?
- Sensitizers
- Asphyxiants
- Irritants
- Anaesthetics and narcotics
- Teratogen
- Embryotoxins
- Carcinogens
- Mutagens
- Teratogen: Think baby: A teratogen is a toxic substance that is potentially very harmful to an unborn child as it acts on the unborn foetus to produce congenital malformations, for example, X-rays.
- Embryotoxins: Think mother: Embryotoxins are toxic substances or materials that act on the unborn foetus and can result in a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), which in turn can be life- threatening for the mother. Examples are mercury compounds, lead, cadmium and radiation.
- Carcinogens: Think cancer: Carcinogens act on many different types of body tissue to cause or aggravate cancer. They can also be a trigger for dormant cancerous conditions, for example, benzene, toluene, chromium VI, nicotine and aspartame.
- Mutagens: Think genes: Mutagens could be considered the most toxic of all toxins since they act on and can alter genetic material (DNA), for example, bromine, sodium azide and gamma ray radiation.
- Sensitizers: Think allergy: for example, wood dust and various food allergies.
- Asphyxiants: Think suffocation: for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide.
- Irritants: Think annoying: for example, acetylene and ethylene.
- Anaesthetics and narcotics: Think sleep: for example, acetylene and ethylene
- Teratogen: Think baby: for example, X-rays.
- Embryotoxins: Think mother: for examples are mercury compounds, lead, cadmium and radiation.
- Carcinogens: Think cancer: for example, benzene, toluene, chromium VI, nicotine and aspartame.
- Mutagens: Think genes: for example, bromine, sodium azide and gamma-ray radiation.
List four benefits of implementing GHS?
a) Helps in preventive and protective precautions
b) Provides maximum value to the adopted regulatory system
c) Enhances overall protection
d) Recognizes regulations
e) Reduces the need for testing, and
f) Helps to facilitate safer international trade
Briefly explain Personal, Static Worst case sampling and Frequency and duration sampling?
- Personal monitoring:
- measurement of a specific employee’s exposure to a given stressor.
- employees who are in specific areas, for example, maintenance - Static monitoring (area or static sampling):
- determine the efficiency of control measures
- where concentrations are uniform.
- This is the measurement contaminant concentrations in a specific area. - Worst-case sampling:
- greatest exposure to a given hazard, priority in a monitoring strategy.
- If the worst-case worker is exposed at a safe level, then the other workers are presumed to be too. - Personal monitoring: Personal monitoring is the measurement of a specific employee’s exposure to a given stressor. This method is preferred when monitoring the exposure of an employee or group of employees who are in specific areas of the workplace at regular frequencies, for example, maintenance workers.
- Static monitoring (area or static sampling): Static monitoring is preferred when monitoring to determine the efficiency of control measures and where concentrations are uniform. This is the measurement of contaminant concentrations in a specific workplace or work area.
- Worst-case sampling: Workers who are suspected of greatest exposure to a given hazard (stressor) should be given priority in a monitoring strategy. This is based on a worst-case strategy, the logic of which is that the results will also be applicable to those workers who are less exposed to a given hazard. If the worst-case worker is exposed at a safe level, then the other workers are presumed to be too.
Provide three examples of direct spread of flames?
- Flames spreading over a surface
- Falling objects
- Airborne pieces of burning material due to convection
Explain static electricity?
- Electrons leap between two objects that have opposing electric charges.
- Imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object.
Static electricity occurs when electrons leap between two objects that have opposing electric charges. Static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object.
Explain over fusing?
- replaced fuses with one that can take heavier current loads.
- This prevents the tripping action
- If circuit breaker is too large, it prevents electricity from being safely carried which can cause an overload overloaded possibly leading to an electrical fire.
Fuses must never be replaced with fuses that can take heavier current loads. This will prevent the tripping action, which is a safety feature of any electric circuit. Over-fusing occurs when a circuit breaker is too large for the given electric circuit, which prevents electricity from being safely carried because the breaker will not trip if the circuit becomes overloaded. When this happens, the wires can overheat and this can possibly lead to an electrical fire.
