Safety

The second definition was first used in 1881. “Safety’ has quite some history, but my definition has I Tots Of meanings. To me, safety means protecting from danger that may hurt us or endanger or lives. Unsafe practice is a great risk to life and property. For example, two-wheeler who RI des recklessly not only risks his own life, but the others on roads. That’s because of their lack of knowledge about overall safety, be it “die” road. While crossing the road, you mustn’t run across in blind d panic.

Wait until the raffia policeman or the Walk’ signal appears. Even then look for some vehicle drivers who jump signals and cross “die” road with the others. So always be cautious, and someone once said, “Better a thousand times careful than once dead. ” Next, be safe at work. This is really important because once you know the par testicular hazards of your job or workplace, you can take steps to reduce your risk of workplace I injury or illness. Also always stay awake while working at dangerous places, for example, at fire deep rodents.

If you don’t, when you are rescuing lives in a burning house, you’ll risk your life and the pee pole’s too. So, you need to always stay awake. Something that happened recently over the past years is accessibility. Lots o f kids and teens keep getting bullied online, and sometimes it can go from never leaving your home to almost committing suicide. I just feel really bad for those people, and it’s sad to hear stories about that. Everyone is different in the world and that’s a great thing.

There is no need of anyone to be getting bullied because no one is the same, everyone is unique. Therefore, you need to extra safe on the internet. You can do this by never talking to strangers when you are social me As you can see, safety means a lot to me. Now you should stop and think ABA UT what it means to you. Of course, we will have different meanings, but some may be alike. On e of my favorite quotes are “Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. ” by William Shakes pare. What does safety mean to you?

Is it safe to fly? Yes, it is safe to fly. A US National Safety Council study showed flying to be 22 times safer than traveling by car. More than 3 million people fly every day. Chart below shows the number of fatalities in other transportation methods to travel.  What security measures have been implemented since 9/11 and in your opinion, are the “extreme” security checks at our airports necessary?

In my option security has increased for the better good since 9/11. For example, airlines instructed passengers to arrive at airports as much as two hours before takeoff for domestic fights. After passing through security checkpoints, passengers were randomly selected for additional screening, including hand-searching of their carry-on bags, in the boarding area. The TSA has arrayed ’20 Layers of Security’ to ‘strengthen security through a layered approach’—see Figure 1. This is designed to provide defense-in-depth protection of the traveling public and of the United States transportation system.

Of these 20 layers, 14 are ‘pre-boarding security’ (i. e. , deterrence and apprehension of terrorists prior to boarding aircraft): Intelligence . Customs and border protection . Joint terrorism task force . No-fly list and passenger pre-screening . Crew vetting . Visible Intermodal Protection Response (VIPR) Teams . Canines . Behavioral detection officers . Travel document checker . Checkpoint/transportation security officers . Checked baggage. Transportation security inspectors. Random employee screening . Bomb appraisal officers

The remaining six layers of security provide ‘in-flight security’:Federal Air Marshal Service . Federal Flight Deck Officers . Trained flight crew. Law enforcement officers . Hardened cockpit door . Passengers Athol Yates, Executive Director of the Australian Homeland Security Research Centre says that air marshals are of ‘questionable’ security value, and that “hardening the cockpit doors and changing the protocols for hijacking has made it harder for terrorists to get weapons on board an aircraft and take control of it” .

MODULE 1

SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO MANAGING OHS ASSESSMENT

Write a detailed report on the implementation of a systematic approach to managing OHS. Your report might be theoretical or based on your specific workplace. Ensure that you include the following: Requirements for record-keeping Sources of OHS information and data, Consultative arrangements OHS action plans, OHS specialists (internal or external) and technical advisors.

Other functional areas

Proposed changes to the workplace Stakeholders Construction Australia is the company that I am employed by. Our company offers services in refractory installation to all major industries. We are involved in the construction and maintenance of boilers, kilns, ovens, incinerators, etc. in power generation plants, heat treatment plants, chemical plants, steel mills, oil refineries, and many more. We conduct high-risk work such as demolition, confined space entry, working at heights, and work at extreme temperatures mainly in major hazard facilities.

