SAFETY IN ENGINEERING PRACTICE

BY

ENGR CHIDOZIE JOHN OKEREKE, MNSE, MNES, MNShE

SENIOR CHEMICAL ENGINEER/SAFETY OFFICER,
MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & ENVIRONMENT, OWERRI, IMO STATE

INTRODUCTION

In considering Safety Engineering Practices, it would be appropriate to

consider defining Safety which is one of the primary goals of
engineering. In most ethical codes for engineers, safety is mentioned as
an essential area of professional competence and responsibility.

SAFETY DEFINITION

Safety in general terms means freedom or protection from harm,

danger, hazard, risk, accident, injury or damage.

However, in an industrial context, it means the minimization

of contact between human and hazard and is predominantly concerned
with the prevention of physical harm (injury) to persons or/ and
property.
Industrial safety is that condition of enterprise operations in which, by
controlling hazards and risks, accident free production is achieved.

Safety is defined as a positive, organized activity or program based on

knowledge of the reaction between man and his working environment,
which aids business enterprise by minimizing death, losses caused by
injuries, health impairment, fires, explosion and other occupational
accidents.

Safety is opposite (antonym) of danger. Freedom from hazards

represents absolute safety, but this is an ideal, which is seldom realised.
Safety is rather a matter of protection from hazards. Safety is a situation
with acceptable risks. Thus safety mean's to bring or keep
the hazard level, below permissible safe level. It includes safety, health a
nd environment (SHE or HSE) protection including protection of
property.

However, in everyday language, the term safety is often used to

denote absolute safety, that is, certainty that accidents or other harms
will not occur. Furthermore, in engineering practice, safety is a principle
that can be approached, but never fully attained. What can be achieved
is relative safety, meaning that it is unlikely but not impossible that harm
will occur. The safety requirements in regulations and standards
represent different (and mostly high) levels of relative safety. Industries
with high safety ambitions, such as airway traffic, are characterized by
continuous endeavours to improve the level of safety.

The ambiguity between absolute and relative safety is a common cause

of misunderstandings between experts and the public. Both concepts
are useful, but it is essential to distinguish between the two. See
categories of safety signs:-
Summary of Safety Signs

The pictograms are as shown in the regulations and the completed sign must be in
accordance with the appropriate colours.

Type Shape Colour Pictograms

PROHIBITION
SIGNS
These signs RED with a white
prohibit actions Circular background red
detrimental to band and crossbar.
safety like No
Smoking

WARNING SIGNS
These signs give
YELLOW with
warning of Triangular
black symbol or text
potential risks
Triangular

MANDATORY
SIGNS
Signs that require BLUE with symbol
Circular
actions or activities or text in white
that will contribute
towards safety

SAFE
CONDITION
SIGNS
GREEN with white
These signs indicate Rectangular
symbol or text
exit routes in the
event of a fire or
emergency
FIRE
EQUIPMENT
SIGNS
Rectangular Red with white
These signs are
or Circle symbols or text
used to indicate the
location of fire
equipment

Green, Red, Yellow,

Supplementary
Rectangular with White or Black
Information Signs
Text

Some Prohibition Signs

Some Mandatory Signs

Some Warning Signs

Some Safe Conditions Signs

Some Fire Equipments Signs

Supplementary Signs
Operational Safety Concept

This is a strategy for process control, incorporating a hierarchy of

monitoring and controlling process parameters and of protective action
to be taken.

What then is a Hazard?

According to Health and Safety Authority (2013), when we refer to

hazards in relation to occupational safety and health the most
commonly used definition is ‘A Hazard is a potential source of harm or
adverse health effect on a person or persons’.

The terms Hazard and Risk are often used interchangeably but this
simple example explains the difference between the two.

If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a
slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was
prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain; though
the risk would be minimised.

What is Risk?