List four fundamental safety requirements for workers working and/or operating lifting gear?
- Must be trained in accordance with the applicable legislation.
- Hand signals, in accordance with international codes, must be used.
- The signalman must be visible to the operator at all times.
- Except for emergency stop signals, the operator should only obey signals from the rigger.
- Slack must be taken up before lifting starts.
- No one may walk under an overhead load.
- Operators of lifting equipment must be trained in accordance with the applicable legislation.
- Hand signals, in accordance with international codes, must be used.
- The signalman must be visible to the operator at all times.
- Except for emergency stop signals, the operator should only obey signals from the rigger.
- Slack must be taken up before lifting starts.
- No one may walk under an overhead load.
Provide three hand tools with energy sources they used?
- Tools using human energy - Spade
- Portable pneumatic tools - Air pressure: Hilti gun
- Portable hydraulic tools - Liquid pressure: Jackhammer
- Fuel-powered tools - Fuel: Chainsaw
Provide three hindrances to an optimal site layout?
- Management pushback
- Legacy issues
- Financial cost implications
- Lack of understanding
Describe Mandatory and warning signs with reference to their geometric shape and background colours?
- Prohibition Signs (indicate certain behaviour is not allowed): Cycle with a diagonal bar - Red
- Mandatory Action Signs (indicate that a particular action must be taken): Circle - Blue
- Warning Signs (give warning about a specific hazard): Triangle - Yellow
- Safe Condition Signs (provide information about safe conditions): Square/rectangle - green
- Fire Safety Signs (provide information about fire safety): Square/rectangle - red (contras white)
Provide three tasks where rope access can be used.?
- High access cleaning
- Building maintenance
- High access cleaning
- Installation and removal of signage
- High access cleaning
- Structural surveys
- Building maintenance (Painting, waterproofing etc)
- Rigging and hot work
- Non- destructive testing (NDT)
List three attributes of a safety culture?
- Increased productivity
- Decreased accident rates
- Leadership by example
- Increased productivity
- Decreased accident rates
- Increased employee morale
- Improved job satisfaction
- Leadership by example
- Employee empowerment becomes a norm
- Increased productivity
- Decreased absenteeism
- Decreased accident rates
- Increased employee morale
- Increased staff retention
- Improved job satisfaction
- Enhanced organisational competitiveness
- Decrease in accident and ill health costs
- Improved near miss reporting
- Leadership by example
- Safety norms are held as values by all employees
- Each individual behaves responsibly toward safety issues
- Each individual is willing, able and enabled to go beyond the call of duty to ensure compliance with safety standards
What are the core elements of safety leadership? List two elements?
The social process of influencing people to work persistently toward an organisational goal creating a safe working environment.
- Act as a role model (lead by example)
- Motivate employees to behave safely.
- Instil a sense of achievement and pride
Safety leadership is generally defined as the social process of influencing people to work voluntarily, enthusiastically and persistently toward purposeful group or organisational goals, thereby creating a safe working environment.
• Act as a role model – ‘lead by example’.
• Provide the necessary resources to ensure that safety practices are possible.
• Provide the necessary environment, which can ensure that a proactive safety culture is achieved.
• Motivate employees to behave safely.
• Monitor safety performance as required.
• Instil a sense of achievement and pride amongst all employees.
Explain the differences between Safety and Security Management - provide two of each?
SAFETY:
- safety is about protecting the environment from the system
- safety is the protection against hazards
- Safety focuses on people being free from injury.
SECURITY:
- security is about protecting the system from the environment
- security is the state of feeling protected against threats that are deliberate and intentional.
- Security is the state of people and the organisation being free from danger or threat.
Safety is about protecting the environment from the system and security is about protecting the system from the environment
Define behavior-based safety?
- Reinforcing change to existing unsafe behaviours
- Help identify caused of unsafe behaviours
- Apply techniques to eliminate or minimise this behaviour
BBS can be defined as reinforcing change to existing unsafe behaviours in the workplace. BBS helps to identify the cause of unsafe behaviours and then applies techniques to eliminate or minimise this behaviour. It is about a commitment to safety by everyone in an organisation.
