Thread Content
This post was last edited by wang*nhua77020 on 2016-7-1 at 12:56. The persistent high temperatures, humidity, and stuffy weather in summer have a significant impact on people’s physical and mental health; in particular, workers are prone to physical and mental fatigue, which can lead to various accidents. Therefore, safety prevention measures during hot weather are particularly important. Experts from health and safety supervision departments urge all production and business units as well as the general public to strengthen the implementation of the \"ten precautions\" during the summer – namely, preventing heatstroke, poisoning, falls, electric shocks, collapses, lightning strikes, injuries from falling objects, explosions, fires, and mechanical injuries – and to earnestly implement preventive measures in order to ensure occupational health and production safety during this season. First tip: Preventing heat stroke in high-temperature environments. Occupational heat stroke is a recognized occupational disease in China; it is common among workers in high-temperature workshops with sources of heat generation as well as those working outdoors. In severe cases, heat stroke can be life-threatening. Safety measures to prevent heatstroke include: 1. Reducing the temperature and humidity in the working environment. 2. Improve the physical fitness of staff and ensure adequate intake of nutrition and water. Specific measures include: (1) For cooling and dehumidification, methods such as ventilation and air conditioning can be used; additionally, organizing production in a way that avoids periods of high temperature is also an effective approach. ⑵Cooling drinks such as lightly salted water, mung bean soup, and herbal teas should be provided; companies with canteens can ask them to serve soups that help relieve the heat. 3. During the hot seasons, workers must get enough rest and ensure they have a proper breakfast. 4. Prepare heatstroke prevention medications, and provide prompt treatment if symptoms of heatstroke are detected. Second tactic: Preventing poisoning in confined spaces. Common confined spaces include reaction vessels, tanks, tank trucks, as well as pipes, flues, sewers, wells, cellars, storage rooms, etc. The main dangers of working in enclosed spaces during hot seasons are various toxic gases and oxygen deficiency caused by chemical oxygen consumption. If no effective measures are taken, it can cause acute poisoning in workers, and in severe cases, it can lead to death. Safety measures for preventing poisoning in confined spaces include: 1. It is necessary to consult with and obtain approval from supervisors; only after using instruments to confirm that there is no danger and after taking appropriate personal protective measures may one enter. 2. Meanwhile, when working, at least two people should work in a team: one enters the confined space to carry out the work while the other stays outside, ensuring that they can see or hear each other in case of an emergency, so that appropriate rescue measures can be taken. 3. Personnel entering confined spaces for work had better be equipped with personal protective equipment such as oxygen respirators or gas masks, as a precaution. Third tactic: Preventing falls from heights. Falls from heights include falling from a height of more than 2 meters above the ground, as well as falling from the ground into pits or shafts. Falls from heights are common in high-altitude work areas such as construction and elevator installation, and in severe cases can be fatal on the spot. Safety measures to prevent falls from heights include: 1. Protective equipment known as the “three essentials”: Workers at the construction site must wear safety helmets; those working at heights must use safety belts; and safety nets must be installed below areas where work is being done at heights. 2. Protection of “edges” and “openings”: At the construction site, proper protection measures must be taken for all edges and openings. 3. “The framework passes 10 tests.” For various types of scaffolding, 10 key aspects must be carefully checked: material quality, dimensions, planking, guardrails, connections, load-bearing capacity, vertical stability, protection against lightning, cantilever beams, and inspection. 4. “Measures are in place for the roof ceiling.” Working on ceilings and lightweight roofs is extremely dangerous. A boarding must be placed on top, or a safety net must be set up below. 5. “The ladder is sturdy and strong.” Falls from heights caused by ladders are relatively common; therefore, it is required that the ladder be sturdy, with steps measuring 30–40 centimeters in length, an angle of 60–70 degrees relative to the ground, anti-slip measures at the base, and the top end either securely tied down or guarded by a person. Fourth tip: Prevent electric shock during peak electricity usage. Seasonal factors such as high temperatures, lightning, and heavy rainfall can lead to a decrease in the insulation quality of electrical appliances, while factors like sweating can reduce the electrical resistance of the human body. Summer is not only a period of high electricity usage but also a time when electric shock accidents occur frequently. Safety measures to prevent electric shock include: 1. Employees should strictly adhere to the safety regulations for using electricity. If electrical equipment