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This post was last edited by fight3558586 on 2016-11-13 at 11:03. Case share (I have hidden the specific name of the company). Renovation of an alkali scrubber tower by an external contractor: On that morning at eight o’clock, the contractors began welding work without obtaining the necessary permits; a flash explosion occurred while welding inside the alkali scrubber tower, resulting in one person being injured. Background: The company’s regular working hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the accident occurred right at the start of the workday. Since the renovation has been underway for several days, and welding work was carried out on site a few days ago, the external contractors simply started welding as soon as they arrived at work. Immediate cause: During the renovation of the alkali scrubbing tower, effective isolation and purging were not carried out; after a night of precipitation, an excessive amount of flammable and explosive gases accumulated at the bottom of the tower, reaching the explosion limit. Moreover, no gas testing was conducted before starting the work. Indirect causes: 1. No detailed plan was developed for the maintenance work ； 2. Inadequate on-site supervision of external construction workers ； 3. The training and education provided for external construction workers upon entering the factory are inadequate. So, how does your company manage outsourced tasks outside of the working hours of its management staff? Are there any weak points in ticket approval? What measures can be taken to address the ignorance and recklessness of workers?
We are a private enterprise; whenever external construction teams are working here, the workshop supervisors are always present, and they oversee the entire process of work after completing all the necessary permits.
Designating a specific person within the company to oversee the entire process is indeed a good approach. However, there’s one important prerequisite: in most companies, each position is filled by a dedicated employee, and many managers are reluctant to assign someone away from their duties without a valid reason. The term that appears most frequently in reports of accidents involving external contractors is “using subcontracting as a substitute for proper supervision”.
Since its establishment 24 years ago, our company has not experienced any accidents resulting in injuries or deaths. The security management is done very well. Each workshop is equipped with a safety officer (who also serves as the deputy director). In recent years, the company has grown rapidly, with new projects emerging one after another. The working hours of the internal security staff and the construction team are synchronized, and any violations observed on site are corrected immediately.
The management of outsiders still needs to be strengthened
Your company enforces strict controls over outsourced tasks outside of the working hours of its management staff. There are no weak points in ticket approval processes.
Work is prohibited without supervision outside working hours (including shift handover times). The supervisor of the worker at the location and time, as well as the environmental analysis report and on-site fire prevention measures, must all be confirmed to be in place. If caught, the safety officers and supervisors basically lose half of their bonuses for half a month~~~~~ As long as proper supervision is in place, things are handled according to established procedures, and safety training for construction workers is strengthened, there are generally no problems. Those who refuse to comply despite repeated warnings will be removed from the factory premises outright, and they will not be allowed to enter again~~~~
With sufficient investment in safety, that’s enough to ensure safe production. Although our company has never had any fatal accidents, there has been one case of mechanical injury in which the affected person lost his right arm.
Take it step by step; normally there should be no problems. If companies manage things properly, accidents can basically be reduced to zero
This sampling analysis, along with combustible gas testing, is mandatory before performing hot work.
Your company has standardized and reliable practices in terms of work safety. In our department, safety represents the biggest obstacle; the workshops turn a blind eye to activities such as welding and often issue instructions that violate safety rules.