Making reference to the same Health and Safety Authority (2013), when
we refer to risk in relation to occupational safety and health the most
commonly used definition is ‘risk is the likelihood that a person may be
harmed or suffers adverse health effects if exposed to a hazard.’

Categorising Risk

The level of risk is often categorised upon the potential harm or adverse
health effect that the hazard may cause, the number of times persons
are exposed and the number of persons exposed. For example exposure
to airborne asbestos fibres will always be classified as high because a
single exposure may cause potentially fatal lung disease, whereas the
risk associated with using a display screen for a short period could be
considered to be very low as the potential harm or adverse health
effects are minimal.
What are Control Measures?

Control measures include actions that can be taken to reduce the

potential of exposure to the hazard, or the control measure could be to
remove the hazard or to reduce the likelihood of the risk of the exposure
to that hazard being realised. A simple control measure would be the
secure guarding of moving parts of machinery eliminating the potential
for contact. When we look at control measures we often refer to the
hierarchy of control measures.

Elimination of the hazard is not always achievable though it

does totally remove the hazard and thereby eliminates the risk
of exposure. An example of this would be that petrol station
attendants in Ireland are no longer exposed to the risk of
1. Eliminate the chronic lead poisoning following the removal of lead from
hazard petrol products sold at forecourts.

Substituting the hazard may not remove all of the hazards

associated with the process or activity and may introduce
different hazards but the overall harm or health effects will be
lessened. In laboratory research, toluene is now often used as a
substitute for benzene. The solvent-properties of the two are
2. Substitute the similar but toluene is less toxic and is not categorised as a
hazard with a carcinogen although toluene can cause severe neurological
lesser risk harm.

Isolating the hazard is achieved by restricting access to plant

and equipment or in the case of substances locking them away
under strict controls. When using certain chemicals then a fume
cupboard can isolate the hazard from the person, similarly
3. Isolate the placing noisy equipment in a non-accessible enclosure or room
hazard isolates the hazard from the person(s).

Engineering Controls involve redesigning a process to place a

barrier between the person and the hazard or remove the
hazard from the person, such as machinery guarding, proximity
4. Use engineering guarding, extraction systems or removing the operator to a
controls remote location away from the hazard.

Administrative controls include adopting standard operating

procedures or safe work practices or providing appropriate
5. Use
training, instruction or information to reduce the potential for
administrative
harm and/or adverse health effects to person(s). Isolation and
controls
permit to work procedures are examples of administrative
 controls.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) include gloves, glasses,

earmuffs, aprons, safety footwear, dust masks which are
designed to reduce exposure to the hazard. PPE is usually seen
as the last line of defence and is usually used in conjunction
with one or more of the other control measures. An example of
the weakness of this control measure is that it is widely
recognised that single-use dust masks cannot consistently
achieve and maintain an effective facepiece-to-face seal, and
cannot be adequately fit-tested and do not offer much, if any
real protection against small particulates and may lead to a
false sense of security and increase risk. In such instances an
6. Use personal extraction system with fitted respirators may be preferable
protective where the hazard may have significant health effects from low
equipment levels of exposure such as using isocyante containing chemicals.

Risk Assessment

The amount of risk depends on the circumstances. These includes the

type of machine and what it is used for, the need for approach to it, ease
of access, and the quality of supervision of the operators behaviour. Risk
also depends on the knowledge, skills and attitude of the persons
present in those circumstances, and an individual’s awareness of the
danger and the skill needed to avoid it. The ability to identify those at
risk and to identify when the risk occurs is important and applies to
management as well as to operators.

RISK MANAGEMENT DEFINITION

It may be defined as the organisational set-up for prevention or

minimisation of the adverse elects of risks within a company, via the
identification, evaluation and control of such risks by finding and
applying remedial measures.
It is decision
making and establishing ownership of actions and monitoring to contain
within limits of criteria. Risk Management includes following:

Step 1. Hazard Identification.

