Case Study

Using the CSU Online Library, locate a case study about a fire in either a hotel or high-rise office building. Do not use any of the case studies in the textbook. Write a review of the case that is a minimum of 300 words in length. Your review should answer the following questions:

- What were the main factors that caused the fire?
- What was the fuel source for the fire?
- Were there design flaws in the building that contributed to either the start of the fire or the size of the fire?
- Were there issues with the building design or maintenance that hindered the fire response?
- What recommendations would you have made to the building design or maintenance that you believe would have prevented the fire from starting or reduced the severity of the outcome?

The case study and any additional sources must be cited in the text and references provided in APA style.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Project

Read the background and scenario descriptions in Sections I and II of the instructions. Prepare a paper addressing each of the subsections of Section III. Make sure you read each section completely and carefully before preparing your paper.

I. Background

Acme International has a small manufacturing shop that includes two welding stations and a separate paint room. Two welders produce small components for automobiles using stainless steel and MIG welding. After grinding has been performed in the welding bays, the parts are painted in the paint room. The only ventilation present is a ceiling fan in each room that is used for general dilution ventilation.

Note: Because of specifications from their client, substitution is not a viable control method for either the welding or painting operations.

An industrial hygienist (IH) recently conducted air monitoring at the facility. In the welding bays, the IH conducted initial monitoring with a personal sample collected on each welder and analyzed for hexavalent chromium (Cr+6). The results showed that time weighted average (TWA) exposures were 6.2 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) and 6.6 µg/m3. The OSHA TWA PEL is 5 µg/m3 with an action level of 2.5 µg/m3.

The paint area uses primer and paint containing benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene. Workers in the area also use acetone on rags to clean surfaces. One employee was sampled for the entire work shift. A second employee was sampled for 15 minutes (STEL sample) while cleaning with the acetone and for 15 minutes (STEL sample) while mixing the primer and paint. The table below summarizes the results of the sampling, along with the applicable permissible exposure limits (PELs) established by OSHA and the guidelines (threshold limit values or TLVs)  published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (AGGIH).

II. The Scenario

You have been hired by Acme International to evaluate the work areas, recommend controls, design the controls, and install the controls.

III. Assignment

1. Analyze the hazards in both areas of the facility using one of the methods described in Chapter 3 of the textbook. You should identify at least two hazards in each area (welding and painting).

2. Perform a risk assessment on at least two hazards in each area using the 4X4 matrix in Table 17-3 of the textbook.

3. Prioritize the need for controls for the hazards you selected based on the results of the risk assessment.

4. Using the hierarchy of engineering controls listed on page 420 of the textbook, recommend a control method for each hazard that you believe would be the most effective in reducing risk to an acceptable level.

Use the 4X4 matrix to show the reduction in risk for each hazard. Note: At least one control method must be a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system.

5. For the LEV, specify the hood configuration, a recommended capture velocity, and a recommendation for treatment of the exhaust stream. Explain why you made the choices and support your decisions with at least one reference other than the text.

6. Discuss how Prevention through Design could be used to reduce the risks associated with these operations if you were hired to design a new facility performing these same activities from scratch.

Prepare your paper in a properly formatted APA document, including a title page, a brief abstract section, the body of the paper, and a reference page. The body of your paper must be a minimum of four pages in length and double-spaced (title page, abstract, and reference page do not count toward the four-page minimum). You must use your textbook and at least one other source.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit 1 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. Define lost-time frequency rate, severity rate, and incidence rate. Choose the rate you believe best represents safety performance in a company and explain your reasoning.

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Question 2. Compare and contrast failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), fault tree analysis (FTA), and management oversight and risk tree (MORT). Which technique do you believe would be most effective for hazard analysis in a facility that primarily performs welding operations?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Unit 2 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. Engineered nanoparticles represent a newer material that has begun to show up in many occupational settings. Discuss some of the unique hazards associated with engineered nanoparticles. What problems exist in determining which PPE might be effective in protecting workers against exposures to engineered nanoparticles?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Question 2. The four theories that are used to explain human behavior as it relates to safety are Theory X, Theory Y, Theory Z, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Compare and contrast the four theories. Which theory do you believe best predicts a worker's behavior related to safety?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Unit 3 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. Describe the Life Safety Code, and include how it relates to egress and emergency evacuation.

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 2. The Heat Stress Index (HSI) uses the terms O (Oxygen required), M (Metabolism), R (Radiation) C (Convection), and E (Evaporation). Compare and contrast the terms. Provide an example of a control method that you believe would be effective in controlling heat stress related to each of the terms M, R, C, and E.

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 3. You have a production area where ten welders are producing small parts using MIG welding on mild steel for eight hours each day. There is a general "haze" visibly present, which increases throughout the work day. What type ventilation system would you recommend for the operation? Which factors associated with the contaminant(s) produced by the welding operation would you consider in choosing the ventilation system? How would you evaluate the effectiveness of any ventilation system you installed?

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 4. Compare and contrast the different types of tribometers. In your opinion which of the tribometers best represents the slip resistance of a surface?

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.
Question 5. What dimensions would you use for a booth-type hood if you wanted an exhaust rate of 1,000 cubic feet per minute and a capture rate of 100 feet per minute to capture organic vapors from a paint spray operation? Be sure to show your work. If you wanted to clean the air that you are capturing before exhausting it outside, what type of air cleaning device would you recommend and why?

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Unit 4 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. Compare and contrast the types of prevention and detection systems used for explosions. Why would it be more difficult to design controls for a room containing explosive materials than a room containing only flammable liquids?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Question 2. Explain why an understanding of the terms lower flammability limit (LFL) and upper flammability limit (UFL) are important for fire prevention and suppression. How are the LFL and UFL different from the lower explosive limit (LEL) and upper explosive limit (UEL)?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Unit 5 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. OSHA updated 29 CFR 1910.1200, the Hazardous Communication standard in 2013. The update included new required elements for labels on hazardous materials. Discuss how the new labels compare to NFPA, HMIS, and DOT labels. Of the four labeling systems, which do you believe provides the most information about chemical safety to employees and why?

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 2. Compare and contrast the different control methods that are commonly used for ionizing radiation.

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 3. Compare two methods used to evaluate an employee's inhalation exposure to a hazardous material. Which method do you believe provides the most accurate measure of an employee's exposure?

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 4. Discuss the differences between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Provide one example of an occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and one to non-ionizing radiation. How do the differences influence the control methods used for these two types of radiation?Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Question 5. Compare and contrast the primary exposure routes for hazardous materials. How does the route of exposure influence the type of control method that you would recommend?

Your essay should be at least 100 words in length.

Unit 6 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. Compare and contrast the use of grounding/bonding, fuses/circuit breakers, GFCIs, and double insulation for protection against electrocution while using a machine in a wood shop. Of the methods, which do you believe provides the most protection? Would you recommend the use of a combination of the methods? Why or why not?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Question 2. Compare and contrast each of the eight classes of mechanical hazards. Describe the type of injury that may result from these hazards. Provide at least one control method for each of the eight classes.

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Unit 7 ­ Questions that need to be answered

Question 1. Summarize the fundamental steps in the risk assessment and reduction process. How would you recommend establishing the level of acceptable risk? What steps would you take to make sure you identified all the hazards associated with a piece of equipment in a workplace?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.

Question 2. Compare and contrast the different types of machine guards that are discussed in the unit. Provide at least one positive and one negative feature for three of the types of guards. What do you believe are some of the difficulties that might be encountered when attempting to install and maintain these types of guards on existing equipment in a workplace?

Your essay should be at least 200 words in length.