INTERNATIONAL GENERAL CERTIFICATE (2011 specification) UNIT IGC3 THE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICAL APPLICAITON Student number_________________________________

_ Location: Al Quos Industrial Area No.3, Dubai UAE

Candidate report template

Date of review: 08 /07/2012

I.

Introduction including overview of area inspected and activities taking place. This report is to conduct safety audit in refilling of industrial gases oxygen nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide and acetylene located near our office to meet the requirements of the NEBOSH IGC practical application. The safety audit covers the whole refilling process, starting from the entrance gate to the refilling station. In short, the whole area is part of this safety audit as this is a small filling station only. The processing areas are the following: 1. Entrance gate 2. Loading and unloading bay 3. Storage 4. Refilling area 5. Small workshop The walk-in customer, visitor or public members are also being considered during the safety audit.

II.

Executive Summary Upon completion of the safety audit, I have noticed several legal requirements of legislation are breach. Including but not limited to: 1. UAE labour law i. Federal Law No. 8. 1980 Safety Protection and their health and social care of the employees. ii. Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 Protection and Development of the Environment. 2. Ministerial Order No. 32 1982 Health and Safety of the employee 3. Code of Practice for the Management of Dangerous Goods in the Emirates of Dubai. 4. Dubai Technical Guidelines (Environmental Protection and Safety Section) 5. Code of Construction Safety Practice (Dubai Municipality) All the people on the premises might be exposed on risk if some of this summary report is not addressed immediately. Failure to address these issues will lead to enforcement action from Dubai Municipality. As we know how strict Dubai Inspector to enforce the law, as we have experience the penalty of 5000 AED for not providing additional Exhaust draft fan to the warehouse last February 2011. To avoid substantial financial penalties we need the immediate corrective action to be implemented urgently. A detailed description of the findings is listed below with reference to specific observation.

Main findings of the inspection 1. Inappropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment Federal Law No. 8 Article 91. Employer to provide adequate means of protection for the employee from the hazard of injuries and vocational diseases that may occur during the work... It has being observed using inappropriate respiratory protective equipment while filling the inert gases. Though they show concern about their health using the regular mask. 2. Manual Handling of Cylinders. i. Dubai Technical Guidelines TG. NO. 6 1993. Industrial Compressed Gas cylinders Requirements and Usage. ii. Code of Practice for the Management of Dangerous Goods in the Emirates of Dubai. It has being observed people have difficulties in manual handling, though they have fundamental trainings and awareness of handling of Dangerous goods. Several damages and rectification of the design are to be considered for the loading and unloading landing bay. 3. Fire Prevention Ministerial Order No 32 1982 Article 8. Employer to provide facilities for prevention of fire, fire alarm systems and fire extinguishers in the establishment. Though fire extinguishers are provided, it has been placed not visible for the user or during emergencies it cant be seen to anybody. Extinguishers were lying on the ground. 4. Health And Safety Facilities Federal Law No.8 Article 94 Employer must provide proper cleanliness and ventilation in each place of business and must provide such places with adequate illumination, potable water and toilets. All these requirements were addressed excluding the poor ventilation of the workplace. During summer, temperature rises which creates discomfort and some ill health related diseases arise. 5. Medical Examinations Federal Law No. 8. Article 95 The employer must appoint one physician(s) to do full medical checkup at least once each 6 months regularly for his employees who are exposed to the danger of infection with any of the occupational diseases... It was observed people working on filling area are not included on health surveillance program. Only welders were given priority, in fact inert gases and acetylene are very hazardous substances which have chronic and acute effects in the human nervous system Conclusions The employees are well trained and experienced in their expertise. However they lack information, safety instructions and training for each specific process and eventually to all the processes of the health and safety they might encounter at their workplace. In order to avoid accident, production down time, medical expenses and civil claims. We need to address the adequate solution on the safety audit findings such as; ensuring the legislation requirements are meet, providing proper training on specific activities and improved the supervision through strict disciplinary action. A lot of these issues could be addressed with little or no financial cost such as Internal Training.

Recommendations include as a table in the following format: Recommendation 1. Inappropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment
Purchase new Respiratory protective equipment which suit for this type of activities Safe system procedure should be created for filling area prohibiting anyone to come nearby or entry in their workplace. Refreshed training on the effects of hazardous gases This Special Protective Equipments costs less than the amount of our legislation fines and penalties.

Likely resource implications

Priority

Target date

HIGH

2 weeks

2. Manual Handling of Cylinders.

Repairing all the damage surfaces in the landing bay creating uneven surface and several holes. Redesign the landing bay such away easy to access of the cylinders to the working/landing bay while loading and unloading on cylinders. Training awareness on the danger of mishandling of compressed gas cylinder. Amending new safety procedure for strict compliance and clarify the consequences of not following it and award scheme program for 0% accident in specific area of a workplace.

Redesigning the workplace for provision for safe loading and loading and repair of the surfaces is less expensive compare to the production loss due to ill health of the worker from disc prolapsed tear tendons and body strain due to poor handling of cylinders, including continues medication for number of days.

HIGH

1 month

3. Fire Prevention Installation of brackets / stands for fire extinguisher on the wall which are visible to users. Safety signboards should be clearly posted on the designated area. Such as entrance gate, filling area workshop, and working bay.

Maintenance department can fabricate all this brackets or stands. For max. 500 AED all bracket/stands are provided with less cost and time to all areas of filling station. Safety Signboards are free to download on the Dubai Municipality sites. With standard color coding and sizes. Printing will cost only 200 AED including all materials

Medium

3 weeks

4. Health And Safety Facilities Install ceiling insulation on all area of the filling station. Additional Ceiling should be given considering summer rises up to 45 to 48 degree Celsius. 5. Medical Examinations Health Surveillances for filling

Insulating the ceiling not only we protect our employees but it includes the facilities such us the pumps and compressors which need ventilation to cool down the motors. It is mandatory to conduct health surveillance to our

Medium

6 weeks

operators should be included on the scheduled medical examinations. Special personal protective equipment for operators should be provided. As regular protective equipment will endanger the health and safety of individuals.

employee working on hazardous workplace. 5 operators are not costly enough to include in our periodic medical examination at Dubai Municipality laboratory. It helps our production maintain our target and objective thinking they are being cared and monitored of their health resulting to motivate at work.

High

1 week