Hazards That Hide in the Obvious
24 August, 2007
Workers may be regularly exposed to, and accept as normal, certain situations as part of doing their routine jobs. No one really recognizes the situations as hazardous because they've become so ingrained in the normal procedures that everyone anticipates and puts up with them.
For example:
"When the machine cycles into the pressure release, it gets real loud for a little while";
"Sometimes you have to pick defects out of the product — you'll probably get a few blisters, but you can't work the tool if you're wearing gloves";
"A lot of dust kicks up when we start filling a new bin";
or "The floor gets kind of slippery after the sprayer's been running awhile."
An internal safety inspection team may acknowledge the situations as normal operating procedures and move on without a second thought. After all, the procedures are likely to be intermittent and of short duration; and "we've always done it this way." It isn't easy to identify something as hazardous when it's an obvious part of the daily routine. The inspectors don't want to be nit-picky, either; they're out there to find the real problems — the ones that cropped up since the last inspection.
When a normal occurrence is identified as hazardous, it's easy to think it presents a low risk of serious injury. However, the hazards may actually present more risk than everyone realizes. Exposures may have cumulative effects.
The nagging problems in your workplace may not end up in the national spotlight, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get your attention. How do you identify them? A job safety analysis process would help. Other resources could include injury and first aid reports, employee interviews (especially with employees newly assigned to a job), and even worker complaints.
Once identified, the hard work of finding ways to eliminate or control the hazards begins. There isn't always an obvious quick fix for these problems. Since these hazards likely result from long-established procedures, you'll have to change attitudes along with equipment, materials, and procedures. Brainstorm with everyone involved to come up with the best solutions. After you get some of the hazards under control, the rest of them should be easier to address; and you'll find it easier to identify the hazards hiding in the obvious.