Due to the nature of our work, it is vital that we have a system in place to manage Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). A systematic approach to managing OHS allows us to follow a structured framework that ensures primarily, we reduce the risks of injury or illness in the workplace or anyone affected by our activities and that we comply with all relevant laws and legislation. The main elements of an Occupational Health and safety management system (OHSMS) are:

• Commitment and policy
• Planning
• Implementation
• Measurement and evaluation
• Review and improvement

These elements are incorporated into the system and involve consultation at all stages with stakeholders and key personnel of our organization.

The basis of this approach is a cycle of continuous improvement: When establishing a more systematic approach to managing safety, it is helpful to understand where your organisation is in terms of OHS maturity.

Four levels of system maturity can be considered

• Immature (Troubled)
• Reactive (Responsive)
• Attentive (Managed)
• Mature (Value-Adding)

Our company is at a mature level as we have established structures, systems and processes in place. We also have a shared belief that OHS is a critical aspect of personal and organisational performance and focus continually on improvement and ways to reduce risks. An effective OHSMS requires the participation of all parts of the organisation. To gain this commitment from people, senior management takes an active role in leadership, allocation of resources, consultative meetings and regular reviews of OHS.

The first step in the systematic approach to OHS is to develop a comprehensive OHS policy that states the overall objectives and sets out the company’s commitment to health and safety. The policy should be sufficiently clear and be capable of being read by all relevant parties, internal and external. The policy should be endorsed by the most senior person, such as the CEO or managing director.

The organisation needs to determine the key regulatory requirements they must meet and also get an understanding of their major OHS risks and how they will be identified. Objectives, targets and key performance indicators (KPI’s) need to be set. These should incorporate both lead (e. g. number of safety audits conducted) and lag (e. g. number of lost time injuries) indicators. Lead indicators are commonly referred to as Positive Performance Indicators (PPI’s) that focus on assessing how successful an organisation is performing.

Using a combination of both lead and lag indicators will provide the best outcomes. A plan is vital to ensure targets are reached in a systematic way and it should be linked to the organisation’s strategic plan. The plan should allocate resources and timelines and can be used to monitor development of the OHSMS.

We use policies and procedures, inductions, meetings, toolbox meetings, consultation, pre-start checks and regular training and development to deliver all our processes. Our documented policies for hazard identification and hazard/risk assessment, make sure that we remain regulatory compliant through our business activities. Consultation with workplace personnel, OHS professionals, insurers and other relevant group is undertaken to ensure that we develop a safe workplace and mentality. We aim to translate legislation into a language that can be comprehended at all levels.

This allows people to understand and participate with feeling unsure or confused. Beroa has an open door policy on all aspects especially OHS. Consultation is the best tool that we use in our workplace. The changing nature of our working conditions on a constant basis means that we need to know what is going on so we can make sure that we remain compliant and that our systems are working appropriately.

We use the consultation processes with all stakeholders that are involved in our OHSMS, these include but are not limited to

• Management
• Administration
• Clients
• Employees
• Suppliers
• Unions
• Work cover and other relevant authorities
• Insurers
• Public
• OHS and technical experts

All information gathered from stakeholders is considered and used in the development of our systems, policies and procedures. The applied procedures that our company has in place allow us to constantly monitor and evaluate our performance.

Daily toolbox discussions, training, weekly meetings, management meetings, safety audits and safety checklists are some of the tools we use to monitor and evaluate. Major policies are reviewed every 2-3 years or as required. The nature of our work requires that we retain specific records for specified times in order to comply with legislation. These include:

• Confined space entry – we retain entry permits for 1 month, risk assessments/JSA for 5 years, training records for the term of employees employment plus 7 years and any notifiable incidents for 2 years after the incident occurs.
• Health monitoring records – these must be kept for 30 years after they are recorded and 40 years for asbestos related documents. These records must be kept confidential.
• Hazardous chemicals register- we keep registers of any chemicals that are stored. We list them and keep material safety data sheets, which are readily available to employees or anybody that could be affected by the chemical. We have two methods of record keeping, hard copy and electronic. All documents are kept on both. Within the electronic system we have a sub-system called Timberline.