Provide three examples of safety devices and description of each?
- Two-handed control devices
- Remote control devices
- Pullback or pull-out devices
- Two-handed control devices
- Remote control devices
- Pullback or pull-out devices
- Trip devices
- Restraints
- Enclosures
Provide two examples of mechanical hazards and non-mechanical hazards?
- Mechanical hazards • Crushing • Shearing • Entanglement • Impact • Stabbing
- Non-mechanical hazards • Chemicals • Dust • Electricity • Fumes/vapours • Noise
- Mechanical hazards • Crushing • Shearing • Entanglement • Drawing in (or trapping). • Impact • Stabbing, punctures and ejection • Friction and abrasion • High-pressure fluid injection
- Non-mechanical hazards • Chemicals • Dust • Electricity • Ergonomics • Explosion/implosion • Fumes/vapours • Heat/fire • Noise • Oils and residues • Radiation • Vibration
Explain fixed guards, and interlocking guards. Provide two advantages and two disadvantages of each?
FIXED GUARDS - prevent access to the dangerous parts of machines Advantages: • Easy to maintain and inspect • Only be bypassed by a deliberate act - Limitations include: • Obstruct visibility and limit access • Not interfaced with machinery controls so they do not afford protection if removed
INTERLOCKING GUARDS:
A mechanical or electrical device that is used to prevent the operation of the machine when the guard is not closed or interlocked
- Advantages:
• They allow for easier maintenance
• They have to be in place for the machine to operate normally
- Disadvantages are:
• They are more complicated and need more maintenance; thus, they are more likely to fail
• They can easily be bypassed
Fixed guards
Fixed guards prevent access to the dangerous parts of machines, which pose the greatest health and safety risks.
- Advantages, namely:
• They are easy to maintain and inspect
• They can only be bypassed by a deliberate act by a user - - Limitations include:
• They may obstruct visibility and limit access
• They are not interfaced with machinery controls so they do not afford protection if removed
Interlocking guards
An interlocking guard or device is a mechanical, electrical, or other type of device that is used to prevent the operation of machine elements under specified conditions (usually when the guard is not closed or interlocked).
- Advantages:
• They allow for easier maintenance access than fixed guards
• They have to be in place for the machine to operate normally - Disadvantages are:
• They are more complicated and need more maintenance; thus, they are more likely to fail
• They can easily be bypassed by a user if not properly implemented
Name the requirements needed to ensure safe stacking and storage?
- Ventilation
- Lighting
- Manoeuvring space.
- Maximum use of volume
- Fire Prevention
Which fire extinguishers are used on Class B, C, D and F?
- Class B: Foam, dry powder, Carbon dioxide, wet chemical
- Class C: Dry powder, Carbon dioxide, wet chemical
- Class D: Use special purpose extinguisher only
- Class F: None, specialised
What are the two categories of flammable liquids classified?
- High flashpoint (higher than 37.8°C but lower than 60°C).
* Low flashpoint (lower than 37.8°C).
List the colors in a three phase permanent electrical installation?
- Live – any colour other than green or green/yellow that is clearly distinguishable from black
- Neutral – black
- Earth – copper or green, green/yellow combination
Explain access control (is it the most efficient way to restrict access to sensitive and unauthorized areas on company premises?
Access control is the most efficient way to prevent unauthorised visitors, restrict certain employees from accessing sensitive areas and manage employees’ access rights.
Access control should determine who enters a business, when they entered and what door they used to enter.
Access control should encompass the following:
• Company security
• Physical production security
Name Symbolic safety signs, their geometric shapes and background colors?
- Red: Red is reserved for danger signs and labels. This color signifies a hazardous situation, alerts people they need to stop, or mark off restricted areas. OSHA says red will be the basic color for identifying fire protection equipment and apparatus.
- Orange: Used to alert people the fact there is dangerous parts of a machine or equipment. Most commonly used with labels that are placed directly on the machinery, but is also used for wall signs, specifically warning signs.