Step 2. Hazard Analysis

Step 3. Hazard Assessment

Step 4. Risk Analysis and

Step 5. Risk Assessment.

It includes management for safety (injury prevention), damage control,

loss prevention and loss control.

Safety Audit Definition

It is a critical examination of all or part, of a total operating system with

relevance to safety and to suggest improvements and up gradation. A
safety audit is intended to measure the effectiveness of a company's
safety programs in every respect. The objectives should be clearly
defined such as-

1. To carry out a systematic and critical appraisal of all potential hazards

involving personnel, plant, services and methods of operation.

2. To ensure that the occupational health and

safety standards fully satisfy the legal requirements and those of the
company's written safety policies, objectives and programs.

The word 'safety audit' is also used for 'safety inspection' intended for:

1. Identification of possible loss situations.

2. Measurement of the potential losses associated with these risks.

3. Selection of methods to minimize the losses.

4. Implementation of the selected methods within the company and

5. Monitoring of the result and suggesting further improvement
based on review.

SAFETY MANAGER DEFINITION

Generally connotes a person responsible for a safety organization and its

activities. This person is concerned with the conduct of the safety
programs at the plant(s) for which he is responsible. He may have under
his immediate supervision, one or more safety engineers or officers, an
industrial hygienist, industrial psychologist, risk manager and other
employees knowledgeable in safety.

Risk Manager is responsible for the function of a safety manager and

also for the insurance programs and other activities to minimize risks
and accidental losses.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DEFINITION

Safety Management System is defined as collectively those elements in

the operator's management system which ,ensure that all loss exposures
inherent in the operation have been systematically identified and risk
assessed and that arrangements are in place to control the risks in these
loss exposures to a level as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) and to
minimize the consequences of any failure of tile control
system should, the need arise, and that the information, training, auditin
g and improvement processes are in place.

SAFETY REPORT DEFINITION

It is the written presentation of the technical, management and

operational information covering the hazards of a major accident hazard
(MAH) installation and their control in support of a justification for the
safety of the installation. Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals
Rules, 1989 prescribes such report with 10 items.

Safety Team Definition

It is a group, which may be established by the works management for
specific safety purposes, -e.g. inspections or emergency planning. The
team should include workers or their representatives
where appropriate, and other persons with expertise relevant to the
tasks.

SECURITY DEFINITION

It protects the material, methods, manufactured goods and money

assets by security personnel and Insurance. Generally it includes security
staff (guards) in 3 shifts i.e. 24hours for the protection of company
assets. Security should be distinguished from safety which is mostly
concerned with protection from hazards by engineering and other
control methods

SITE DEFINITION

It means any location where hazardous chemicals are manufactured

or processed, stored, handled, used, disposed of and includes the whole
of an area under the control of an occupier and includes pier, jetty or
similar structure whether floating or not.

SYSTEM SAFETY DEFINITION

It is the concept 'to have an accident, there must be a hazardous or

unsafe condition'. If that unsafe condition can be eliminated or suitably
controlled, there will be no accident even if there is an error on the part
of any personnel involved. Example is an interlocked guard, which
prevents accident due to human error. To minimize accidents, it is
necessary to eliminate or control any of the hazards involved at each
stage of design, manufacture, test, operation and maintenance. System
safety requires auto controls to make the system so safe that human
error may not result into accident.

UNSAFE ACT DEFINITION

It means either a positive act i.e. commission of an act or a negative act

i.e. omission or failure to perform an act which a prudent man should
not have done and which results in hazard, accident or injury. The
unsafe act might be deliberate (mischief, sabotage etc.) or committed
due to absence knowledge, ignorance or through forgetfulness (human
error, mistake etc.). The unsafe act may be the sole accident cause or
one of several causes. Examples are standing under suspended load,
design mistake, starting machine without authority or warning, removal
of safeguard, chance taking, wrong interpretation of safety rule, not
following the safety precaution, poor vision or judgement etc.

