Application of System Safety Techniques - Bow Tie Analysis

Homework 5: Develop a Bow Tie analysis for each of two top events related to your semester project. In each analysis, you should have at least 3 threats and 3 consequences. Develop a barrier for each threat and consequence. State which part of the hazard control hierarchy the barrier is considered (i.e. elimination, substitution…) – DUE 12/1 (via email) by 5:30pm Risk Assessment of CarMax Automobile Body Shop Introduction The CarMax automobile body shop employs two sprayers and some other two workers who help in panel beating and body preparation among many other services. The body shop is located in an industrial estate and is comprised of an external parking area that can accommodate at least four cars. The shop floor is made up of the car preparation area, a dedicated mixing zone and a single draught spraying booth with extraction. The local exhaust, spray booth, and compressor are frequently examined and maintained by the business insurers. The company makes use of a health provider who visits every other year. I carried out a risk assessment of the body shop to understand the risks that the employees in the body shop were exposed to and what remedies could be instituted to make things better (Naghavi 1666). With the increasing rates of health risks in such settings and the most common occupational hazards that are typical of a body shop, there is a need to understand what the four employees at the CarMax body shop are exposed to, together with the management of the business. Methods In conducting the risk assessment for CarMax body shop, I first used the internet to get guidance on how other car body shops operate and the common types of risks that they are normally exposed to at work. After the research on the internet, I also went on to read the instructions from the manufacturers regarding the chemicals and equipment that were being used in the body shop. I was able to accomplish this by walking around the body shop and taking note of the things that could cause harm to the employees and customers. I also talked to the workers about their knowledge of the concerns and hazards that they are exposed to when they are at work (Naghavi 1666). As I was analyzing the hazards present in the body shop, I also took the time to note who might be harmed by the apparent hazards and how. Other than that, I also took the liberty to find out from the manager what was being done to control risks and what could be done to make things better. Putting those risks into action, I set out the actions that are required to make sure that the body shop is at the lowest level of risk as possible (Naghavi 1666). The table below is a summary of my findings from the initial risk assessment of the CarMax Body Shop. Hazards Who might be harmed? What is already being done? What can be done to control risk? Contact with body fillers, thinners, glues, and paint. Skin contact with these chemicals can lead to dermatitis. Disposable overalls used/supplied. Risks of dermatitis explained to the workers. Latex gloves suppliers and used. Workers instructed to wash their hands make use of skins creams provided. The manager should always ensure that the gloves are being used. Annual skin checks should be undertaken to reduce the risk and create awareness. Inhalation of paint mist that contains isocyanine. Workers and visitors could breath the mist and develop asthma. All manner of spraying done in the spraying booth. Workers trained on the effective and safe use of systems and equipment. Equipment maintained regularly by a competent person. Only those with masks are allowed in the booth. Spray booth meets manufacturer instructions and standards. The manager should show all employees videos that will help them to understand how they are exposed to invisible paint mist. Ensuring that workers exit the spray booth correctly. The manager should check that air-fed masks are properly used and sprayers do not flip up until clearance time. Both over-pressure checked every other quarter. Inhalation of dust from grinding and sanding operations. Grinding and sanding can produce large amounts of dust that could damage the lungs. On-tool extraction is used to power grinding and sanding. Disposable dust masks are made available for hand sanding. The manager should arrange for testing and examination of the extraction equipment by the insurance company to make sure they do not expose employees to too many risks. Fumes from welding and flame-cutting Workers could suffer harm to the lungs from these harmful fumes and the gasses that are generated during welding. There is a mobile extraction unit that has long flexible trunks. The extraction system is maintained and tested by the insurance company. Check with the manufacturers to know whether further precautions are needed for ultra high strength steel applications Faulty electrics. If trapped, the customers and workers might suffer serious injuries as a result of burns and smoke inhalation. Fire risk assessment is done and then the right action taken. No further action is needed. Noise as a result of working with grinders Workers might suffer discomfort and possible hearing damage if they keep on working in the noisy areas or make use of noisy tools. Purchasing policy in order to replace tools with the quietest options in the market. Noisy work is restricted to ear protection zone in order to reduce the number of risks. Suitable hearing protectors are provided to the workers, and the workers are subsequently trained on how to use them. Workers to be shown online demonstrations on how to minimize noise in the workplace. Seek opinion from health experts whether health checks are needed for the employees who are already working in the body shop. Results/conclusions From the risk assessment of CarMax Body Shop, it is quite clear that a number of risks exist. Exposure to harmful elements, including gasses, chemicals, and noise pollution stand out as the main hazards that the employees in the body shop come across in their daily work. That being the case, it is important that the right frameworks are put in place to minimize the risk and overexposure to these harmful elements. There is also the inner requirement to curb the exposure to the unwanted elements by making sure that CarMax automobile is operating in accordance with the required and pre-defined safety and security standards. The laws of the state are also supposed to be met and abided by at all times (Reeve 2). There also comes the need to educate the employees and management as well about the common hazards that are typical of a car body shop, what should be done if they ever occur and the processes that should be followed through in that case. Training is of pivotal importance in such a case. It will help in educating the employees at the body shop about the different types of hazards that they are constantly exposed to in their daily job mandate and more so, what they should do to prevent these risks and ensure that a workplace is a safe place (Reeve 2). Senior management at the body shop also has a role to play in this regard. If any recommendations were to be made by the manufacturers, insurance companies or so forth, they are the people who are tasked with making sure that those recommendations are implemented to the letter. Abiding by manufacturer regulations and guidelines as per the tools or equipment that are used in the body shop is another aspect that the manager of the shop needs to enforce every other time. Perhaps there also comes the need for the manager to check on the employees, especially novices on a regular basis so that their way of working and the tools that they use on the job do not pose many risks to them or endanger their lives when they are at work (Reeve 2). Works Cited Naghavi, Morteza, et al. "From Vulnerable Plaque to Vulnerable Patient a Call for New Definitions and Risk Assessment Strategies: Part I." Circulation 108.14 (2003): 1664-1672. Print. Reeve, Paul. "New E-guide to Contractor Risk Assessments - SHP Online." SHP Online RSS. 27 Oct. 2015. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.shponline.co.uk/new-e-guide-to-contractor-risk-assessments/>.