Surface Moisture: manual to Managing the Hazard Model - Research Paper Example

Risk Management Name Institution Date Risk Management Introduction The safety and wellbeing of every individual at the workplace and at home is paramount. Not only is it in compliance with the law, it is also good for the well being of the organization. To enhance this safety, assessment of risks is important. This assessment helps in focusing on risks that matter in the workplace. Taking straight measures helps in readily controlling the risks. These straight measures include controls that can be engineering, administrative or personal controls. An assessment of the risks includes analyzing the likelihood of the risk occurrence, the consequences in case the risk occurs along with other measures that include monitoring and reviewing the scenario. This paper presents three scenarios that include collapse of a ceiling through heavy rainfall, failure of the HVAC system and a major piece of plant/ machinery failure within the facility. The scenarios shall be assessed using a risk matrix. All the parties involved in mitigating the risks shall be listed along with a contingency plan for treating the risk. Collapse of a ceiling by heavy rainfall Heavy rainfall poses a risk to roof ceilings. In the event of heavy rainfall, the structure of the building is weakened. According to Rodman (2014), lights rains do not pose a threat to the roof. However, when there are rains accompanied by heavy storms, the structure of the building is shaken and this makes it weak. Parts of the roof shall begin to crumble and with continuing rainfall, the roof eventually gives in at the weak points. Usually, the weak points begin to propagate the weakness gradually and the continual rainfall leads to eventual failure of the roof to support itself, hence leading to collapse. Development of weak points does not happen at once. This is a process that happens over time. For instance, rain seeps through a joint on the roof and moves to the ceiling. The water from rain causes steel beams to rust. Rusted beams are weak and cannot support the weight of the roof. In addition, rain water seeping through the roof to the ceiling makes the ceiling weak through decomposition of the ceiling material. Over time, the ceiling material is weakened and this leads to collapse of the ceiling roof. Collapse of roofs due to rainfall can also be contributed to by weak structures. When the structure of the roof is weak, it provides an easy access to the weak points by the excess rain. Poor design causes structural faults that can be exploited by rain. Poor design of the roof can also cause accumulation of water on the roof top and this leads to excess weight on the structure if the roof. Subsequently, the weaker areas of the roof are propagated and this causes the roof to collapse. According to Lawson (2012), a roof drainage system that is poor affects the safety of the structure and can lead to collapse of the roof in the event of excess force. Where there are water collection points on the roof, the excess water backs up and makes the roof to collapse. Various consequences result from the collapse of a roof ceiling. For instance, leakage of water in the building affects components in the building. Some of the goods stored in the building should not get into contact with water. For the worst case scenario, electronic goods are the worst hit since they easily malfunction when they get into contact with water. Where there are bare wires, contact with water can lead to dire consequences like electric shock or even electric fire can be the result of leaking water inside the building. By and large, components and equipment in the building is affected by water in the building. A collapsed roof also has the consequence of reduced security to the goods and people in the building. This is because the building is exposed to the surrounding and this leaves everything in the building vulnerable. It is the expectation of the roof to keep every occupant dry and to protect them against adverse weather. If the expectations are missed, there are concerns over safety of lives, litigation and costs. Patterson and Mehta (2010) reported that when issues on roofing are not met, there are issues that lead to litigation for architects and in construction, losses to insurances and high costs of maintaining the building. Further to these costs, there are lives that are put at risk by collapsing roofs in addition to damage to property leading to losses worth millions. Various controls can be used to keep the risk of roof collapse low. Engineering controls can be used through the design of the roof. The roof should be designed in a way as to allow water to flow freely and not to exert excess pressure on the roof top. In addition, the structure of the roof should be made of materials that can stand extreme forces, including forces from excess rainfall and rainstorms. Various roofs have experienced roof collapse due to rainfall before. The structures used on the collapsed buildings should be used as a benchmark to constructing a roof that is strong and able to withstand the forces of excess rainfall. In addition, the roof should be constructed in a way that will limit leakage of