Unsafe act is concerned with the human being and can be corrected by
the action of the human being only. Training plays an important role.
Even if the condition is fully safe, an accident may happen because of
the unsafe act. At the root of creation of unsafe condition, many times
the underlying cause is unsafe act i.e. human failure somewhere,
which can be detected and corrected.

According to H. W. Heinrich, 88% accidents are due to unsafe acts. He

considered unsafe acts responsible for most of the unsafe conditions.

UNSAFE CONDITION DEFINITION

It means existence of a mechanical, physical, chemical or environmental

condition, situation or state of affairs, which may cause hazard or
accident. The unsafe condition might be the result of any unsafe act
(human failure) or accidental failure or alteration of the safe condition.
The unsafe condition may be the sole accident cause or one of several
causes. Examples are, wrong design, no guard on dangerous part, no
control of chemical process, no provisions of safety devices, poor light,
poor ventilation, confined space, high noise etc.
Unsafe condition is concerned with the position, situation, existence or a
ccidental alteration of the safe condition into such position, situation,
existence or state of affairs leading to the causation of any hazard or
accident. Such condition may be because of any unsafe act or not. Acts
of God are unsafe condition. Unsafe condition can be rectified, repaired
or made safe mostly by engineering controls.

The principle of As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) embodies

the concept that acceptability can be influenced by the cost of improving
safety. It does so by categorising the assessment of a risk into one of
three possibilities: those with so great a risk they are never acceptable,
those with so little a risk they are always acceptable, and the remaining
which are acceptable provided that they have been reduced to as low as
reasonably practicable and where the cost of reducing the risk further is
not justified by the improvement to safety.

Not all safety standards specify an acceptable level of safety, focussing

more on how to ensure and assure that an acceptable level of safety has
been achieved.

Safety in Engineering practice will however hover around safety

technology, occupational health and hygiene, safety management
techniques and law.

A. Safety Technology.

 Safe Machinery Design and Guarding

It is important to note that dangers from machinery can arise in two

physical ways such as Machinery Hazard (i.e. traps, impacts, contacts,
entanglement, failure of components, and ejection of parts of and by
the machine) and Non-Machinery Hazard (i.e. electrical failure,
exposure to chemical sources, pressure, temperature, noise,
vibration and radiation. It becomes necessary to distinguish between
continuing dangers associated with the normal working of the
machine such as not having guards fitted where necessary to protect
the operator and those arising from the failure of components or
safety mechanisms such as breakdown of the guarding mechanism.

Machinery safety can be achieved by:

a) Eliminating the cause of the danger

b) Reducing or eliminating the need for people to approach the

dangerous part(s) of the machine
c) Making access to the dangerous parts difficult (in other words,
providing safety devices so that access to the dangerous machine
part does not lead to injury)

d) Provision of personal protective equipments

e) Training of personnel to improve skill in order to avoid injury

g) Improving motivation to take the necessary avoiding action and

f) Redesigning to make dangers more obvious (I.e. use of warning

signs)

 Mechanical Handling

These techniques have improved efficiency and safety, but have

introduced other sources of potential injury into the workplace.
Cranes, powered industrial trucks and fork-lifts, and conveyors are
the primary means for mechanical handling. In all circumstances the
safety of the equipment can be affected by the safety of the
operating conditions, workplace hazards and the operator.
 How to lift an object manually.

 Transport Safety

The safe operation of vehicles results from planning and activity, not
chance. In the majority of vehicle accidents, the principal factors are
drivers’ failure and vehicles failure, both of which can be controlled.
A relatively small proportion of is due to vehicle mechanical failure.