This system is passcode protected and has restricted access; all personal details and personal health records are kept in this system for confidentiality. Our OHS manager has access along with relevant management. Project files for each client are kept and updated after completion of each project. Documents included include attendance sheets, JSA’s, toolbox meetings, materials and equipment, inductions, training, client feedback, performance reports, safety audits and observations. Employee records such as inductions and qualifications are also kept and updated when needed.

We also keep lists of OHS safety representatives and are readily accessible and up to date. OHS affects all aspects of an organisation. An effective OHS system allows other functional areas to thrive and exploit the benefits. The reduction and elimination of workplace injuries will reduce the cost of workers comp premiums, limit sick days and reduce the money spent on rehabilitation, all this eases the strain of budgeting systems and also allows more resources for training and information of OHS.

Public relations will find it easier representing our positive results in safety and compliance to existing and future clients, public and relevant authorities. It will also reduce the workload of administration allowing them time to work on other aspects of the business. Our OHS system allows our employees to take an active role in all aspects in relation to the system. This gives them a sense of ownership and the drive to make sure that we reach and outperform our goals and objectives.

Health care organizations use risk management methods to guard their assets against likely threats brought on by legal liability. An important component of risk management programs inside the long-term care setting is the ability to reduce the amount of avoidable accidents and injuries and to reduce the financial severity of claims. Long-term care facilities offer a wide array of services to residents, and possible injuries is significant to the frail, elderly population they assist.

Knowing how to recognize risks and plan proper methods and policies to lessen them necessitates frequent attention from leaders within the organization. The purpose of this summary is to focus on several examples of common risk elements in a long-term care facility and the ppolicymaking process used to evade or decrease their impact.

Risk Management

Risk management programs inside any organization involve a sthrong obligation from its leaders to be successful. Implementing documented processes for managing risk that supports the organization’s mission and goals aids leaders give employees and consumers self-assurance in the organization.

Directors and senior leadership benefit from fostering functional collaboration promoting accomplishment of its programs among departments (Jones & Cotta, 2009). Risk management allows a facility to nurture a work environment that encourages growth through training and education reduces risk. Organizational strength demonstrates innovative decision-making and openness to change. Nurturing a work environment that encourages growth through training and education reduces risk (Chee, Kamal, & Wingender, 2011).

Loss prevention efforts help to decrease risk expenses, permitting more funds for medical equipment, hospital facilities, and physician’s salaries, therefore increasing the value of the organization. A get-up-and-go risk-management approach aids in meeting business expansion plans. Risk management helps to recognize risk factors vital to shareholders. Money saved through risk-management activities can be openly reinvested back into the organization and community (Ceniceros, 2008). By devising policies in place and following procedures arrange for documentation of action, an essential tool in any legal proceeding.

Quality Management

A vital aspect of quality management is correct training of work processes. Implementing quality-management policies in agreement with regulatory guidelines helps guarantee quality of care in compliance with laws. Having solid leadership, committed to quality care helps to creates unity of determination and direction within an organization (Carroll, 2009). The organizational culture affects outcomes, such as ethical decision-making, performance, and promise. High pperforming organizations support cultures that have good communication skills.

Knowing how one fits in with the rest of the organization gives employees a common sense of community and self-importance in one’s work (Chee, Kamal, & Wingender, 2011). Upholding a sthrong organizational culture helps to increase patient’s quality of care. Quality management policies help strengthen confidence in the quality of care given and make medical outcomes better while reducing lawsuits. Policies in place offer a process for handling adverse events and giving stakeholders assurance that difficulties are being dealt with properly (Carroll, 2009).

Identifying Risks

Former lawsuits, allegations, and patient, or staff complaints first govern the documentation of health care risks in the long-term care facility. Data collected from sources, such as employee and staff incident reports, resident satisfaction surveys, workers compensation claims, and state licensure surveys are valuable in recognizing areas that pose risk (Candlin & Candlin, 2002). Through analyzing former loss exposures, leaders can anticipate future problems permitting them to improve proper standards and guidelines to improve the quality of care.

Risk analysis is the process of evaluating the possible loss linked by a specific risk identified and its probability of occurrence. Defining these two factors helps leaders select a suitable risk treatment ppolicy (Carroll, 2009). In a long-term care setting, management must have procedures in place for observing performance, both operational, and that connecting to the care of residents. Setting policies that bring into line with the organization’s mission and strategic goals, which consist of high-quality care will help safeguard compliance tthroughout the organization.