malfunctions or gets damaged, such as when the insulation of circuit breakers or light switches is damaged or their casings crack, it is necessary to report this immediately and have an electrician carry out repairs; one should not attempt to disassemble or repair the equipment on their own. 2. For all your own equipment and tools, if there is a malfunction in the electrical components, do not attempt to repair them yourself, nor operate them while they are faulty. Instead, report the issue immediately and have an electrician inspect and repair them. 3. During production, in cases where lighting fixtures malfunction or fuse elements blow, an electrician should be called to replace or repair them. The thickness of the replacement fuse element must be appropriate; it should not be arbitrarily made thicker or thinner. Moreover, iron wire or steel wire must not be used as a substitute. 4. The enclosures of electrical equipment in use must be protected by grounding or bonding in accordance with safety regulations. Facilities connected to ground or neutral should be regularly inspected to ensure a secure connection; there must be no breaks in the ground or neutral wires. 5. When using hand-held power tools such as drill drivers and electric grinders, a leakage protector should be installed. 6. When moving electrically powered equipment that is not permanently installed, such as portable electric fans, temporary construction site lighting, and welding machines, the plug must be unplugged first to cut off the power supply. Tip 5: Preventing collapse during typhoon weather Typhoon weather is characterized by strong winds and heavy rainfall. Safety measures to prevent typhoons include: 1. Thoroughly prepare for typhoons by strengthening duty rotations and routine inspections. 2. Implement typhoon prevention measures as early as possible to prevent slope protections, revetments, dilapidated buildings, and walls from collapsing due to heavy rainfall and typhoon attacks. 3. Toxic substances and those that react chemically when in contact with water must be stored properly; they should not be kept in basements or warehouses that are damp, permeable, or suffer from roof leaks. 4. All construction units must strengthen safety monitoring of areas such as deep excavations, trenches, perimeter walls, dilapidated workshops, and migrant workers’ dormitories, to prevent collapse accidents caused by water immersion. 5. Mining enterprises should strengthen safety management, conduct regular observations and inspections, and promptly eliminate unsafe factors. In particular, it is necessary to adhere to the post-rain safety inspection system to prevent landslides and collapses caused by typhoons and heavy rainfall. Tip 6: Protecting against lightning strikes during thunderstorms. The greatest danger of lightning is that it can cause explosive and flammable materials to detonate or catch fire. Furthermore, lightning waves travel into buildings along power and telecommunications overhead lines, radio and television antennas, as well as various other high-altitude pipelines, generating voltage that can cause fires, damage to buildings, and death or injury to humans and animals. Safety measures to prevent lightning strikes include: 1. Turn off the power to unused electrical devices, and remove outdoor antennas that do not have lightning protectors. 2. On stormy days, people should stay indoors as much as possible and avoid going outside; close doors and windows to prevent ball lightning from entering the house. 3. Try to avoid getting close to metal surfaces such as doors, windows, stoves, and heaters. Also, do not stand barefoot on muddy or concrete surfaces. It’s best to sit on a wooden chair with some non-conductive material under your feet. 4. Do not swim or row in rivers to prevent lightning from reaching the human body through the water. 5. When encountering a thunderstorm in the wild, find a low-lying area or ditch as soon as possible and crouch down there; do not take shelter under isolated trees, tall towers, or electricity poles. Seventh measure: Prevention of impacts during working at heights. Injuries caused by falling objects are one of the common accidents in the production process. Especially in summer, due to the hot weather, workers often fail to wear safety helmets as required, which can lead to casualties in the event of an accident. Safety measures to prevent object strikes include: 1. It is necessary to strictly follow relevant safety regulations and overcome complacency. 2. It is prohibited to throw materials while working at heights. 3. During lifting operations, ensure that the materials are securely tied down; do not lift beyond the capacity limits. 4. It is prohibited to operate faulty equipment. 5. Only qualified personnel may operate or carry out the work. 6. Ensure proper management of pressure vessels. 7. Thoroughly carry out equipment inspection and maintenance. Tactic 8: Preventing explosions of hazardous materials. Summer is a high-risk period for explosions and fires involving hazardous chemicals. Safety measures to prevent the explosion of hazardous materials include: 1. In facilities where hazardous materials are handled: It is strictly prohibited to store excessive amounts of such materials in the premises, or to use open flames or electric heating devices. It is also forbidden to sell gas cylinders at retail outlets, and these cylinders must not be piled up in front of the store or on the sidewalk, where they could be exposed to direct sunlight. 