An Introduction to Stress!

The employer has the legal duty to protect the worker from stress, conduct a sufficient risk assessment, and act upon it. When wrong work demand is placed upon them or they are asked to perform a certain work activity in a narrow timeframe, they can't cope with it and feel stressed. Therefore the employer is required to ensure the worker is given the correct task and sufficient time to eliminate the stress at work.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE UK) in their November 2022 press release revealed the work-related stress statistics. According to the press release, figures showed 914,000 cases of work-related stress were reported while 17 million work days were lost due to anxiety, stress, and depression. (Press Release November 23rd, 2022).

Stress affects people differently, what stresses one person may not affect others. The stress coupled with others factors such as age, sex, skills, experience, and disability may all affect one person more severely than others.

There are 6 areas of work design that can affect stress levels. You should manage these causes of stress properly;

• Demands - Employee not able to cope with the demands of his job;
• Control - Employee not able to control the way he is doing work;
• Support - Employee doesn't get enough information about tasks and support from management;
• Relationships - Being bullied, difficulties in relationships with other workers;
• Role - Don't understand the role and responsibilities thoroughly;
• Change - Workers are not engaged during a change in business;

Signs & Symptoms

The difference in the worker's behavior is the sign of being under stress. Managers or supervisors must ensure they look after their employees and look out for signs of stress in teams and workers on an individual basis. 

If someone has been founder suffering from stress, the act on time can reduce the impact of the stress on him and make it easier to eliminate the cause of stress. There are some signs which indicate that the employee is under stress, and if someone is found with them, the employee should be referred to the general physician on an urgent basis. These signs/symptoms include;

• Arguments;
• Being aggressive;
• High-staff turnover;
• Absenteeism;
• Mood swing;
• Loss of motivation;
• Reduced commitment to work;
• Errors and Mistakes;
• Sickness complains;
• Reduction in performance;
• Grievances;

A person who is under stress will behave in a strange manner such as;

• Eat less than usual;
• Use drugs, or medicines for relaxation;
• Suffer difficulties in sleep;

• He'll take more time off;
• He'll often report to work late;
• He'll behave in a very nervous manner;

Stress Risk Assessment

A standard risk assessment format can be used to identify the risks associated with stress. When carrying out the risk assessment, a 5-step process can be adapted to perform to assess the risks;

1. Identify who might be harmed?
2. What you are already doing?
3. What further action you can adapt to mitigate the risk level further?
4. Who will carry out the actions?
5. When the action is needed by?

Useful Resources

• Risk Assessment Template
• Managing Risks and Steps of Risk Assessment
• Management Standard of Stress Control

Download the Dumper Truck Inspection Checklist👈

Dumper Trucks are essential for transporting heavy loads from one location to another. These vehicles are commonly used in the construction and mining industries, among others. However, like any other machine, dumper, trucks require regular maintenance and inspections to ensure that they operate safely and efficiently.

A dumper truck inspection checklist is a tool that helps drivers and operators to ensure their vehicle condition is good pre and post-use. A checklist typically includes items such as brakes, tires, lights, fluids, and other essential components. Through a checklist, a driver can identify potential issues early and take corrective actions to prevent accidents, breakdowns, and other costly problems.

The inspection should be done on regular basis to ensure compliance and make sure equipment is fit for use. Any defect is identified and highlighted so that it can be corrected on an urgent basis and chances of accident occurrence associated with failure during operation are mitigated.

Follow the link available above and download the document in editable format.

Chemical Storage Inspection Checklist - Monthly Inspection Form👈

Chemicals are essential in many industries, but they can also pose a significant risk if not managed, stored, handled, and discarded in a comprehensive manner in accordance with the regulatory prerequisites and these hazardous materials can lead to workplace safety jeopardizing. Occupational health will be at risk if the corrective actions are not adopted. To ensure the safety of workers, the other occupiers of the premises, and the nearby residents who can be harmed due to the work activities and usage of these chemicals, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections and maintenance of the stored substance and the storage areas. Some organizations tend to inspect the storage regularly while others do it on monthly basis.

Through this post, we will understand why the inspection is mandatory and what things are to be looked at to ensure they are fit and in good condition as per the regulatory requirements. The checklist can be used to inspect the storage of the chemicals in a systematic manner to ensure every crucial point is checked.

The following points can be used to check the storage of chemicals and make notes if something is missing or not as per requirements.

1. Design and Maintenance;

2. Fire Protection Arrangements;

3. Electrical Safety Arrangements;

4. Safety Equipment & Arrangements;

5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)

6. Material Handling Arrangements; 

7. Material Storage Arrangements;

8. Material Labelling;

Regular chemical storage inspections are critical for maintaining a safe workplace and protecting the environment, and preventing any accidents from occurring. Follow the link available above and download the editable inspection checklist.

Download the Safety Officer Weekly Inspection Checklist👈

Inspection is part of the HSE officer's responsibilities allocated to him, in order to ensure the area and equipment under his jurisdiction are inspected, tested, and maintained. The inspection gives the ability to highlight the issues which can lead to severe consequences and correct these issues before something bad happen.

Furthermore, it provides the ability to keep the workplace, equipment, workers, and the surrounding areas up to the required standards in order to meet the regulatory requirements. The inspection considers the various aspects of the workplace, working conditions, working equipment, tools, and accessories, the workers, emergency equipment and arrangements, etc.

The status is noted and the observations are made. The safety officer also provides the corrective actions to take in order to redeem the highlighted issues and bring them to the required standards. The follow-up inspection can be performed as well to ensure the corrective actions suggested are implemented.

To ensure the effectiveness of the inspection, a well-devised inspection form can be used. Follow the link available above and download it in the editable format. The inspection checklist can be modified and further information can be added as per the work requirements.