Common Risks

Three shared risks inside a long-term care facility consist of resident well-being, employee grievance, and medical mistakes. Each of these risks conveys the would-be for negative consequences that may end in lawsuits, worker’s compensation claims, or potential loss of life. By examining each risk and determining their bad effects on the facility and its stakeholders, the risk management professional can improve and apply a risk management plan and make the essential changes to organizational policies (Carroll, 2009).

Resident Safety

The expectation is for long-term care facilities to deliver residents quality care in a safe and secure environment. Making certain resident safety involves taking ample measures to offer an environment free of dangers, upholding safety standards by averting any type of injury to the residents’ physical, psychological, and emotional well-being (Rhodes, 2001). Continuing persistence in recognizing hazards and decreasing them must be a main concern of care giving. The most often reported incident in long-term care facilities is falls. Three out of four residents will fall each year and many result in a lawsuit.

The most common reason for falls is existing health conditions affecting muscle weakness or trouble walking (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2009). Even though falls are unavoidable in a long-term care setting, risks can be cut-down with fall prevention strategies as well as staff education, decreasing risk factors like low lighting, wet floors, and inadequately fitted wheelchairs, and bringing together exercise programs to strengthen muscles and increase balance. Most essential, everyone working inside the facility from nursing to maintenance staff must be involved in fall prevention (Rhodes, 2001).

Employee Injuries The nursing home industry has a highest rate of employee sickness and injury amid all of the United States businesses according to 2002 Bureau of Labor statistics. The most widespread threats include musculoskeletal ailments, and contact of blood and other communicable materials (United States Department of Labor, 2005). Obeying Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulatory requests regarding education and safety procedures, help alleviate these risks. Giving care for residents is physically trying on nursing staff.

Activities such as lifting, moving, and walking residents increase the risks of injury to staff. Risk factors connected with these activities as defined by OSHA include:

• Force- the amount of physical effort essential to do a task.
• Repetition- regularly pperforming the same motions.
• Awkward postures- Doing positions that put pressure on the body (OSHA, 2003).

Recurring exposure to these risks can cause substantial musculoskeletal injury to employees. Loss linked with employee injuries include staffing shortages causing reduced quality of resident care, bigger workload for remaining staff, and workers compensation claims.

To lessen the severity and occurrence of employee injury and illness management must offer solid support by developing clear goals and provide essential resources (OSHA, 2009). Providing mechanical lifting devices and demonstrating training in good body mechanics are two ways of decreasing risk of musculoskeletal injury. Medical Error According to Kapp (2003), a medical error is “defined as mistakes, inadvertent occurrences, or unintended events in health care delivery that may result in patient injury. The population living in long-term care facilities, on average, is elderly or disabled and necessitates assistance with three or more activities of daily living (ADL) for instance dressing, bathing, and eating. The likelihood of error in giving this care can be limitless. Furthermore, dementia, the most mutual health condition amid residents living in nursing homes, constrains the ability of many residents to take a significant role in planning and overseeing of their own care (Kapp, 2003). Errors come in many forms in nursing homes.

The high occurrence of illness amid residents calls for a significant amount of drugs ordered and dispensed. This leaves chance for meducation errors and adverse drug events (ADEs), which older individuals are most vulnerable. To increase resident safety, financial return, and clinical outcomes, policies, procedures, and systems that make sure safe meducation delivery are critical (Kapp, 2003). Another problem common in long-term care facilities is pressure ulcers, contained areas of skin damage over bony areas of the body, such as heels, buttocks, and hips.

Risk factors for pressure ulcers include immovability, resistance, shear, incontinence, and poor nutrition, which are all preventable. Steps to escape pressure ulcers should be iincluded in routine quality care. Regular repositioning, skin examinations, the use of pressure releasing surfaces, and suitable nutritional intake should be constant during each shift for residents at risk of developing pressure ulcers. If these actions are not taken, quality care does not happen, opening the door for a lawsuit claiming neglect (Kapp, 2003).

