RISK ASSESSMENT 44
RISK ASSESSMENT PLAN 1.1 RISK ASSESSMENT AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN: Risk analysis deals with the recognition and computation of risks, the equipment in the project site and occupants are prone to, due to accidents resulting from the hazards present in the project site. It involves the identification and assessment of risks the neighboring populations are exposed to as a result of hazards present. In the sections below, the probable risks in the proposed project are addressed which gives identification of risks involved in the project. 1.1.1 CONSTRUCTION PHASE: Construction sites create risks not only for the construction worker, but also for members of the public where the construction work is carried out on a site that is near or adjacent to the property boundary or to any public place. Some examples of the hazards created are: Changes to surface levels; Excavations, holes and trenches; Falling material and debris; Plant and equipment; Dust vapours or other hazardous substances; Noise and Vibration; The major risks associated with construction workers along with precautionary measures are summarized in table below: RISK CAUSES ANTICIPATED HARM Falls (from A number of factors are Serious Physical heights); often involved in falls injuries or life from height threat. Unstable working surfaces, Misuse or failure to use fall protection PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES Proper use of personal protective equipments while working on heights Use safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems (body harnesses). 45
equipment and human error. Electric shock Mainly due to failure and arc flash/arc of circuit breakers, blast; insulators, fuses, and poor maintenance. Accidents may also occur in transformer due to open arcing, flashover above oil level, insulator failure, overloading, failure of air cooling system, lighting etc. Fire/Explosion Messy storage of Risks wood, Use of flammable liquids for engine combustion, DG sets and transformers. Use of plastics and combustible materials, Welding works, Heaters in warehouses, Cigarette butts not properly extinguished Scaffold collapse If scaffolds are not erected or used properly, fall hazards can occur. These hazards lead to localized accidents and may cause threat to the life. Loss of goods and materials and life. Serious Physical injuries or life threat. Proper maintenance is required. Fire prone areas in the project site require adequate firefighting equipment. Like DG area, transformer oil storage area etc. Scaffold must be sound, rigid and sufficient to carry its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load without settling or displacement. A "competent person" must inspect the scaffolding and, at designated intervals, reinspect it. 46
Hazard communication Failure to recognize the hazards associated with chemicals can cause chemical burns, respiratory problems, fires and explosions. Maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical in the facility. Make this information accessible to employees at all times in a language or formats that are clearly understood by all affected personnel. Train employees about the risks of each hazardous chemical being used. Provide spill clean-up kits in areas where chemicals are stored. Provide proper personal protective equipment and enforce its use. Store chemicals safely and securely. Proper welfare, safety, health medical plan, safety policy, occupation diseases, mitigate measures during material handling for the workers during construction phase as well as after construction will be ensured. Good construction and safety practices will be implemented in the proposed project. All precautionary measures will be adopted and use of protective footwear and helmet will be mandatory. To meet out the minor incidences and accidents first aid measures at site will be provided. All safety measures such as fire fighting measures, lighting protection, structural safety, earthing protection, electrical safety will be in place prior to commencement of operations so as to avoid any risk of human life. The rain water harvesting structures have been designed in line with the peak intensity of rainfall to avoid flooding of the site. 47
Proper solid waste handling and management will be ensured within the project site. The municipal solid waste generated will be treated as per their nature, while the e-waste will be handled as per the HWM Rules. Proper maintenance of the sewage treatment plant will be ensured so as to avoid problems of foul odour, or disease borne vectors. Heavy construction work will be avoided during night to avoid disturbance to the surroundings. The DG sets will be housed in inbuilt acoustic enclosures to keep the noise within the permissible range. All other necessary health and safety measures will be implemented for the construction workers as well as people working in the post construction phase. 