- Yellow: Yellow signs are used anywhere that caution needs to be used, specifically physical hazards. This includes risks of tripping, falling, getting burned, being caught in a pinch point, experiencing hearing damage, and almost any other common hazard that may be present.
- Green: Green is safety related and means there is no danger present. This color is commonly used for first aid signs or signs indicating exits.
- Blue: Provides information about a particular item or area. This information doesn’t necessarily have to be safety related, such as property policies. Blue signs are also used for signs depicting mandatory actions by the employee and notice signs.
- Magenta & Yellow: These signs using magenta text on a yellow background is used for radioactive materials or equipment that produces radiation.
- Black & White: Used for guiding traffic or telling people which direction to go. Could also be used for housekeeping information in the facility. While not specifically safety related, having this type of signage can directly improve the safety of the facility.
Name the risks relating to electricity?
- Contraction of the chest muscles could compromise the lungs resulting in death due to asphyxiation.
- Temporary paralysis of the central nervous system that disrupts the breathing rhythm.
- Disturbing of the rhythmic function of the heart (arrhythmia)
- Bleeding or damage of tissues along the path of the current due to burns.
- Electrical faults that could cause fires.
- Fire or explosion where electricity could be the source of ignition in a flammable or explosive atmosphere.
- The risk of injury from electricity is strongly linked to where and how it is used.
- Contraction of the chest muscles could compromise the lungs and result in death due to asphyxiation.
- Temporary paralysis of the central nervous system that disrupts the breathing rhythm.
- Disturbing of the rhythmic function of the heart, i.e. arrhythmia.
- Bleeding and/or damage of tissues along the path of the current due to burns.
- Electrical faults that could cause fires.
- Fire or explosion where electricity could be the source of ignition in a potentially flammable or explosive atmosphere.
- The risk of injury from electricity is strongly linked to where and how it is used.
Explain five safety features of stacking and racking systems?
- Ventilation
- Lighting: Luminaires (lights)
- Manoeuvring space
- Maximum use of volume
- Fire prevention:
Provide three diseases arising from water pollution and three from air pollution?
WATER:
- Cholera
- Typhoid
- Guinea worm disease
- Dysentery
AIR:
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- COPD
- Lung cancer
- Asthma
SOIL (ground pollution):
- Childhood leukaemia
- Cancers
- Neuromuscular blockage
- Diseases due to bioaccumulation in food
MARINE:
- Hepatitis
- Cholera
- Gastroenteritis
- Salmonellosis
RADIOACTIVE:
- Cancers (all variants)
- Eye cataracts
- Impaired central nervous system
NOISE:
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- Mental disorders
Provide a short description of the following solutions to minimize global warming and climate change: Fossil Fuels, Upgrading buildings, Carbon footprint, and Planting more trees?
- Fossil fuels: Use fewer fossil fuels wherever possible in the organisation’s activities or processes.
- Electricity: Be more energy efficient regarding electricity usage wherever this is at all possible within the organisation. greenhouse gas emissions, namely, coal-fired power stations.
- Carbon footprint: An organisation should know its actual carbon footprint, which is the sum total of all the carbon it produces or emits due to its activities or processes.
- Carbon management: Ensure that the management of the organisation’s carbon output is an integral part of its environmental management system.
- Upgrade buildings and infrastructure: Make buildings and infrastructure more energy efficient in terms of design, materials and insulation.
- Transportation: Make less use of fossil fuel-based transportation wherever possible.
- Plant more trees: Plants provide us with much-needed oxygen while taking in carbon dioxide.
Define the following; Ecotoxicity, Biodiversity, Plume, Ecology, and Ecosystem?
