Safety

Question 1

Why should a millwright concern himself or herself with safety?

Answer 1

A millwright is possibly exposed to more hazards than any other worker in a plant. A healthy safety attitude towards accidents benefits the employee by helping to avoid injury, loss or time, and loss of pay.

Question 2

What is the purpose of Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and how much power does it have?

Answer 2

The WCB is a provincial body set up to maintain a safe, healthy, working environment at job sites throughout the Province. It is a powerful legal body and can order unsafe sites closed until they are made safe.

Question 3

Describe the responsibilities of the Workers’ Compensation Board(WCB).

Answer 3

• Inspecting places of employment.
• Investigating accidents and causes of industrial diseases.
• Assisting and advising employers and workers in developing health and safety programs.

Question 4

Describe the employers’ responsibilities.

Answer 4

• The WCB dictates that every employer shall keep a copy of the WCB Industrial Health and Safety Regulations readily available at each place of employment for reference by all workers.
• All work shall be carried out without undue risk of injury or industrial disease.
• Machinery and equipment are capable of safely performing the functions for which they are used.
• All workers are instructed in the safe performance of their duties.
• No person shall enter or remain on the premises of any place of employment while that person’s ability to work is so affected by alcohol, drugs, or any other substances as to endanger his or her health or safety, or that of any other person.

Question 5

What is the purpose of an Industrial Health and Safety Committee?

Answer 5

• Assist in creating a safe place to work.
• Ensure that an accident prevention program is set up.
• Recommend actions that will improve the effectiveness of the health and safety program.
• Promote enforcement of WCB regulations.

Question 6

Describe the workers’ responsibilities.

Answer 6

• The worker is responsible for his or her own safety on the job.
• You have the right to refuse to do any act or operate any tool, appliance, or equipment when you have reasonable cause to believe that to do so would would put you in danger.
• Workers’ responsibilities include wearing proper clothing for the job site.
• You must not remove any safety equipment from the machines or equipment.
• You must have had adequate instruction about a piece of machinery or equipment before you operate or use it.
• You must make sure that no machine, equipment, or tool is used in a way that would cause injury to someone else.

Question 7

List the sections of the industrial Health and Safety Regulations that are of particular interest to millwrights.

Answer 7

• 8 Places of Employment - General Requirements
• 12 Harmful Substances
• 13 Health Hazards
• 14 Personal Protective Equipment
• 16 Machinery, Equipment and Industrial Processes, Guards: general
• 18 Welding, burning and soldering
• 30 Ladders
• 32 Scaffolds Swing Stages
• 54 Rigging
• Appendix D Standard Hand Signals for Controlling Crane Operations
• Appendix J Correct Spooling of Ropes on Drums
• Lockout Procedures (Section 16.102)

Question 8

What safety precautions must be considered in any work area?

Answer 8

• No horseplay, this is the biggest cause of injuries on the job.
• Make sure your clothing and personal protective equipment are appropriate, flame resistant, and functional.
• Never show up to work while under the influence of drugs, medications, or alcohol.
• Always move carefully.
• Watch for hazards.
• Walk in shop areas.
• Don’t work on a cluttered work bench.
• Never work under a heavy object until supports are in place.
• Read and obey all posted warning signs.
• Report defective or unsafe equipment to your supervisor.
• Develop good housekeeping habits.
• Do not use compressed air for cleaning unless specially designated procedures are in place.

Question 9

Describe how good housekeeping is accomplished on the job.

Answer 9

• Proper housekeeping means maintaining a tidy, safe, work area, and a clean workbench.
• Clean the surrounding area before starting a job and at various stages a s the job progresses.
• Tools and equipment should be cleaned and maintained in good working order.
• Keep cables, wires, and hoses out of traffic areas while you work and when not in use keep in their designated places.
• When a job is finished, clean and return all tools, remove nails from boards, remove all scrap metal and wood, return all unused parts, wipe up grease, oil and solvents and dispose of rags in proper metal container.

Question 10

What type of clothing is suggested for use by industrial workers?