Causes of Transport Accident

Transport accidents occur because of:

• Contact – with structures, services

• Overturning – through incorrect loading, speeding, surface

conditions

• Collision – with other vehicles or pedestrians

• Impact – materials falling or the vehicle overturning over the
operator

• Entanglement – in dangerous parts machinery or controls

• Explosion – when charging batteries or inflating tyres

• Operation/Supervisor error – through inadequate training or

experience

Preventing Transport Accident

These accidents are prevented by the use of a planned approach

involving:

• Driver selection, training, certification and supervision – the use

of vehicle by unauthorised persons must be prevented.
Authorisation should depend on the individual’s progress through
a training programme on the specific type(s) of vehicle to be
driven, and selection of the individual for the task

• Control of visiting drivers – any local rules must be communicated

to visiting drivers, either in writing, as a contract conditions, or by
the provision of suitable traffic safety signs or markers

• Traffic control in the workplace – including making decision on

needs, priorities, rights of way and the separation of pedestrian
and motor traffic

• Accident investigation – including reporting system, subsequent

analysis of reports, and correction action follow-up

• Maintenance procedures – safety, economy and efficiency all

benefit from period vehicle checks and inspections, in addition to
local or national requirements of regulations or codes
 Chemical Safety

Chemical incidents can affect many people including operators,

nearby workers, others on sites and members of the public. Systems
for the control and safe use of the chemicals and substances are
crucial to the safe operation of any workplace which handles, uses,
stores, transport or disposes of them, regardless of the quantity
involved.

Planning for Chemical Safety

The way in which we plan for chemical safety is based on the

principles for the control of all types of risk, which will be familiar to
you. The stages of control include risk assessment as the basis for
control measures and the six stages of control are summarised here:

Identification of the hazard to be controlled

Assessment of the risk

Control of risk the risk

Training of staff

Monitoring the effectiveness of the strategy

Necessary record- keeping

Do’s and Don’ts for Construction site

Do’s
1. Before commencement of work give sufficient input to the
workers on safety requirement of the job.
 2. Use personal protective equipment (safety belt, safety shoes,
safety helmet etc) at construction. Safety belts (ISI approved) must be
used when working at heights above 3 m height.

3. Keep the site clean from all unwanted materials and properly store
the equipment for easy access.

4. Keep the visitors away from the construction site.

5. Use safety net whenever required.

6. Keep fire fighting equipment handy at site.

7. Keep the escape route clear 8. Provide adequate lighting at site.

9. Use electrical hand tools with double insulation or fitted with ELCB
protection.

10. Maintain safe angle of repose while excavating pit exceeding

1.5M depth. (450 ). Suitable bench of 0.5 M width at every 1.5 M
depth of excavation in all soils to be provided expect in case of hard
rock or proper shuttering and shoring . Necessary steps to be
provided for escape.

11. Protect the neighbouring structure from collapse where

excavation is planned.
12. Take adequate precaution for underground utility lines (cables,
sewers) before carrying out excavation.

13. Make necessary arrangement for de-watering of the pit .

14. Ensure Mechanised excavator is operated by well-trained

experienced operator. Ensure the wheel / belt of the excavator are
suitably jammed to prevent accidental movement.

15. Ensure use of metallic scaffolding designed for their maximum

load.

16. Check for any overhead electric wire running over the
construction site. If exist, ensure the same is de-energised.
17. Cordon off the excavated pit with proper red and white band /
caution board.

18. Provide suitable rubber mat around electrical panels/switches

19. Provide First Aid kit with proper medicine at the site. \

20. Openings of manholes etc should be kept in close condition.

21. Cordon off the area where field radiography is carried out.

22. Ensure all electrical connections, water connections etc have

been cut off before start of demolition.

Don’ts
1. Do not start any work without presence of contractor’s skilled
supervisor.

2. Do not wear loose clothing while working near rotating machine or

working at height 3. Do not keep inflammable material, waste and
debris near the construction site.

4. Do not carry out hot work where inflammable materials are

present and also while carrying out painting job.

5. Do not keep the excavated earth within 1M of the edge of the pit.

6. Do not allow vehicles within 2 M distance from the edge of the pit.

7. Do not allow personnel to come within 1 M of extreme reach of

the mechanical shovel.