water into the building through joints. This will reduce rusting and weakening of beams. Since rainfall is a natural hazard, it is through engineering controls that the risk posed to the roof can be mitigated. The responsibility of the structural engineer is to ensure the structure can stand the extreme cases of unpredictable loads. Administrative controls can also be used through policies of maintenance. Preventive measures can be devised by the administration so as to ensure the building is checked often and any weaknesses in the structure of the building are sorted in time. Signs of roof failure can also be used as an indication of the condition of the roof. For instance, roofs members begin to sag or crack. This indicates the weakened condition of the roof. As a preventive maintenance measure, the roof should be observed in this state and the right measures taken so as to avoid any occurrence. Failure of HVAC system The HVAC system serves the purpose of providing conditioned air to people working in buildings. Failure of this system can occur under several conditions. To begin with, the failure could be a system breakdown. System breakdown can occur due to failure of a component or due to negligence in maintenance of the system. Component failure can be attributed to an overcome working life of the component. For instance, bearing failure can happen when the bearing overcomes its lifespan. On the other hand, negligence of the maintenance team is attributed to the individual tasked with maintaining the system. Failure to maintain the bearing will lead to failure of the bearing and this implies failure of the system due to negligence. Another cause of HVAC system failure is presence of contaminants in the system. When the system is full of contaminants like excess dust particles or unwanted particles in the system, it could lead to breakdown of the system. However, such an occurrence implies failure of one component, the filter, the result of which is passage of particles and other contaminants into the system. Failure in one component creates a cycle of failures that when traced back, will point to the root cause of the eventual failure. For instance, failure of a filter to check out contaminants from the system will lead to passage of the contaminants to the system. The contaminants, depending on their size, could damage other parts in the system, and this eventually leads to breakdown of the component. Failure in the HVAC system can also be stated to be failure in performance of the system. When the system is performing below the expected performance levels, the system is said to have failed. For instance, when the system provides air that is not well regulated, like excess hot air, or excess cold air, this is termed as failure. Even so, such a failure is still attributed to failure of a certain component. It is through failure of the component that abnormalities in performance are witnessed. When the system’s optimal performance level is not met, the system is said to have failed. Shukla et al (2011) stated that the performance of the HVAC system is used during qualification so as to ascertain that the system is safe for use. The consequences of this failure can be direct effects on individuals inside the building. Consequences vary depending on the type of failure. For instance, when a component fails, the performance of the system is affected and this affects people in the building. When the filter of the system fails, the air supplied to the system shall be full of contaminants and this leads to respiratory diseases to the people taking in the air. Additionally, when the air drier fails, the consequences are also traced to respiratory diseases. Presence of contaminants in the air taken in by people in the room leads to various conditions that include allergic reactions, irritation or toxic responses from the occupants of the building. Consequently, there are work-related symptoms that shall develop. These include upper and lower respiratory symptoms, fatigue, eye symptoms, skin irritation, coughing, headache and difficulty in concentration (Mendell et al, 2007). Some HVAC systems produce loud noises when they fail. Loud noises are not good for the ears of the building’s occupants. By and large, failure of the HVAC system affects the comfort of building occupants. This is because the system is meant to create a comfortable environment in which the occupants can operate by moderating the external environment. Extreme conditions affect the health, safety and well being of individuals inside the building. The comfort of occupants also affects how well they perform. For an organization, it is expected that they produce continuously throughout their stay in the building. When their comfort is affected due to failure of the HVAC system, their production also gets affected. In addition, an unhealthy workforce cannot be productive. Therefore, the performance of the HVAC system is directly related to the production of occupants inside the building. Controlling this failure can be achieved through engineering controls and administrative controls. To begin with, selection of the best HVAC system for the building is one engineering control that can be used. This selection is based