- Ecology
Ecology is the branch of biology that studies the relations of organisms with one another and with their physical surroundings. - Ecotoxicity
Ecotoxicity is the study of toxic effects on non-human organisms, populations or communities, i.e. the impact of a toxin on an ecosystem. - Plume
A plume is a cloud of contaminated smoke or vapour that flows from a specific pollution source.Biodiversity - Biodiversity
Is the variety and range of species found within a given ecosystem, as well as between different ecosystems. - Food chain
A food chain is the interconnectedness (chain) between a series of organisms that each depend on the next organism as a source of food and sustenance. - Deep ecology
Deep ecology is an enviro-political movement concerned with protecting the environment. It considers humans no more important than other species. - Bioaccumulation/bioconcentration Bioaccumulation/bioconcentration is the accumulation over time of a substance and especially a contaminant (such as a pesticide or heavy metal) in a living organism, which may or may not lead to a toxic effect.
- Wetland
A wetland is an area that is regularly saturated by surface water or groundwater
Explain the anthropogenic greenhouse effect?
results from human activity which causes additional emissions of greenhouse gases preventing more heat radiation from escaping the atmosphere
Enormous growth is causing an accelerated, anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse effect.
Explain the environmental term cumulative impact?
Is the collective effect on the environment by a range of impacts from the past, present and even the future.
Explain global warming and provide three human activities that contribute to climate change?
Huge amounts of greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere due to human activities.
These gases become trapped in the ozone layer resulting in more solar energy being trapped on Earth rather than escaping back into space.
Human Effects:
- Mining
- Transportation
- Deforestation
- Waste at landfills
Explain the short-term greenhouse effect and give one example of a short-lived greenhouse gas?
- Black Carbon
- Methane
- Tropospheric ozone
- Fluorinated gases.
Name three principal fossil fuel energy sources?
- Petroleum
- Coal
- Natural Gas
Provide three advantages and disadvantages of Fossil Fuels?
• Advantages:
- Easy to find and extract
- Fairly inexpensive
- Well-known technologies
• Disadvantages:
- Increasingly difficult to find and extract.
- Increasingly expensive to produce.
- Leading contribution to climate change.
• Advantages of fossil fuels:
- Easy to find and extract
- Fairly inexpensive
- Well-known technologies
- Relevant to long-existing technologies, e.g. power stations
- Central importance in the world economy.
• Disadvantages of fossil fuels:
- Increasingly difficult to find and extract.
- Increasingly expensive to produce.
- Losing economies of scale and price per unit comparisons with renewables.
- Enormous pollution and other environmental degradation impacts.
- Leading contribution to climate change.
- Adverse impacts on human health and well-being.
- Increasingly unpopular in public opinion/civil society.
- Over-dominance in the world economy, especially petroleum.
Explain acid rain?
Acid rain is caused by the release of the gases SO² (sulphur dioxide) and N²O (nitrous oxides) into the air, which mix with water particles. Rain that falls becomes acidic, which, in turn, increases the acidity of soil, lakes, dams and streams.
Name four stages of the EIA process?
- Project Screening
- Scoping
- Project description, and
- Consideration of alternatives
(EIA = PSPC)
What is MEA and provide two examples of important MEAS’s to date?
An MEA (Multilateral Environmental Agreement) is the process of international environmental law becoming the norm.
- Kyoto protocol (on greenhouse emission) 1997
- Vienna convention on nuclear safety 1994
Provide three common themes relating to sustainability?
- Putting people at the centre
- The precautionary principle
- Making the polluter pay
Explain the triple bottom line?
SEE = social, economical, ecological system
- Sustainability is viewed as the inter-dependence between the three systems identified as basic to any development: the economic system, the social system and the ecological system.
- True sustainable development, therefore, is development that meets triple bottom-line considerations by which all three systems interact on an equal and interconnected basis
Provide the systematic stages of the LCA process?
LCA = Life cycle analysis
An LCA identifies, quantifies and evaluate the environmental impacts of a product, service or activity from cradle to grave.
- Goal definition and scoping – what is the purpose of the analysis?
- Inventory analysis – what impacts arise from all inputs and outputs?
- Impact assessment – what is the extent of impacts?
- Interpretation – how can improvements be made based on findings?
LCA = GIII
Provide three classifications of pollutants?
- Air
- Water
- Soil
Provide four techniques used to achieve cleaner production?
