Hazard Identification and Recognition Matrix continued TABLE 3
Hazard
Description and Work Process
Exposure and Control Activity
Reference
Ergonomic hazards and material handling
No one standard fits all and in the absence of an OEL or OEB, work regimen should be assessed Work tasks—such as long hours of work on overheard cranes, band-cutting or folding, control room operators, maintenance of vehicles—can create postures that can stress worker neck and shoulder muscles and cause high levels of discomfort in legs and forearms Confined spaces include maintenance holes, crawl spaces, and tanks, which are not designed for continuous occupancy and are difficult to exit in an emergency
Repetitive and forceful movements, vibrations, temperature extremes, manual handling, and awkward postures Use the 88:10:2 Heinrich Theory of Accident–Incident Causation Focus on human acts; unsafe conditions Interaction of overhead computers and constant watch of steel metal plates on conveyor belts can potentially present back injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and other illnesses Redesign workstations to improve comfort and productivity More deaths are reported from the hazard of the confined spaces in the iron, metal, and metallurgical industry in Italy than in any other working environments Development of a checklist and matrix to prioritize hazards in confined spaces Can result in oxygen deficiency hazards Use of metalworking fluids can result in bacterial and fungal aerosols Mold can be present in wet areas (e.g., overhead cranes in wet seasons or in administrative offices or mobile truck offices)
Brauer, 2016; Mohammed et al., 2020; NIOSH, 2019; Tendai, 2021
Confined spaces (permit or nonpermit requirement for entry)
Chinniah et al., 2017; McManus, 1999; North Carolina Department of Labor, 2014; Permit-Required Confined Spaces, 2023; Selman et al., 2018; Stefana et al., 2018 Brinksmeier et al., 2015; Foltz, 2022
Seasonal biological hazards
Prevent metal corrosion with metalworking fluids, wet areas of cranes, etc.
Note. NIOSH = National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; OEB = occupational exposure banding; OEL = occupational exposure limit; PEL = permissible exposure limit; PM = particulate matter; U.S. DOE = U.S. Department of Energy; U.S. EPA = U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Equations 3 and 4 represent outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. Studies resulting in the heat stress index of 29.0 °C and 20.4 °C for furnaces (WBGT = 34.7 °C) and the casting areas (WBGT = 39.9 °C) have been common (Bardhan et al., 2021). In these situations, a heat regimen could be imple- mented or suggested in the areas prone to these hazards (ACGIH, 2023; Bardhan et al., 2021). Furthermore, it is important to evalu- ate indoor environments where furnaces emit radiant energy. In these situations, the out- door equation must be substituted.
TABLE 4
Coding and Responsibility to Characterize Risks and Management Actions
Letter Coding
Description
Risk Characterization
Remarks
Potential Management Action
A B C D
Low risk
0–2 3–5 6–8
Acceptable
Medium risk
Low
Higher risk
Medium
Identify staff to be given responsibility and authority to address the risk
Severe risk that is unacceptable Potentially serious and fatal risk
9–12
Unacceptable
E
>12
Unacceptable
WBGT out = 0.7T wnwb + 0.2T g + 0.1T db (for outdoor work environments)
(3)
Heat Stress Risks, Exposure Scenarios, and Management Options Via literature review and also safety and health walk-through audits, this study identified areas prone to high heat stress within the facili- ties that were examined. The casting opera- tions—including the billet unit operations, reheat furnaces, and melt shops—are high-risk units (Bardhan et al., 2021). As part of heat stress monitoring and evaluation, a wet-bulb
globe temperature (WBGT) device is essential (Plog & Quinlan, 2012). Temperature results are influenced by four thermal conditions: air movement (wind), air temperature, humidity, and radiant heat. The last three values are mea- sured by a dry-bulb thermometer that measures ambient temperature, a natural wet-bulb ther- mometer that measures the potential for evapo- rative cooling, and a black-globe thermometer that measures radiant heat (ACGIH, 2023).
WBGT in = 0.7T wnwb + 0.3T g (for indoor work environments)
(4)
Where in the equations, T wnwb = natural wet bulb (evaporative cooling), T g = black globe thermometer (radiant heat), and T db = dry bulb (ambient temperature). Body temperature is a measure of the heat energy present in a person (in this scenario, a worker). The average temperature of a
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December 2023 • Journal of Environmental Health
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