on the system specifications. The specifications of the system should meet the demand of the building. This measure is used to control the risk of performance failure. The system should be able to supply optimum air to the entire building. This implies that a system that cannot supply the required mix of air should be used. In addition, the position of the HVAC system during design of the building should also be put into consideration during design and construction of the building. The system should be placed at a location where it can provide the right amount of air to the occupants of the building. Another engineering control should be in the design of the system. The system should be designed to stop in the event of any malfunction. This will reduce the risk of supplying air that is not good for consumption by the occupants. Administrative controls involve measures supporting the maintenance of the system. For instance, the system should be checked every often so as to keep its performance levels optimal. Preventive maintenance of the system should be used in this case. This is aimed at eliminating any failures that are bound to occur during operation of the system. In addition, trainings should be provided to the occupants on how to deal with the system in the event of a failure. For instance, occupants should be trained to stop the system in the event of excess dust or excess humidity coming from the HVAC system. Protective equipment should also be provided for use in the event of such occurrences so as to minimize the amount of contaminants taken in by individuals. A major piece of plant/ machinery failure within the facility Machine or plant failure within the facility occurs due to several reasons. The reasons range from human factors, inefficient maintenance, external factors and failure due to overcome lifecycle. Human factors that lead to machine failure include negligence of maintenance. This refers to not following the right procedures for maintenance or not complying with the stipulated standards of maintenance. When concerned individuals do not comply with the stated standards and procedures, the machine failure can occur at any time. Inefficiency in maintenance refers to not carrying out the maintenance practices as and when they are required. This could occur when the machine is subjected to continuous operation without considering its maintenance requirements. In some cases, components of the machine could overcome their lifecycle and this leads to failure of the machine. However, this failure can still be attributed to negligence in maintenance since the maintenance procedures of the machine have specific working cycles of the components, beyond which they should replaced during maintenance (Chinniah et al, 2007). According to Manuele (2005), external factors that could lead to machine failure include occurrence of incidences that affect the machine. Such incidences can occur from accidents that affect the performance of the machine. When all these factors are kept in check, the likelihood of occurrence of this failure is kept minimal. Occurrence can only occur due to unavoidable circumstances. Most machine/ plant failures are attributed to failure of machine components, which can be minimized by effective maintenance of the components. When this failure occurs, the effects are felts directly by the facility. To begin with, production of the facility is lowered. This is because the machine is not able to perform to the expected performance levels. The machine will produce below its capacity when it operates under failure. In addition, machine failure requires that the machine is stopped for breakdown maintenance. Stoppage of the machine leads to less production. In addition, there are extra costs that are incurred by the company due to downtime. Such costs can be attributed to unused labor, especially the operators of the machine. Loss of time during repair of the machine is also a cost that the facility or organization has to deal with. The downtime of the machine affects many processes within the facility. The costs also emanate from purchase of parts that can be used to repair the machine. Breakdown costs have always been a challenge to many production managers (Roudebush, 2005). In some cases, breakdown of one machine means the other machines have to be overused so as to attain the expected production. Under this case, the overused machines are prone to failures. Therefore, failure of one machine affects other related machines directly or indirectly. Machine failure also has an effect on the safety of the users. This is because operators will be using the machine when it is not in its optimum operation levels. The machine may strain the operators, unless it is stopped for repair. When failures occur during operation, the operators’ could be risked. This is so especially when a part of the machine flies out into space. The priority would be to restore the machine back to normal operation. Various control scan be used to prevent or minimize failure of a plant or machine within a facility. Engineering controls are the main controls used for preventing failure of machines. To begin with, machines have specifications on performance levels. These levels are