1.1.2 POST CONSTRUCTION PHASE: In the post construction phase the major sources of the risk & hazard will be fire and electricity. It is then necessary to evaluate the likelihood of an injury occurring, along with its probable consequences. Risk assessments are therefore based on two key factors: the likely severity or impact of any injury or illness resulting from the hazard, and the probability or likelihood that the injury or illness will actually occur. A simple risk matrix, which cross references likelihood and impact, enables risk to be assessed against these two factors and identified as one of the following: a critical risk a high risk a moderate risk a low risk a very low risk. 1.1.2.1 Fire Hazard And Safety Measure Plan: Essential fire safety measures will be installed into the building to ensure the safety of the occupants within the building in the event of fire or other emergency. The entire building will be designed as per NBC-2005 of India pertaining to fire-hazards. Proper fire-exits and exit-signage will be provided. Fire-extinguishers of appropriate type will be placed on a readily accessible place and will be maintained accordingly. 48
Minimum fire fighting requirement (as per NBC 2005 Part IV Table 23) will be provided in the project. The same is tabulated as under: S. No. Description Minimum Fire Fighting Requirement Group A, sub division A-4 (Apartment Houses): above 35 m but not exceeding 45 m in height 1. Fire extinguisher Required 2. Hose reel Required 3. Dry riser Not Required 4. Wet riser Required 5. Down comer Not Required 6. Yard hydrant Not Required 7. Automatic sprinkler system Required 8. Manually operated fire alarm system Required 9. Automatic detection & alarm system Not Required 10. Underground water tank 75,000 11. Terrace water tank 5,000 12. Pump Near UG Static Water Storage Tank(Fire Pump with Minimum Pressure of One diesel pump 1620 l/min and one electric pump 180 l/min 3.5 kg/cm 2 at Terrace Level) 13. At the Terrace Tank Level with Minimum Pressure of 2.0 kg/cm 2 Not Required 1.1.2.2 Electrical Hazards Safety Measure Plan: Definition Electrical Hazard A dangerous condition such that contact or equipment failure can result in Electric shock, arc-flash burn, thermal burn, or blast. Electrical hazard includes dangerous meaning able or likely to inflict injury ; there are high voltage, low current sources that are not intrinsically dangerous, and there are low-voltage, high-current sources that are not safe. A harmless static electricity shock could cause sufficient startle reaction to make a worker fall off a ladder. A hazard analysis is necessary to identify electrical hazards and determine the degree of risk. We are considering different types of measures for preventing electrical hazards which are as follows: 49
DIFFERENT TYPES OF RISK WILL BE REDUCED BY THE FOLLOWING WAY:- Once we will complete the risk assessment, we will use our findings to reduce unacceptable risks from the electrical equipment in our proposed Group Housing project. The proposed plan for our project is given below: SAFE ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION Installation of new electrical systems to a suitable IS standard. Requirements for electrical installations, and then maintain them in a safe condition; Provision of enough socket-outlets - overloading socket-outlets by using adaptors which can cause fire. PROVISION OF SAFE AND SUITABLE EQUIPMENT: There will be proper selection of equipment that will suit our working environment; Electrical risks will be eliminated by using air, hydraulic or hand powered tools. These will be especially use only in harsh conditions; There will be provision of an accessible and clearly identified switch near each fixed machine to cut off power in an emergency; For portable equipment, there will be use of socket-outlets which are close by so that equipment will be easily disconnected in an emergency; The ends of flexible cables will always have the outer sheath of the cable firmly clamped to stop the wires (particularly the earth) pulling out of the terminals; Damaged sections of cable will be replaced completely; There will be use of proper connectors or cable couplers to join lengths of cable There will be proper protection of light bulbs and other equipment which could easily be damaged in use. And also creates risk of electric shock if they are broken; Electrical equipment used in flammable/explosive atmospheres will be designed to stop it from causing ignition. REDUCTION OF VOLTAGE:- One of the best ways of reducing the risk of injury when using electrical equipment is to limit the supply voltage to the lowest needed to get the job done, such as: 50
Temporary lighting can be run at lower voltages, e.g. 12, 25, 50 or 110 volts; Where electrically powered tools are used, battery operated will be safest; Portable tools are readily available which are designed to be run from a 110 volts centretapped-to-earth supply. PROVISION OF SAFETY DEVICE If equipment will be operated at 230 volts or on higher, then the provision of an RCD (residual current device) will be provided as an additional safety. An RCD is a device which detects some, but not all, faults in the electrical system and rapidly switches off the supply. RCD will be built into the main switchboard or the socket-outlet, as this means that the supply cables will be permanently protected. Additionally a plug incorporating an RCD, or a plug-in RCD adaptor, will also be provided for an additional safety. RCDs for protecting people have a rated tripping current (sensitivity) of not more than 30 milliamps (MA). An RCD is a valuable safety device, never bypass it; If the RCD trips, it is a sign there is a fault. The RCD will have a test button to check that its mechanism is free and functioning. WORK SAFELY We will make sure that people who are working with electricity are competent to do the job. Even simple tasks such as wiring a plug can lead to danger we will ensure that people know what they are doing before they start. We must not allow work on or near exposed live parts of equipment unless it is absolutely unavoidable and suitable precautions will be taken to prevent injury, both to the workers and to anyone else who may be in the area. UNDERGROUND POWER CABLES Always assume cables will be present when digging in the street, pavement or near buildings. The usage will be up-to-date service plans, cable avoidance tools and safe digging practice to avoid danger. 51