Conclusion Risk management efforts are difficult and leaders must attempt to safeguard every possible risk factor. These possible risk factors are linked with residents, medical staff, employees, and property that subject the long-term care facility to probable liability or loss. Risk factors need to be recognized and appropriate policies and procedures need to be put in place to reduce their occurrence. The high occurrence of medical error occurrences in long-term care has led to a highly controversial environment.

How would you rate the four phases of Emergency Management for meeting the challenges confronting this nation from terrorism? The information the National Situation Update for September 12, 2001 gives us on the activities following the attacks largely focuses on the response of resources. There seems to be an abundance of resources available to respond to each disaster area including emergency response teams, disaster mortuary teams, disaster medical assistant teams, urban search and rescue task forces, and incident support teams.

Because of this, my thoughts are that in order to have such a response there had to be a certain level of preparedness. Therefore my top rated selection is the preparedness phase. Closely following is the response itself. For reasons previously stated the response phase is my second rated phase for this scenario. Multiple agencies from many different states responded with the appropriate resources within hours of the attacks. Thirdly, the recovery phase is my next selection of importance.

This phase is the measure of how well prepared and/or how quickly the response was including lives and property saved. The recovery phase directly leads into the mitigation phase as the last phase to be implemented. The mitigation phase allows for evaluation of the response and recovery taking into account for the entire operation as a whole. It can be utilized as a teaching tool of what went wrong or right and how to do it better next time. Learning from a disaster and how the event affected the area it encompassed is the primary goal of mitigation.

Based on the information contained in the National Situation Update for September 12, 2001 which of the following phases of emergency management were best fulfilled? Please place the four phases in order of which phases was best planned/implemented with the best implemented phase ranked first. Please justify your response. After reading the National Situation Update for September 12, 2001 I would place the following phases in order of best planned and implemented with the best-implemented phase listed first. * The response phase * The preparedness phase * The recovery phase The mitigation phase Overall, response was overwhelming. Multiple agencies from all over the U. S. responded to the disaster. These ranged from mortuary response teams to disaster medical response teams as well as urban search and rescue task forces. The response was excellent. Because no one prior to the September 11, 2001 could foresee the attacks, planning for such an event could not have been accomplished. Due to the fact that the U. S. had planned for other natural disasters in other parts of the country I believe that the preparedness for the attacks was next best met.

Being prepared for other disasters that cause mass destruction and loss of life we were able to respond quickly and efficiently. Recovery was slow due to the magnitude of the attacks. Four separate events within hours of each other heavily tasked our resources and made for a long recovery process. Debris recovery was primarily lead by the U. S. Army Core of Engineers. However, psychological recovery has taken and probably will take many more years. Economic recovery has also been slow. As for mitigation, the damage had already been done.

There was no way to know what was going to happen and therefore contingencies to lesson the effects could not be made. Mitigation in this regard comes into play with agencies like the Red Cross providing blood products for the injured, shelter for the disaster workers, and fund raising. As with all major disasters or accidents we learn each time we fall victim to them. Future events such as the September 11, 2001 attacks, now that we have experienced such an event, can be better prepared for. In this way we will have better response, more effective mitigation, and a quicker recovery process.

In retrospect and in YOUR opinion (Hindsight is always 20/20),  if any singular aspect of planning and implementation for such a disaster could have possibly prevented 9-11 what could it have been? No, I do not think that 9-11 could have been prevented. WE have learned valuable lessons from that tragic attack, but it the terrorist took advantage of our security, and process of how we conduct our affairs. Now that we know what we know, we have changed our processes, and we continue to alter them. We have tightend our security.

Our Intelligence forces now are able to put threats and information together that prior to 9-11 we wouldn’t have considered. What are some of the distinguishing features between a natural disaster and a man-made disaster such a 9-11? A natural disaster is an effect of nature such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake, or hurricane. These cannot be prevented but can be prepared for. A man-made disaster is a catastrophe or tragedy caused by humans. Such as bombings, the 9-11 attack, arson. These can be prevented.