8. Do not exceed safe working load marked on lifting equipment.

9. Do not use unamoured electric cable in construction site.

10. Do not allow electrician without license for carrying out electrical
job.

11. Do not use bare wire ends in the socket.

12. Do not use temporary electrical connection.

13. Do not use barrels, boxes, loose bricks etc as working platform

14. Do not allow welding work if the welder is not in ‘Dry’ condition
and not wearing protective goggles / face shield.

15. Do not start the job without proper work permit.

16. Do not keep any load / equipment near the edge of excavated pit.

17. Do not enter the confined space such as empty product tank
without proper safety checks and in absence of competent persons.

18. Do not demolish any structure without initial survey and

formulating the method of demolition

19. Do not keep the lighted gas torch left unattended.

20. Do not throw or drop material / equipment from height.

 Fire Safety

The control of fire at the start and spread of fire is an important

feature of the prevention of accidents and damage.

Fire needs fuel, oxygen and a source of energy to ignite it; these are
as the “fire elements”. Examples of these are wood, air and heat in
the right combination. The ratio of fuel to oxygen is crucial; too much
or too little of either will not permit a fire to start. Also, the source of
ignite must be above a certain energy level.
There are five main hazards produce by fire: oxygen depletion,
flame/heat, smoke, gaseous combustion products and structural
failure of buildings.

There are four main categories, which are based on the fuel and the
means of extinction. These are:

CLASS A: Fire which involve solid materials, predominantly of an

organic kind, forming glowing embers. Examples are wood, paper and
coal. The extinguishing mode is by cooling, and is achieved by the use
of water.

CLASS B: Fire which involved liquids or liquefiable solid; they are

subdivided into:

CLASS B1, Which involve liquid soluble in water, for example

methanol. They can be extinguished carbon oxide, dry powder, water
spray, light water and vaporising liquids.

CLASS B2, which involve liquids not soluble in water, such as petrol
and oil. They can be extinguished by foam, carbon oxide, dry powder,
light water and vaporising liquids.

CLASS C: Fire which involve gases or liquefied gases resulting from

leaks or spillage, eg methane or butane.

Extinguishment can be achieved by using foam or dry powder in

conjunction with water to cool any leaking container involved.

CLASS D: Fire which contain metals such as aluminium or magnesium.

Special dry powder extinguishers are required to fight these, which
 may contain powdered graphite or talc. No other extinguisher type
should be used.

Electrical fires, which involve the electricity supply to live equipment,

can be dealt with by extinguishing mediums such as carbon oxide, dry
powder or vaporising liquids, but not water. Electricity is a cause of
fire, not a category of fire. Electrical fire has been removed from the
traditional “categories” of fire, for this reason.

Knowledge of the correct type of extinguisher to use, or install, in

areas at particular risk is essential.

How to fight Fire

In learning how to fight fires, it’s important to be able to differentiate

between different types of fire situations. Being able to do this requires
a ‘reading’ of the fire, which is the method by which a firefighter
determines the best way to approach it and the safest way
to extinguish it.

Firefighters face considerable danger in their work, especially if they

have to enter a burning building. Reading the fire to see if there are
indications of a potential explosion or back draft is an important part of
maintaining firefighting safety when learning how to fight fires. They
also must determine if there are chemicals that may pose additional
hazards to bystanders as well as firefighters. The things that firefighters
look for when reading a fire are:

• Detection of hot zones. Checking a door temperature before opening it

to prevent a flash. Detecting window soot to see if combustion is
incomplete.

• Smoke movement out of a window or door frame.

• Spraying water on a surface to see if it hisses indicating extreme heat

or if it drips off of the surface, which indicates less intense heat.
Learning how to fight fires also involves learning the elements that are
involved in creating and sustaining a fire. These are fuel, heat, an
oxidizing agent and a self-sustained chemical reaction.