Risk Assessment OVERHEAD POWER LINES When working near overhead lines, it may be possible to have them switched off. So, we will keep the safe working distance from the cables. BASIC PRECAUTIONS: There are various ways of protecting people from the hazards caused by electricity, including insulation, guarding, grounding and electrical protective devices. We will significant reduce electrical hazards by following some basic precautions. Insulation All electrical cords will have sufficient insulation to prevent direct contact with wires. All cords will be checked before each use, since corrosive chemicals or solvent vapors may erode the insulation. Damaged cords will be repaired or taken out of service immediately, especially in wet environments such as cold rooms Guarding Live parts of electric equipment operating at 50 volts or more will be guarded against accidental contact. Plexiglas shields may be used to protect against exposed live parts. Grounding Only equipment with three-prong plugs will be used. The third prong provides a path to ground that helps prevent the buildup of voltages that may result in an electrical shock or spark. Circuit Protection Devices Circuit protection devices will be designed to automatically limit or shut off the flow of electricity in the event of a ground-fault, overload, or short circuit in the wiring system. Fuses, circuit breakers, and ground-fault circuit interrupters are three well-known examples of such devices. Fuses and circuit breakers prevent over-heating of wires and components that might otherwise create hazards for operators. They disconnect the circuit when it 52
becomes overloaded. The ground-fault circuit interrupter or GFCI, will be used to shutoff electric power if a ground fault is detected. The GFCI will be particularly used near sinks and wet locations. Since GFCIs will cause equipment to shutdown unexpectedly, they may not be appropriate for certain apparatus. Portable GFCI adapters (available in most safety supply catalogs) may be used with a non-gfci outlet. Safe Work Practices The following practices will be used to reduce the risk of injury or fire when working with electrical equipment: Avoid contact with energized electrical circuits. Disconnect the power source before servicing or repairing electrical equipment. When it is necessary to handle equipment that is plugged in, be sure hands are dry and, when possible, wear nonconductive gloves and shoes with insulated soles. If it is not unsafe to do so, work with only one hand, keeping the other hand at your side or in your pocket, away from all conductive material. This precaution reduces the likelihood of accidents that result in current passing through the chest cavity. If water or a chemical is spilled onto equipment, shut off power at the main switch or circuit breaker and unplug the equipment. If an individual comes in contact with a live electrical conductor, do not touch the equipment, cord or person. Disconnect the power source from the circuit breaker or pull out the plug using a leather belt. High Voltage or Current Repairs of high voltage or high current equipment will be performed by trained electricians. Individuals who are experienced in such tasks and would like to perform such work on their own equipment must first receive specialized electrical safety related work practices training by EHS staff. The following additional precautions will be taken: Always assume a high voltage potential exists within a device while servicing it, even if it is de-energized and disconnected from its power source. 53
Avoid becoming grounded by staying at least 6 inches away from walls, water, and all metal materials, including pipes. Use of voltmeters and test equipment with ratings and leads sufficient to measure the highest potential voltage expected to be found inside the equipment being serviced. After servicing, check equipment with a multimeter or appropriate device to ensure it is grounded before reconnecting to the power source. 1..1.3 Risk Reduction Measures Risk is defined as the consequences arising out of an unwanted event in relation to the probability that such consequences might in fact occur. Risk reduction thus comprises of three basic steps: Reduction of consequences of accidental release Reduction of likelihood of an accidental release Reduction in Consequences Emergency plans for fire and personal injury will be prepared and Safety in Storage of Materials, Products & Wastes will be taken to avoid any undesirable event. ************* 54