If a terrorist attack or another significant disaster were to hit the United States today that is similar to that which occurred on 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina were to occur today, which of the four phases of emergency management do you believe we would respond to significantly better today. Please justify your response. As with all major disasters or accidents we learn each time we fall victim to them. Future events such as the September 11, 2001 attacks, now that we have experienced such an event, can be better prepared for. In this way we will have better response, more effective mitigation, and a quicker recovery process.

By recognizing the organization’s role in accident prevention, SMSs provide to both certificate holders and the national aviation authority e. g. (CAAS): A structured means of safety risk management decision making A means of demonstrating safety management capability before system failures occur Increased confidence in risk controls though structured safety assurance processes An effective interface for knowledge sharing between regulator and certificate holder A safety promotion framework to support a sound safety culture Safety begins from both the top down and the bottom up.

Everyone from the receptionist, ramp worker, pilot, manager, and CAAS Inspector has a role to perform. SMS is all about decision-making. Thus it has to be a decision-maker’s tool, not a traditional safety program separate and distinct from business and operational decision making. Why do we need SMS? We are now in a position where the “common cause” accidents are diminishing in number. While it’s a major success story, it’s not a place to rest.

When we find a cause that affects all or part of a large population of operators or other aviation participants, we can address risk through rulemaking – a risk control that applies to veryone to address risks to which everyone is exposed. There will always be some of these risks and work will continue to find them and address them. Many accidents that occur, however, are due to the unique aspects of the operating environments of individual operators of narrow segments of the aviation community.

The causal factors of these accidents aren’t common to everyone; they must be found and addressed with methods that are sensitive to the nuances of the individual operator’s situation. One of the defining characteristics of an SMS is its emphasis on isk management [within the individual operators’ environment and situation] – it’s a gap filler between the common cause risk factors that are addressed by traditional regulations and those that are more elusive. Hypothetical Scenario Demonstrating the Need for SMS A well-designed aircraft with a history of reliable service is being prepared for a charter flight.

Employees tow the aircraft from the hangar to the terminal. One employee sees wetness on the right tire as he unhooks the tow bar. However, he does not give it attention, as he is very busy and has three other aircraft to move in the ext 15 minutes. At the same time, a safety inspector is walking through the hangar when she encounters a hydraulic oil spill on the hangar floor. She notifies a Janitor to clean up the slip hazard as she leaves. While cleaning the spill, the Janitor wonders aloud where the spill came from. Afterwards, both the inspector and the Janitor continue with their respective Jobs.

Meanwhile, the Chief Pilot assigns the charter flight to a new pilot with the company. While new to the company, the pilot is well trained and prepared for the flight. He is also eager to do a good Job and to impress the chief pilot. The chief tells him that the passengers and the aircraft are waiting at the terminal, and the new pilot has to get over there right away to keep the clients happy and on schedule. The flight requires a little more fuel, so a fuel truck is called. While the aircraft is being filled, the fueler notices a small puddle of reddish fluid under the right main landing gear.

He sees the pilot walking out to the aircraft, but before he can say anything, his supervisor calls and tells him to get right over to another aircraft. Recently, the fueler was criticized by his supervisor for taking too long to finish his ork, so he quickly Jumps in his truck and drives off to the next Job without saying anything to the pilot. The pilot, wanting to make a good impression on his passengers and the chief pilot, personally escorts them to the aircraft and begins his preparation for the flight.

One passenger asks him a brief question as he is on the right side of the aircraft. In a moment of distraction, he does not bend down to inspect the right hand main landing gear. During taxi, the pilot feels the aircraft is taking the bumps a little hard, but continues to the runway for take-off. Meanwhile, up in the tower, an air traffic controller, who appens to like this particular model of aircraft, picks up her binoculars to take a look at the taxiing aircraft. She notices a “wet spot” on the right main tire and radios the pilot.

The pilot tells the controller that he probably ran over a puddle and asks for his clearance. At the destination airport, the pilot executes a perfect landing and applies the brakes. The leaking hydraulic fluid heats up and ignites. The right main landing gear is engulfed in flames. The controller notifies the pilot and then calls the crash fire rescue squad. The pilot calmly and proficiently manages the situation, successfully vacuating everyone from the aircraft without injury. The pilot and passengers watch from a safe distance while a perfectly good aircraft burns to the ground. How could this have happened? ” wonders the pilot. Soon afterwards, the pilot is fired for failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection. Six months later, an aircraft is being towed out of a hanger. One of the employees sees wetness on the left main landing gear tire as he unhooks the tow bar… Evolution of Safety Management Safety Management Systems (SMSs) are the product of a continuing evolution in aviation satety. Early aviation pioneers nad little satety regulation, practical experience, or engineering knowledge to guide them.