used for monitoring production of the machine as well as checking that the machine is still in good operating condition. In addition, the design of the machines provides for safety devices that are used to keep the machine safe. For instance, there are safety switches, safety valves and other safety devices that are installed on the machine. These devices are used to either stop the machine in case of failure or to alert the operator of any failure. The operation of the devices depends on the machine and the mode of failure. The design of the machine should also include safety gadgets that guard the operator from any flying objects in case of machine failure. Administrative controls include preventive maintenance of the machine. This incorporates policies and measures that require the machine to be maintained periodically. Checklists and procedures can be used during maintenance. It can be stated as a policy that the machine is maintained after stated number of operating hours. Training on how to respond in the event of machine failure can also be used to keep the risk minimal. This would include procures on how to stop the machine and what is done after the machine is stopped. Use of personal protective equipment is used to ensure safety of the operator and anyone around the machine. The equipment protects operators from any harm during operation of the machine and in the event of a failure. Risk matrix: Collapse of a ceiling by heavy rainfall Risk matrix: failure of HVAC system Risk matrix: failure of plant/ machine in the facility Adopted from Whakatutuki (2013) Risk assessment and Treatment Basic risk information Risk assessment information Risk response information Description Responsible Date reported Last update Impact Impact description Probability Timeline Status of response Completed actions Planned Future actions Risk status Collapse of a ceiling by heavy rainfall Roof collapse on people Structural engineer N/A N/A Extreme Death or permanent injury on people Medium Medium term Plan enacted Engineer to provide tested structures frequent tests on structure open Water leakage Structural engineer N/A N/A Extreme Property damage High Medium term Plan enacted Structure to be checked often Roof inspection open Cracked structure Structural engineer N/A N/A High Collapse roof Medium Far near Plan enacted Structure to be checked often Roof inspection open Rusted beams Structural engineer N/A N/A High Weakened structure Medium Medium Plan enacted Structure to be checked often Beam inspection open Assessment and treatment of HVAC failure Respiratory diseases Individual occupants N/A N/A Extreme Affects health High Far term Plan enacted Health awareness training Frequent health check Open Discomfort HVAC maintenance team N/A N/A Extreme Uncomfortable environment High Medium Plan enacted Repair of system Regular maintenance Open Ineffective performance HVAC maintenance team N/A N/A Extreme Poor air supplied Medium Medium Plan enacted System performance restored Regular monitoring of performance Open Failure of a major piece of plant/ machinery failure within the facility Injury or death Individual operators N/A N/A Extreme Direct effect on operator Low Far term Plan enacted Safety measures enacted Machine safety monitored and training done Open Low production Maintenance team N/A N/A Extreme Stopped machine reduces production Medium Far near Plan enacted Machine restored Regular preventive maintenance Open High breakdown costs Maintenance team N/A N/A Extreme Costs due to loss of machine Medium Near Plan enacted Machine restored Regular preventive maintenance Open Adopted from: Scheid (2013). References Chinniah et al, (2007). “Risk Assessment & Reduction a machine Safety Case Study from Quebec.” Professional Safety, pp 49-56. Lawson, J. (2012). “Roof Drainage Not My Problem…Maybe.” SEAOC 2012 Convention Proceedings. Pp. 136-151. Manuele, F. (2005, May). “Risk Assessment and Hierarchies: The Growing Importance to the SH&E Profession.” Professional Safety, 50(5), 33-39. Mendell et al, (2007). “Risk Factors in Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems for Occupant Symptoms in U.S. Office Buildings: the U.S. EPA BASE Study.” Indoor Air Journal, volume 18, No. 4, pages 301-316. Patterson, S. L., and Mehta, M., (2010). "Life Safety Issues in Roof Design." Proceedings of the RCI 25 111 International Convention, pp. 191-212. RCI, Inc., Raleigh: North Carolina. Rodman, K. (2014). Winter Rooftop Risks: What You Need to Know to Prevent a Collapse. Retrieved on April 12, 2014 from: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/rooftop-risks-what-you-need-to/24103618. Roudebush, C. (2005). “Machine safeguarding: A Process for Determining Tolerable Risk.” Professional Safety, 50(10), 20-24. Scheid, J. (2013). Formulating a Risk treatment Plan. Retrieved on April 13, 2014 from: http://www.brighthubpm.com/risk-management/31710-creating-a-risk-treatment-plan/. Shukla et al, (2011). A Risk Assessment Approach: Qualification of HVAC System in Aseptic Processing Area Using Building Management System. UK: John Willey and Sons Ltd. Whakatutuki, H. (2013). External Moisture: A Guide to Using the Risk Matrix. New Zealand: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Read More