The segregating of employees away
from machinery in our industry can be achieved in several ways. Either through
the initial design and construction of a plant or through retrofitting. The
Aluminium Plant Safety Blog has a recent story emphasizing the need to keep
workers away from operating machinery.
The employees were at work when the
explosion rattled the plant and sparked a fire. The two victims were very close
to the cooler.
Two workers suffered serious
injuries following an explosion in an engine cooler at an aluminum extrusion factory
located in United Arab Emirates one morning during the week of September 21,
2014.
One of the legs of the victim had
to be amputated because of severe burns and injuries while the second labourer
suffered burns all over his body.
The director of the local General
Police Centre, said they were notified about the accident around 10.30am. The
employees were at work when the explosion rattled the plant and sparked a fire.
The two victims were very close to the cooler.
Police, Civil Defence and ambulance
teams arrived shortly. The two injured workers were rushed to a local hospital while
the Civil Defence team fought the blaze. The factory was evacuated and the area
was cordoned off to ensure the safety of other labourers.
The cause of the explosion is yet
to be determined.
The director of the local General
Police Centre urged factory owners to make sure that the employees are
protected at work by abiding by the safety rules and regulations.
The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog
prays for a quick recovery for both workers. We hope the worker whose leg was
amputated will be given all the necessary assistance to rehabilitate (both
physically and mentally) and lead a productive life in the future. The psychological challenges that lie ahead for this worker every day may seem insurmountable. The article “The Psychology of Losing a Limb” addresses
many of the issues that this worker will face (click here). The APSB will pray that this
worker is able to overcome the multitude of challenges that he will face in the
future.
The other worker who received severe
burns from the explosion too will face a long road of recovery (both physical
and mental). The APSB hopes the worker will be will be given all the necessary
assistance to recover and rehabilitate (both physically and mentally) and lead a productive life in the
future. The challenges that lie ahead for any individual with severe burns
covering their body are too numerous to list.
The media story provided little information
regarding where the workers were when the explosion occurred. Workers should
not be allowed to gather or congregate near any operating piece of machinery. The
APSB has seen numerous rest/break areas that are located in hazardous areas
because of nearby operating machinery. Such as, dust collectors which should
always be located outside of a building should have a fence built around the
perimeter to prevent workers from being too close.
Take a look around your plant;
where do your coworkers congregate during break time. Is there any nearby machinery
that is operating? If you answer yes, then you need to question the safety of
the workers if an incident occurs.
Lastly, the two workers who were
injured received burns to varying degrees. The APBS assumes both workers’ clothes
were not flame resistant. All employees no matter their exact workplace in a
plant should wear flame resistant clothing. The APSB has posted incident after
incident where workers’ burns suffered were more severe when clothing had
caught on fire.
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