ABSTRACT

Asbestos are minerals found everywhere. They are present in any buildings and schools. They were found on the paints that were used to coat the buildings and its facilities. Asbestos fibers posed health risk when the fibers are in the air. Asbestosis, Lung cancer and Mesothelioma are the diseases brought about by exposure in asbestos. The level of its effects varied on many factors. The presence of asbestos in the Winnipeg School Division 1 risked the health of students and personnel but with their awareness on asbestos do’s and dont’s and with their set standards and guidelines it made Winnipeg School Division 1, though not free with asbestos, a safe place for the students and personnel.

Introduction

            Asbestos are fibrous minerals which occurs naturally in rocks. These minerals are strong, durable and non-combustible. They are found almost everywhere. Their availability and the characteristics they possessed made them essential in construction and in many other industries. According to an article titled Health Risk of Asbestos, commercial asbestos fibers are grouped into two, the amphibole group and the serpentine group. Amphibole asbestos contains more iron and resists acids and extremely high temperatures. With these characteristics, it is heavily used in industrial furnaces and heating systems. However, when inhaled, it stayed longer in the lungs and is more likely to inflect damage and causes diseases, including cancer. Amphibole asbestos has been drastically controlled and largely replaced. Chrysotile, on the other hand, is the only serpentine asbestos found in almost all asbestos-based products available today. It is the main form of asbestos that is still mined today. Chrysotile asbestos is less potent and does less damage to the lungs. (Health Risk)

            Asbestos is present in almost all buildings. It is present in the paints that coated buildings. It is also present in heat insulation products and in asbestos cement products where structural strength is required.

            The main focus of this paper is on the effects of the presence of asbestos in a school environment and the necessary steps taken to reduce its effects.

The Issue

            Asbestos fibers only posed health risk when it is released in the air. Our different activities sometimes disturbed and released the asbestos fibers into the air. The repair, alteration, or maintenance of a building, structure, machine, tool or equipment, or parts of it was few of our activities.

            Asbestos related diseases were generally due to the fiber entry into the respiratory tract (lungs). The depth of penetration into the lungs depended on the fiber’s length, diameter, and straightness. The size range of the fibers that appeared to penetrate deepest were those considered to be of the respirable fiber size of 3 micrometers and less in diameter, of which the length was at least 3 times the diameter. (Guideline for Managing Asbestos)

            The exposure to asbestos dust led to three main health consequences – Asbestosis, Lung cancer and Mesothelioma. Asbestosis is an incurable lung disease resulted from prolonged exposure to asbestos dust. The asbestos fibers gradually caused the lung to become scarred and stiff which resulted to an increased breathing difficulty. Lung cancer, on the other hand, may be caused by asbestos fibers in the lung. The exact way in which asbestos causes lung cancer is not fully known. It has been shown that the combination of smoking tobacco and inhaling asbestos fibers greatly increase the risk of lung cancer. Lastly, Mesothelioma is a very rare but very malignant form of cancer affecting the lining of the chest or the abdominal cavity. (Guideline for Managing Asbestos)

            The exposure effects of asbestos can affect a person depending on the concentration of asbestos fibers in the air, how long the exposure lasted, how often one is exposed, the size of the asbestos fibers inhaled and the amount of time since the initial exposure.

In Winnipeg School Division 1 article entitled Guideline for Managing Asbestos in School Facilities, asbestos was classified into three – Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Crocidolite (blue asbestos). In the article, Chrysotile was defined as the most commonly used asbestos. It was found as an insulating material on many Winnipeg School Division’s boilers, tanks, and piping. Amosite has been used in sprayed coatings, heat insulation products and in asbestos cement products where greater strength is required. Crocidolite was commonly used prior to 1973 in sprayed coatings on structural steel work for fire protection and for heat or noise insulation. Some other types of asbestos seldom used in school buildings were Actinolote, Anthophylite and Tremolite.