- Changes in technology
- Changes in input materials
- Changes in maintenance
- Changes in packaging
- Changes in technology
- Changes in input materials
- Changes in resource use
- Changes in operating practices
- Changes in product design
- Changes in service delivery
- Changes in waste generation
- Changes in maintenance
- Changes in packaging
List three examples of greenhouse gasses?
- Carbon dioxide (CO²)
- Methane (CH⁴)
- Nitrous oxide (N²O):
Name three human activities that release greenhouse gasses and contribute to climate change?
- Mining
- Transportation
- Deforestation
- Burning vegetation due to land clearing
- Waste at landfills
List four types of pollution detrimental to the ecosystem?
- Air
- Water
- Soil
- Noise
List the earth’s atmosphere layers…..sphere?
• Troposphere • Stratosphere • Mesosphere • Thermosphere • Exosphere (They Should Make Them Elastic)
Provide the definition of cleaner production and three advantages?
Is a preventive approach to managing the environmental impacts of business processes and products. Cleaner production: • New technology to reduce waste • Minimises environmental damage. • Uses energy more efficiently. • Increases business profitability • Increases efficiency of production • Cleaner production
Name three benefits and flaws of the EIA process?
Benefits
- Facilitates public participation
- Top-level decision making
- Triggers institutions-buildings
Flaws
- Time-consuming
- Costly
- Too focused on scientific analysis
Name four factors influencing the climate on earth?
- The spherical shape of the Earth.
- The orientation of the Earth’s axis towards the sun.
- The proliferation of oceanic water on Earth.
- The amount of ice cover.
- The spherical shape of the Earth.
- The orientation of the Earth’s axis towards the sun.
- The greenhouse effect of water vapour and other trace gases.
- The proliferation of oceanic water on Earth.
- The distribution of landmass on Earth.
- The amount of ice cover.
- The movement and velocity of winds in the atmosphere.
A critical aspect of eco-efficiency for your company is to have a greater focus on production?
- Improved recyclability
- Less waste generation
- Less pollution
- Decreased water and energy usage
- Maximum use of renewable resources
- Greater focus on environmental imperatives
- A reduction in the material intensity of goods or services
- A reduction in the energy intensity of goods or services
- Reduced use and disposal of toxic materials
- Improved recyclability
- Less waste generation
- Less pollution
- Decreased water and energy usage
- Maximum use of renewable resources
- Greater durability of products or services rendered
- Increased service intensity of goods and services
Explain (in short) three benefits of technology in risk management?
- Detect risk with SMART devices IoT
- Real-time crucial risk detection
- Improves risk-related decision making
- Real-time data fees detecting risks
- Smart devices that comprise the IoT have the potential to help organisations detect risk events.
- Crucial risk insights can be detected in real-time.
- Risk management is made comprehensive and dynamic and can improve risk-related decision-making.
- Organisations can also potentially manage HSE-related risks due to contractors, suppliers or customers by analysing their behaviour through real-time data feeds.
Explain CBA (Cost-Benefit Analysis) in the context of HSE risk management?
- Quantifying the benefit the company obtains for a given control against the cost of the benefit.
- A control can be considered reasonably practicable (and therefore necessary or justifiable) unless its costs are grossly disproportionate to the benefits thereof.
- Cost vs Benefits
What does each of the following acronyms stand for; SWOT, PESTLE and VUCA, and provide and brief explanation of each tool?
- A SWOT analysis is a “strategic approach to planning” whereby an organisation tries to ascertain its primary strengths and weaknesses, as well as the potential threats and opportunities for the organisation.
- SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
- A PESTE/PESTEL/PEST analysis is “a measurement tool” used by an organisation to assess markets for a particular product or service provision at a given timeframe.
- A PESTE/ PESTEL/PEST analysis is strategic in nature. It is also fundamentally risk-driven
- PESTE = Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental
- VUCA is an acronym that is used to describe or reflect on the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity that an organisation may face
- VUCA = Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity
Provide three important aspects when identifying risk controls?
- No control is ever 100% effective, unless the hazard is entirely eliminated
- The most significant risk should be considered first for controls
- Care should be taken not to take controls at ‘face value’
