Worksafely Refresher Course

At the CMPA Members day in Bendigo, DAVID MCKELVIE from DMcK Management Pty Ltd presented Work Safely Refresher Training to approximately thirty five participants.

THE objective of the refresher training was to refresh knowledge and understanding of;

• OHS Duties of Employees and Employers
• Signage requirements
• Guarding requirements
• Isolation of Fixed and Mobile Equipment
• Dust Management
• Noise Management

The following is a summary of some of the key messages and discussion points during the presentation.

OHS DUTIES OF EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS

David emphasised the importance of an employer’s duty to consult with employees. This is not just a legal requirement, but is smart business. An area of particular importance is when designing changes to a workplace layout or plant and equipment type or configuration.

Too many workplace changes have resulted in the introduction of unnecessary hazards and other operational issues or restrictions due to the lack of effective consultation. Employees who are responsible for operating and maintaining the plant and equipment generally have a good grasp of what works and what doesn’t, what may expose them to risk, and what wont.

Safe design is more easily achieved when done in consultation with experienced employees and is also a very practical method of engagement, therefore ownership of the end product.

SIGNAGE AND GUARDING REQUIREMENTS

David spoke of signage often being over used and crowded in its placement, leading to confusion, and the reader being overwhelmed, undermining the value of important signage.

Signage is an administrative control only, therefore it only reduces risk, if noticed, read, understood and acted on. Signage requirements should be thoroughly planned with the objective being they are noticed, accepted and induce an awareness that is acted upon as and when required.

GUARDING REQUIREMENTS

Guarding standards and methods of securing guards remain an unsettled topic in the extractive industry. Both public and private companies house varying standards and utilise differing securing methods across their own sites and regions. Whether to use Fixed Distance or Fencing/Perimeter guarding encapsulates the debate.

A broad discussion was facilitated about the operational issues and occupational risk of both methods, but no agreed solution was reached in the time available.

Information was provided about the temporary or interim use of certain cable ties in certain circumstances for securing guards. The issue of what comprises a “tool” to remove guards was once again raised as would be expected. Guarding is a complex issue that weighs heavily on operational activity and occupational risk. This ongoing guarding issue presents the CMPA with an exciting opportunity to firstly identify, then lead the greater industry with best operational and safe work practices

ISOLATION OF FIXED PLANT AND MOBILE EQUIPMENT

David mentioned that lack of effective isolation is still one of the more common causes of fatalities in the construction materials industry across the globe, and more often than not, it involves contractors.

There are many aspects to a safe isolation process inclusive of:

• Identifying all potential energy sources,
• Signage and labelling of equipment that aligns with the lockout table and procedures.
• Identifying what equipment or other potential energy may interact with the equipment you are working on or in, both up and down stream.
• Safe methods of electrical isolation, zone, local, switch or PC,
• The processes around personal danger tags, multiple points or multiple persons isolation, out of service tags and shift transfers.
• Development of easy to follow procedures, practical and theoretical training and assessment.
• Ensuring contractors are as well versed in these safe work practices as employees.

DUST MANAGEMENT

Airborne dust may always be associated with the extractive industries in both the form of a perceived or real public nuisance threatening our “ticket to operate” and or posing as an occupational health risk to our employees and contractors.

Whether dust is associated with us or not, is an industry choice!

Dust Management begins with identifying its primary source of generation and then its carriage, being where it travels to, for example, the treads of your boots into your loader cabin.

Measuring dust exposure levels, assessing their risk and selecting controls in line with the hierarchy of controls are the next steps. The least followed step in this process and one of the most important is reviewing the effectiveness of the controls in consultation with those exposed to the potential risk, those who maintain the operational activity, those who make and get the product out the gate.

Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust presents the greatest potential occupational health risk to our employees and contractors, but with capital commitment and responsible, educated and pro-active employees, it’s easily controlled to an acceptable and safe level.

David quoted that measurement and analysis conducted within the industry over recent years, proves that in a well-managed and well resourced quarry, the only persons who could incur potential exposure are working in and around the fixed plant, being plant operators, maintenance and cleaning personnel. There is no reason for other personnel to have any unsafe exposure at all.

Available dust controls presented by David and discussed amongst the participants validate that generated dust is controllable and carried dust is preventable.

NOISE MANAGEMENT

In this session, David emphasised that what we do in our personal lives may be as detrimental to our hearing ability as what we do at work.

Chainsaws, rifles, brush cutters and loud music can all cause either temporary or long term hearing loss if we don’t protect ourselves with appropriate PPE.

Noise is one hazard, where we can guarantee protection, through our personal commitment to the correct use and maintenance of appropriate PPE, both at work and just as importantly, at home.

DMcK Management Pty Ltd suports the construction material industry in achieving sustainable safety results.

For more information contact
David McKelvie
DMcK Management Pty Ltd
Phone: 0407 022 177
Email: dmckmgmt@bigpond.com

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