Answer 10

• Wear close-fitting clothing that is not ragged or frayed if you are working near moving machinery.
• Do not wear oily, greasy, and/or synthetic clothes. As well as being fire hazards, oily or greasy clothes may cause skin irritation and inflammation.
• Wear clothing that protects your body from as much dirt and as many chips and sparks as possible.
• Do not tuck pant legs inside your boots if you are working with or near a torch, grinder, or chipper.

Question 11

How do beards and long hair affect one’s safety?

Answer 11

• Hair and beards can get caught in machinery or catch fire from sparks or open flame.
• Beards may also cause asphyxiation by preventing respirators and gas masks from fitting properly.
• Wear caps or hair nets and beards should be trimmed.

Question 12

What are the dangers of wearing jewelry on the job?

Answer 12

• A shock if you are working on electrical equipment and has electrical power.
• Loss of a finger if your ring gets caught in a piece of machinery.

Question 13

What type of head protection is used to protect the worker from falling objects and/or electrical shock?

Answer 13

• Hard hats are required in specific areas and electrical workers wear class B hard hats that are designed to reduce electrical shock.

Question 14

How are the lungs protected from airborne particulate matter and/or toxins?

Answer 14

• The lungs are protected by an approved type of respirator.

- Be sure to use the correct cartridge in your respirator for the gas or hazard you are exposed to.

Question 15

What must be considered when choosing eye protection?

Answer 15

• Choose a type or style of eye protection that will protect you in the job you are doing.
• Use approved eye protection.

Question 16

What must be considered when choosing hearing protection?

Answer 16

• Choose a type or style of protection that will protect you in the job that you are doing.
• Ear plugs should be pliable, fit each ear tightly and be kept clean and free from damage.
• Ear muffs make it easier to hear certain signals in noisy environments.
• Headphones designed for music reproduction are not adequate protection.

Question 17

What must be considered when choosing hand protection?

Answer 17

• use thermally insulated gloves when handling hot metal.
• Use rubber or approved plastic-treated gloves when handling acids and cleaning solutions.
• Use gauntlet-type welder’s gloves when welding or flame cutting.
• Use approved rubber gloves when working with electrical apparatus.
• Use leather or vinyl-coated gloves when handling lumber or steel.

Question 18

How are the feet protected from injury on an industrial work site?

Answer 18

• You must wear CSA approved safety footwear.
• Class 1 safety boots must be eight inches high and made of leather or some other approved material. They must have steel shanks and steel toes and should carry a green triangle.

Question 19

What are the important factors to remember when starting and stopping machinery?

Answer 19

• Be sure the equipment or machine is free from obstruction and that all personnel are well clear before machinery is activated.
• Shut off machinery if you are leaving the immediate area.
• Allowing revolving machinery to stop on its own before leaving it. Do not slow down or stop with hands.
• Be sure all machinery is stopped and disconnected before you begin to adjust or clean it.

Question 20

What is a zero mechanical state in reference to a machine’s operability?

Answer 20

• The machine must be assessed thoroughly, and all energy sources, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or gravitational must be made inoperative.

Question 21

Who should remove your lock and tag from a machine when the work is completed and it is safe to operate?

Answer 21

• No one, other than the person who placed the lock and tags, can remove them.

Question 22

What must be done if a power tool has a shield or guard missing?

Answer 22

• Report any damage or defects, and return the tool.

- Do not use.

Question 23

To what standards must electrical tools comply?

Answer 23

• Electrical tools must meet CSA standards and comply with WCB Regulations.

Question 24

What is the difference between an ordinary plug and a polarized plug?

Answer 24

• A polarized plug can only fit into the socket one way.

Question 25

Describe the precautions that should be taken when using electrical tools.

Answer 25

• Make sure insulation on the power or extension cord is not cut or frayed./
• Do not operate electrical equipment in wet locations.
• Do not lift or move an electrical tool by its power cord.
• Always remove a plug by grasping the plug and pulling straight out of the receptacle.
• Always disconnect, unplug, or lock out electrical equipment before changing saw blades or grinding wheels before making any major adjustments, or performing preventative maintenance.

Question 26

Describe the precautions that should be taken when operating pneumatic tools.

Answer 26

• Rout air hoses overhead or out of the way so they are not a tripping hazard.
• Do not allow them to lie where they may be cut or run over by vehicles.
• Never point an air hose in the direction of another person.

