The Risk Management Tool Box Blog

In high-reliability organizations, process safety is everyone's business.

However, safety managers and engineers often have a much better understanding of its importance and how it is affected by strategic management decisions than the top-level managers and directors making these decisions.

It is therefore up to engineers at all levels to educate their bosses.

This online presentation, by the Health and Safety Executive's Ian Travers - a leading expert on chemical industry safety - shows how management decisions impact major hazard risks - and shares practical strategies on getting the message across to senior management.

Sustainable business success rests on safe operation - and the process of getting that right starts in the boardroom.

Make sure those in the boardroom understand the importance and impact of their decisions.

Today you will find a free toolbox talk presentation addressing issues surrounding the use of unsafe equipment on site.

The toolbox talk shows photographs of a dangerous vehicle, an unsafe tracked excavator and a faulty elevating work platform.

To access the unsafe equipment toolbox talk, simply click here.

Have a good weekend!

Tody I am continuing the theme started earlier this week and posting another picture of unsafe equipment.

The photograph can be used in its own right as a daily "safety moment" to highlight the dangers of using unsafe equipment.  See the information below the image for points to discuss in the toolbox talk.

I've also put the pictures into a Power Point slide show to be used in a tool-box talk.

To access the Dangerous Equipment tool-box talk, visit the blog on Saturday 3rd March 2012.

Today's example of dangerous equipment shows a trackhoe with the windshield (safety barrier) missing.  Although the photo doesn't show it, the excavator also had a broken exhaust which was allowing engine exhaust gas to pass directly into the driving compartment.

The excavator was being used to dig-in fly ash (fine dust) from a power station and both the operator and the machine were covered in the hazardous substance.  Another shocker!

Always remember the Think 6, Look 6 hazard management process:

Hazards = hazardous substances including fly ash and carbon monoxide gas; radiation (hot day) and noise;

Triggers = broken windshield, broken air conditioner, broken exhaust, lack of preventative maintenance;

Potential incidents = exposure of operator to airborne flyash and carbon monoxide, exposure to heat and cold and exposure to noise;

Consequences = respiratory problems, asphyxiation, heat stress, hearing impairment;

What should you do to control the hazards?

The good folks over at the Marine Safety Forum have recently released the Best Practice for the Safe Packing and Handling of Cargo to and from Offshore Locations.

Cargo handling incidents are still being identified as the cause of many injuries each year even though industry approved packing and handling guidelines have been in place for over 10 years.

Recent incidents have identified three main categories that non conforming cargo fall into are:

- Dropped objects;

- Snagging Hazards; and

- Unsecured Cargo.

To view a PowerPoint slide show covering the new Best Practice documents, simply click here.

Enclosed today is an interesting presentation prepared by the folks at the Marine Safety Forum.