The fuel in building fires is the materials used to construct it such as

wood, sheetrock, paint. Another fuel component of these types of fires
is the building contents, such as the furniture, carpeting and drapes.
Heat comes from the fire itself. The self-sustained chemical chain
reaction is the way the fire’s components react to each other. The
oxidizing agent is a material or substance that when the proper
conditions exist will release gases, including oxygen. These are all things
that a firefighter studies when learning how to fight fires.

In order to fight a fire, you must take out any one of the fire elements.
The most common method is to use water to put out the fire. The water
takes away heat by cooling the fire. Water also smothers the fire, taking
away oxygen. Some firefighters use foam as an alternative to water. Fire
extinguishers also use foam to fight fires. Removing the fuel is another
fire fighting method. In learning to fight a fire, you often have to let the
fuel burn until the fire goes out. Another method of extinguishing fires is
chemical flame inhibition. These fire retardant agents interrupt the
combustion reaction put out the fire. This is especially effective on gas
and liquid fuels, which are extremely difficult and dangerous to
extinguish

Fire Protection

There are three strategies for protecting against and dealing with fire:

Structural design precautions – providing protection through

insulation, integrity and stability permitting people to escape, eg
compartmentalisation, smoke control, unobstructed mean of escape.

Fire detectors and alarms – activated by sensing heat, flame, smoke

or flammable gas, eg heat detectors, radiation detectors, smoke
detectors.
 Fire fighting – with portable extinguishers or fixed fire fighting
equipment (manually or automatically operated).

Using a Fire Extinguisher

The following steps should be followed when responding to incipient stage fire:

 Sound the fire alarm and call the fire department, if appropriate.
 Identify a safe evacuation path before approaching the fire. Do not allow the fire,
heat, or smoke to come between you and your evacuation path.
 Select the appropriate type of fire extinguisher.
 Discharge the extinguisher within its effective range using the P.A.S.S. technique
(Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep).
 Back away from an extinguished fire in case it flames up again.
 Evacuate immediately if the extinguisher is empty and the fire is not out.
 Evacuate immediately if the fire progresses beyond the incipient stage.
Most fire extinguishers operate using the following P.A.S.S. technique:

1. PULL... Pull the pin. This will also break the tamper seal.
2. AIM... Aim low, pointing the extinguisher nozzle (or its horn or hose) at the
base of the fire.

NOTE: Do not touch the plastic discharge horn on CO2 extinguishers, it gets
very cold and may damage skin.

3. SQUEEZE... Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent.

4. SWEEP... Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire until it appears to be
out. Watch the area. If the fire re-ignites, repeat steps 2 - 4.

If you have the slightest doubt about your ability to fight a fire....EVACUATE
IMMEDIATELY!

Emergency Escape- The principle on which means of escape provisions

are based is that the time available for escape (an assessment of the length
of time between the fire starting and it making the means of escape from
the workplace unsafe) is greater than the time needed for escape (the
length of time it will take everyone to evacuate once a fire has been
discovered and warning given).
Regardless of the location of a fire, once people are aware of it, they
should be able to proceed safely along a recognizable escape route, to a
place of safety.

In order to achieve this, it may be necessary to protect the route, i.e. by

providing fire-resisting construction. A protected route will also be
necessary in workplaces providing sleeping accommodation or care
facilities. It might also be necessary to apply positive air pressure to an
escape route to discourage smoke from entering in the event of a fire.

CONCLUSION

To ensure the health and safety of all employees in an engineering

environment, engineers should do the followings:-

1. Providing and maintaining safe plant and safe systems of work.

2. To ensure safe handling, storage and transport of articles and

substances.

3. To provide information instruction training and supervision to

ensure health and safety at work.

4. To provide safe access and egress at all times.

5. To provide and maintain a safe place of work

6. To provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which are any
device or appliance designed to be worn or held by an individual
for protection against one or more health and safety hazards.