2. Gas stations are workplaces where oil products are handled: employees must take proper protective measures, and they should remind drivers to turn off their engines when entering the station, as smoking and using mobile phones is prohibited. 3. Storage of hazardous chemicals: Ensure ventilation and cooling in the morning and evening to prevent heat, moisture, and freezing; mixed storage is strictly prohibited. 4. Vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals should be equipped with hazard signs: Hazardous chemicals that are prone to combustion, explosion, or the release of toxic gases when exposed to heat or moisture should be transported at night; when transported during the day, measures should be taken to protect them from heat and moisture. 5. Loading and unloading hazardous chemicals: Check the condition of the vehicle, clean any residues inside it; the vehicle’s engine must be turned off, and the main power supply must be disconnected. Stop loading and unloading during thunderstorms. Tip No. 9: Fire safety to prevent fires. The high temperatures in summer can easily lead to various fire accidents. Fire prevention measures for production and operation units include: 1. In flammable and explosive areas such as oil depots, gas cylinder stations, gas stations, and boiler rooms – key locations in factories – smoking and open flames are strictly prohibited, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter. 2. In areas with a high risk of fire and explosion, open flames as well as welding and cutting operations should be avoided as much as possible. 3. When working with fire in areas such as pipe trenches, sewers, deep pits, and dead corners where flammable gases or vapors may be present, it is necessary to carry out appropriate treatments and inspections; only after confirming that there is no risk of fire can work be carried out in accordance with the regulations. 4. For substances that can react upon mixed contact and thus catch fire spontaneously, it is strictly prohibited to store or transport them together. Substances that are prone to spontaneous ignition or generate heat upon absorbing moisture should be kept in a dry environment for storage and use. Substances that are likely to undergo rapid oxidation in air, releasing heat and causing spontaneous ignition, should be stored in a sealed container or immersed in a suitable neutral liquid (such as water or kerosene) to prevent contact with air. 5. In flammable and explosive areas, explosion-proof electrical equipment must be used, and proper maintenance of such equipment is also necessary. 6. Operators in flammable and explosive areas must wear anti-static clothing, shoes, and hats; it is strictly prohibited to enter such areas wearing shoes with nails or synthetic fiber clothing. During operations, care must be taken to prevent metal objects from hitting the ground. 7. In areas prone to fire and explosion due to static electricity sparks, increasing the environmental humidity or installing devices to prevent static charge accumulation can effectively reduce the hazards associated with static electricity. Tenth tip: Prevent injuries from mechanical operations. Due to improper use or inadequate management of mechanical equipment, mechanical injury accidents can easily occur, resulting in losses in terms of lives, property, and assets. Precautions to prevent mechanical injury accidents: 1. When maintaining machinery, it is necessary to strictly follow the procedures of shutting off the power supply, installing warning signs indicating that switching back on is prohibited, and assigning a dedicated person to supervise the process. After mechanical maintenance is completed, and prior to trial operation, a thorough inspection of the site must be carried out; the switch can only be turned on after confirming that all personnel from the machinery area have been completely evacuated. During maintenance and testing, it is strictly prohibited to have anyone remaining inside the equipment to start it up. 2. Machinery that is in frequent direct contact with human hands must be equipped with functional emergency braking systems; all moving parts of mechanical equipment must have reliable protective devices; openings, feeding ports, screw conveyors, and other similar components must be fitted with covers, guardrails, and warning signs. 3. The layout of each mechanical switch must be reasonable and must meet two criteria: first, it must facilitate the operator in carrying out an emergency stop; second, it must prevent accidental activation of other equipment. 4. When performing tasks such as cleaning debris from machinery, removing stuck materials, and applying belt wax, it is necessary to follow the procedures of shutting down the machine, turning off the power, and placing warning signs. 5. Personnel operating various types of machinery must receive professional training, acquire basic knowledge of the equipment’s performance, pass relevant examinations, and work with a valid certificate. During operation, careful handling is required, relevant rules and regulations must be strictly followed, personal protective equipment must be used properly, and it is strictly prohibited for unqualified personnel to operate mechanical equipment.