THE 10 ELEMENTS METHOD- OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH AUDIT

General aspects

Would it be possible to have a simple and efficient method in order to audit the safety and health of any enterprise?  Would it be possible to perform a safety audit without a fancy method that is not understood even by the top management of the enterprise? Would it be possible to have an efficient safety audit that would protect the enterprise against future risks?

The answer could be affirmative- with the method of 10 elements.

Short discussion regarding the principles that are standing at the basis of the method

The developed method is based on the finite element analysis (FEA). As it main objectives there could be mentioned:

-To understand the safety behaviors of a complex and distinct defined objects (specific workplaces);

– To predict the safety performance and safety behaviour of the facility on the basis of a safety audit of specific elements;

-To calculate the safety margin- as a safety level at the audit moment; and to identify the

weakness of the enterprise accurately as certain weak points; to establish a relative importance of these weak points so that to be able to decide which of them must be dealt with immediately; which must be mitigated in the near future and which should be monitored and mitigated on mid and long term.

The method  of the 10 elements  says that being given a space of abstraction called α we will always find 10 elements μ ii = 1 ... 10 describing unambiguously and fully considering a certain safety objective- the previously defined object space α.

We are introducing the notion of safety audit node that is describing a well-defined element, specific for the economic unit being audited- and which is describing a significant part of the safety state of the unit being audited.

Short description of the method

Main Objectives

-Safety audit of the facility using the audit nodes;

-Establishment of a safety score for each element and the facility as a whole;

-Identification of weak points and ordering them starting with the ones that should be immediately solved;

-Opening to more deep safety audits;

-Connecting with the Capability Maturity Model and establishing a Safety Capability Maturity Model on the basis of the audit.

The next figure gives a descriptive schema of the main 10 elements.

Figure 1 Schema of the main 10 elements

Conclusion

The method is very efficient and easy to use- mainly for SME s but also for any enterprise, regardless of the size. It starts with the audit node- that could be as small as the auditor wants- and is using a set of 10 elements that could be defined each one by other sets of 10 elements, etc. 

SAFETY AUDIT NEW METHOD -4

The following schemas are giving the essence of the proposed method.

Figure 1- Safety audit- 1

Figure 2- Safety audit- 2

Of course that the method is not just what had been presented here. For more details, please  send an e-mail to one of the two e-mail adresses. 

SAFETY AUDIT NEW METHOD-3

CHEMICAL EXPOSURE

On a 1 to 5 scale please estimate the safety assured against the chemical exposure, taking into account the auxiliary questions

No	Main Question	Auxiliary Question	Your Assessment
2	Safety against chemical exposure		1 2 3 4 5
2.1		Is employee exposure to chemicals kept within acceptable levels?	Yes No
2.2		Are eyewash fountains and safety showers provided in areas where caustic corrosive chemicals are handled?	Yes No
2.3		Are all employees required to use personal protective equipment when handling chemicals?	Yes No
2.4		Are flammable or toxic chemicals kept in closed containers when not in use?	Yes No
2.5		Where corrosive liquids are frequently handled in open containers or drawn from storage vessels or pipelines, are adequate means provided to neutralize or dispose of spills or overflows?	Yes No
2.6		Have standard operating procedures been established, and are they being followed, when cleaning up chemical spills?	Yes No
2.7		Are employees prohibited from eating in areas where hazardous chemicals are present?	Yes No
2.8		Is personal protective equipment provided, used, and maintained whenever necessary?	Yes No
2.9		If internal combustion engines are used, is carbon monoxide kept within acceptable levels?	Yes No
2.10		Are employees familiar with Threshold Limit Value (TLV) or Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of airborne contaminants and physical agents used in your workplace?	Yes No
2.11		Have industrial hygienists or environmental health specialists evaluated your work operations?	Yes No
2.12		Are employees instructed on the correct usage and limitations of respirators?	Yes No

TOOLS AND MACHINES

For every specific tool there should be a checklist like in the following example.

Please estimate the safety of  the specific tool on a 1 (not safety) to 5 (excellent safety)  using the auxiliary questions as a lead on

Abrasive Wheel Grinders

No	Main Question	Auxiliary Question	Your Assessment
3	Tool name: Abrasive Wheel Grinders		1 2 3 4 5
3.1		Is the work rest used and kept adjusted to within 1/8 inch of the wheel?	Yes No
3.2		Is the adjustable tongue on the top side of the grinder used and kept adjusted with within 1/4 inch of the wheel?	Yes No
3.3		Do side guards cover the spindle, nut, flange, and 75 percent of the wheel diameter?	Yes No
3.4		Are bench and pedestal grinders permanently mounted?	Yes No
3.5		Are goggles or face shields always worn when grinding?	Yes No
3.6		Is the maximum RPM rating of each abrasive wheel compatible with the RPM rating of the grinder motor?	Yes No
3.7		Are fixed or permanently mounted grinders connected to their electrical supply system with metallic conduit or by another permanent wiring method?	Yes No
3.8		Does each grinder have an individual on/off switch?	Yes No
3.9		Before mounting new abrasive wheels, are they visually inspected and ring tested?	Yes No
3.10		Are dust collectors and powered exhausts provided on grinders used in operations that produce large amounts of dust?	Yes No
3.11		Is cleanliness maintained around grinders?	Yes No

 

Compressors and compressed air

Please estimate the safety of  the specific tool on a 1 (not safety) to 5 (excellent safety)  using the auxiliary questions as a lead on

 

No	Main Question	Auxiliary Question	Your Assessment
3a	Safety of compressors and usage of compressed air		1 2 3 4 5
3a.1		Are compressors equipped with pressure-relief valves and pressure gauges?	Yes No
3a.2		Are compressor air intakes installed and equipped to ensure that only clean, uncontaminated air enters the compressor?	Yes No
3a.3		Are air filters installed on the compressor intake?	Yes No
3a.4		Are compressors operated and lubricated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations?	Yes No
3a.5		Are safety devices on compressed air systems check frequently?	Yes No
3a.6		Before any repair work is done on the pressure systems of the compressor, is the pressure bled off and the system locked out?	Yes No
3a.7		Are signs posted to warn of the automatic starting feature of the compressors?	Yes No
3a.8		Is it strictly prohibited to direct compressed air toward a person?	Yes No
3a.9		Are employees prohibited from using compressed air (at over 29 psi)for cleaning purposes, including clothing?	Yes No
3a.10		When using compressed air for cleaning, do employees use personal protective equipment?	Yes No
3a.11		Is it prohibited to use compressed air to clean up or move combustible dust, if such action could cause the dust to be suspended in the air and cause a fire or explosion?	Yes No