Download the Document Change Request Form👈

The document change request is part of the document management procedure so that the document can be modified as per the changes and requirements. The document can be of any kind but the change should be made as per the requirements.

The procedure starts with the launch of the request form which helps in identifying the change, the part which should be changed, and if it is feasible for change or not. Through a proper assessment, the change is documented and sent to the endorsement person who reviews it and forwards it to the senior for approval.

Post-approval, the change is documented and the details are logged, while the document revision number, issue date, etc are also changed. It must be remembered, some organizations tend to change the revision number under certain conditions, such as the addition of a new part, major information, etc., while minor change doesn't require a change in the revision number, etc.

Follow the link available above and download the document in editable format.

Download the Job Safety Analysis - Civil Work👈

Civil work is related to the construction of myriad types of infrastructure for various uses. Civil work consists of the various activities being performed by multiple workers simultaneously at shared premises.

The construction sector is a complex working industry due to the diverse nature of the hazards and the rapidly changing circumstances which often lead to accidents if hazard identification and risk assessment are not performed comprehensively.

The regulations impose the duty on the employer to ensure that work activity-related risks are evaluated and mitigated to make the workplace safe and reasonable for work activities. The risk assessment is done to assess the risk but the Job Safety Analysis plays a vital contributory role in the breakdown of the work activity into small steps and evaluate the risk level so that appropriate controls are adapted for implementation.

Follow the link available above and download the document and modify it as per the requirements.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis - A Hazard Identification Technique

Introduction

Failure is a state or condition of the system, process, procedure, or equipment of not meeting the desired target or condition. In other words, it is the termination of the equipment, process, or worker's ability to perform the desired action. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (F.M.E.A) is a technique used to identify the modes of the failure of the process, or equipment and the critical effects it has on the system so that they can be analyzed.

The technique consists of two different phases which are described as "Failure Mode" which refers to the means or ways in which a product, equipment, or process can fail. "Effects Analysis" is the stage that includes the decomposition of these failures into sub-components and parts for the detailed examination. In summation, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (F.M.E.A) refers to a step-by-step approach to systematic inspection of components of a system, product, or process, and identifying the critical effects on the end user so that improvements can be suggested by providing proffering cost-effective solutions.

It is also used in incident investigation, and hazard identification as well as during the designing of the equipment so that the equipment that can fail can be identified and suitable action is taken to prevent the mishap. The findings are documented and made available to all of the involved stakeholders. In the continuous process, it is like a living document with credible information about the equipment that can fail at any time and how to control the accident.

What is the Importance of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis technique?

• Presents options for addressing the failure modes and their consequences in advance;
• Comprehensive fault detection mechanism;
• Assists in assessing the performance of the system;
• An effective mechanism for identifying the critical impact on human safety during system failure;
• Provides an opportunity to adapt cost-effective controls against identified failure modes;
• Product and process reliability is enhanced;
• Provides an opportunity to satisfy the customer;

When to Perform Failure Modes and Effects Analysis?

The Failure Modes and Effects Analysis technique is used in various circumstances but generally, it is ideal for use when;

• When a product, process, or equipment is being designed or redesigned;
• When an existing equipment, product, or process is being applied in a different manner;
• When modifying the existing controls and suggesting new plans;
• When a customer is not satisfied as indicated by the feedback;
• When the existing system or product is being analyzed for failure
• Hazard Identification, Incident Investigation;
• On regular intervals throughout the life of the product, process, equipment, etc.;

Types of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (F.M.E.A)

There are two major types of the FMEA technique;

• Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA)

• Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA)

Procedure for Implementing Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (F.M.E.A)

Assemble a cross-functional team involved in the development of the product/ process with diverse knowledge of components, process, operating procedure, customer needs, etc. These functions can include designing, manufacturing, reliability, quality, maintenance, procurement, sales and customer service, etc.

• Product/ Process Description

• Flow Chart Creation

• Function Identification

• Failure Modes

• Consequences Identified

What are effects on the overall system, environment, human safety, behavior, etc are identified? What happens when the system fails? Process engineers should be consulted during this phase to collect comprehensive information.

• The severity of Failure Determination

The severity rating is allocated between 1 to 10 where 1 is insignificant and 10 is catastrophic. This helps in prioritizing the issues and catastrophic one is dealt with on a priority basis.

• Root Cause Identification

The root cause of each failure mode is determined and recorded. It can be either a weakness in the design phase or a shortcoming in an operating procedure. All of the root causes should be recorded and documented.

• Occurrence Likelihood

This includes the likelihood of failure of equipment/process during the lifetime, rated between 1 to 10 where 1 represents highly unlikely and 10 shows the failure will definitely occur.

• Control Measures Determination

The suitable controls should be identified and recorded for implementation to prevent the failure from reaching the user. These controls should prevent the occurrence or reduce the impact severity.

• Determination of Detection Rating

The control implemented should be determined how effective they are in tracing the failure mode or cause of failure before the user is affected. The rating is given between 1 to 10 where 1 shows the control will definitely detect the failure and 10 shows the control will not be able to detect the failure.

• Risk Priority Number (RPN)

Risk Priority Number (RPN) is representative of Severity, Occurrence, and Detection. This helps the process engineer to allocate the number to the failures and put them in an order according to their number so that the most severe can be addressed first.

• Identification of Recommended Actions

This includes the design or process changes to reduce the risk level or likelihood of occurrence.

• Responsibilities and Time Frame

Responsibilities should be allocated and the timeframe given to complete the task. It will provide the opportunity to track the progress of improvement.

• Results Determination

All of the results should be determined post-application of the suggested controls.

• Re-Assessment