Question 27

What is an important safety consideration when you are moved to a new shop or industrial setting?

Answer 27

• Locate and learn how to use the emergency shutdown.

Question 28

Why is it important to understand and use workshop ventilation systems?

Answer 28

• Workshops usually have some type of ventilation equipment for exhausting harmful dust or fumes.

Question 29

Describe combustion.

Answer 29

• Fire, or combustion, is a form of oxidation (the union of a substance with oxygen).
• During the process of oxidation, energy is released in the form of heat, sometimes accompanied by light.

Question 30

Describe the fire triangle.

Answer 30

• Fuel (a combustible material such as wood, gasoline, paper, or cloth).
• Heat (sufficient to raise the fuel to its “ignition temperature”).
• Oxygen, usually in the form of air (to sustain combustion).

Question 31

With regard to the fire triangle, how is fire prevented and likewise extinguished?

Answer 31

• Remove the fuel (starvation).
• Remove heat (cooling).
• Remove oxygen (smothering).

Question 32

Name and describe the principle causes of fires.

Answer 32

• Welding and burning, flying sparks or slag and poor grounding while welding.
• Electrical sources, motors burning and broken wiring.
• Friction, fallen material resting on fast moving equipment and off center rubbing belts.
• Other sources, smoking and ventilation.

Question 33

Describe the four classes of fire and identify the extinguisher required for each.

Answer 33

• A class fires involve ordinary combustibles (wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics) use the heat absorbing effects of certain chemicals that retard combustion.
• B class fires involve flammable or combustible vapors, use extinguisher that prevent these vapors from being released or interrupt the combustion
• C class fires involve energized electrical equipment, use nonconductive extinguishing agents to protect the operator only when the electrical equipment is de-energized may Class A or B extinguishers be used).
• D class fires involve certain combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium, or potassium, use a heat absorbing extinguishing medium not reactive with the burning materials .

Question 34

Describe how fire extinguishers are used.

Answer 34

• Stream the extinguisher at the base of the fire, working from edge to center.
• Position yourself where any breeze or draft is moving away from you towards the fire.
• Always make sure that you have a means of escape.

Question 35

What information is found on the nameplates of fire extinguishers?

Answer 35

• Rating code

- The type(s) of fires for which an extinguisher can be used.

Question 36

What is meant by first-aid firefighting?

Answer 36

• First-aid firefighting is extinguishing the fire in its initial stages by using whatever is readily at hand, before the fire can become too large.

Question 37

Why must caution be be exercised with regard to gases produced from burning materials?

Answer 37

• During combustion, sufficient heat is generated to raise the temperature of the fuel. This produces ignitable vapors and the burning process will continue as long as there is sufficient fuel, heat, and oxygen to sustain it.
• The process must be interrupted as soon as possible by using a fire extinguisher.

Question 38

What fire extinguisher would be required to fight an ordinary hazard, 10 sq.ft. of class B fire?

Answer 38

• ULC Rating Code 2-A 10-B:C

Question 39

What WCB manual should people working in confined spaces become familiar with?

Answer 39

• WCB manual Confined Space Entry.
• Read also section 13, Health Hazards and Work Environment Controls in the WCB Industrial Health and Safety regulations.

Question 40

What are the minimum elements a confined space program must include?

Answer 40

• Workers must be trained and upgraded in confined space work and in emergency response procedures.
• Responsibility must be assigned to ensure program coordination and accountability.
• Confined spaces must be identified. Workers must be made aware of their locations and dangers.
• Written procedures must be available to workers.
• Personal protective equipment that meets acceptable standards must be provided and worn.
• The confined space must be isolated from outside sources of danger. Equipment in a confined space must be locked out when worked on.
• Entry and exit points must be provided with equipment for safe access and for rescue.
• A safe atmosphere must be ensured.
• Atmospheric testing must be carried out by a qualified person using properly calibrated test equipment.
• Cleaning and purging must be carried out, where necessary, to ensure worker safety.
• Fires must be prevented by controlling sources of ignition and flammable materials.
• Physical hazards from material collapse, electricity, lighting, noise, or temperature extremes must be controlled.