            The presence of asbestos in schools, especially those with old buildings, and in its facilities risked the health of the students and the personnel alike.

            With the presence of asbestos in Winnipeg School Division 1, standards and guidelines were set. According to their guidelines, the following incidence may lead to asbestos hazard condition:

•  water leak from piping with asbestos;
•  emergency repair of boiler or vessel insulated with asbestos-containing material;
•  discovery of dislodged asbestos pipe wrap and;
•  discovery of dislodged spray-applied asbestos insulation fireproofing.

In the case where the above stated incidents were identified, the following steps were advised to be taken.

•  Do not disturb the material in anyway;
•  Isolate the area from access by unprotected and unauthorized persons;
•  Report the condition to the Administration, Supervisor or Chief/Head Caretaker;
•  Administration, Supervisor or Chief/Head Caretaker is to notify the Workplace Safety and Health Officer immediately and;
•  Outside of regular working hours, notify the Division’s on-duty electrician. (Guideline for Managing Asbestos)

In cases of asbestos hazard conditions, the Workplace Safety and Health Officer of the Division have classified the work into three categories:

Type 1 or Low Risk Classification Activities where there is a low risk of exposure to air borne asbestos fibers and almost no health risk;

Type 2 or Moderate Risk Classification Activities where there is a moderate risk of exposure to air borne asbestos fibers and some health risk and;

Type 3 or High Risk Classification Activities where there is a high risk of exposure to air borne asbestos and a high risk of health effects.

Type 1

Work is the only activity which may be performed by Division Personnel. Their work covers:

•  installation or removal of non-friable asbestos-containing manufactured products;
•  working in close proximity to friable material containing asbestos provided that the asbestos material was not disturbed;
•  using protective equipment or clothing made of textiles containing asbestos;
•  transportation or handling materials containing asbestos in sealed containers and;
•  removal of drywall or plaster where asbestos joint filling compounds have been used but where sampling analysis indicates asbestos quantities less than 1%.

Type 2

Work will only be performed by qualified asbestos abatement consultant. Their work includes:

•  removing a false ceiling, or part of it, to gain access to a work area where friable material containing asbestos is or is likely to be, lying on the surface of the false ceiling;
•  removing, encapsulating, enclosing, or disturbing minor amounts of friable material containing asbestos during the repair, alteration, or maintenance of a building, structure, machine, tool or equipment, or parts of it.

Type 3

Work will only be performed by a qualified asbestos removal contractor under the supervision of a qualified asbestos abatement consultant. Their work includes:

•  any removal, other that of a minor nature, of friable material containing asbestos;
•  the spray application of a sealant to a friable asbestos-containing material;
•  cleaning, maintaining or removing air handling equipment in buildings where sprayed fireproofing materials containing asbestos have been applied to the airways or ventilation ducts;
•  the repair, altering or dismantling of a boiler, furnace, kiln or similar device or part of it where insulating materials containing asbestos have been used or applied and;
•  demolishing, dismantling, altering, or repairing any building structure or parts of it in which insulating materials containing asbestos was used. (Guideline for Managing Asbestos)

Conclusion

            The presence of asbestos in the facilities of Winnipeg School Division 1 indeed posted a risk for the student and personnel alike when not handled properly. With their set guidelines, standards and their awareness and knowledge on asbestos the distribution or release of asbestos fibers were minimized. The risks of exposure to asbestos fibers were also minimized. Winnipeg School Division 1, though not free from asbestos, is still a safe place for students and personnel alike.

References:

1. Asbestos in schools (1994). Work Safe Bulletin. Bulletin No. 156. Retrieved November 29, 2006, from http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/pdf/bltn156.pdf.
2. The Winnipeg school division no.1: Guideline for managing asbestos in school facilities.
3. Winnipeg School Division No. 1. Retrieved November 29, 2006, from http://www.wsd1.org/AdminDepts/HR/WHS/asbestos.pdf.
4. High risk of asbestos (2005). Her Majesty Queen in Right of Canada. Retrieved November 29, 2006, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/environ/asbestos-amainte_e.html.