Safety Inspection for BP Shell Service Station Based in Sydney - Case Study Example

Safety Inspection Author Author’s Affiliation Introduction The evolution of occupational safety and health acts has made most organizations change their organizational structure to include safety and health departments in order to comply with the law. There are various hazards such as physical, egornomical, chemical and biological hazards, depending on the workplace question. BP Australia is a company that specializes in oil exploration, transport, selling, producing and refining. The company has over 1400 selling points across Australia. Being that the BP Shell service station in Sidney mostly handles flammable substances, it is authentic that there are hazards that are likely to be encountered by workers. Petrol stations accidents have included explosion of the fuel tanks, collapse of the structures, the corrosion of the staff by chemical agents and explosion of liquefied petroleum gas among others. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential occupational hazards likely to be encountered in the work environment and assess the strategies that are in place to ensure that the hazards are kept in check and where possible recommend strategies that would be better used to contain the hazards. The model company for this safety inspection is BP Shell service station based in Sydney. Possible Range of Hazards at BP Seivice Station Hazard refers to anything with the potential to cause an adverse effect such as the damage as well as health effects on something or someone and the things that they value under certain conditions at work (Service Station Safety, 2015). Occupational hazards would therefore refer to the hazards that are encountered at the normal workplace that are likely to endanger the lives of the workers and the well being of the organization (Service Station Safety, 2015). There are different types of hazards and various ways to curb them too (Australian Government, 2015). These occupational hazards can further be divided into safety hazards that are likely to cause accidents that are physically injurious to workers and health hazards that result in the development of variety of diseases. The extent to which a hazard is likely to cause harm depends on the level of exposure, the circumstances that surround the exposure such as toxicity and the duration of exposure (Australian Government, 2015). The other way to rate hazards is based on the severity of their outcomes (Service Station Safety, 2015). A significant hazard therefore is that with the potential to cause death or serious injuries. Types of Hazards and Strategies to Mitigate them at BP Service Stations in Australia There are a range of occupational hazards that might be encountered at BP Australia Petrol stations. First off, the likelihood of fire or explosion when leakages from the storage tanks are ignited is a hazard that poses health and safety concerns (BP Australia, 2015). Being that the most handled products are petroleum products and highly flammable gases, the risk of any fire occurring is very high. BP Australia in various petrol stations all over Australia has ensured that there are strategies to mitigate such physical hazards the Service station in Sydney being one of them (BP Australia, 2015). First off, there is a fire assembly point at each of the station should there be unexpected or expected fires. Secondly, there are fire extinguishers that are located strategically. These fire extinguishers are regularly inspected by the national Fire Protection agency (BP Australia, 2015). The types of fire extinguishers used are carbon dioxide and powder based. Additionally, there are also sand buckets strategically located within the vicinity of the petrol stations this includes pumps, loading and truck or trailer bays (BP Australia, 2015). The petrol stations also hold gas cylinders that are filled with liquefied petroleum gas that is highly flammable should it be in contact with any amount of fire. The fires are normally started by sparking engines that are left running when filling the vehicles (Australian Government, 2015). For that matter, BP shell service station in Sydney, has banners and posters that warn the customer to shut off the engines while being served at the stations. The workers are also trained and inducted in the fire safety programs at each station (BP Australia, 2015). All the employees at the station undergo drills that are meant to ensure that they are competent in handling any form of emergencies related to fire. The records on staff training are stored for future evaluation (Service Station Safety, 2015). There are appropriate wet stock management procedures at the station that is geared towards the identification and control of all the ignition prone sources. This has well been emphasized by the introduction of warning and hazard signs. BP also maintains a proper log of all the incidents and accidents that occur at any given station so as to use it in risk assessment and management process. Smoking within the stations is prohibited. When the caravans are entering the BP Shell service station in Sydney, the drivers are warned to ensure that they turn the pilot light off prior to arriving at the service stations (BP Australia, 2015). When there are spills of fuel at the station, the console operator should be notified immediately as indicated on the posters (BP Australia, 2015) . The customer is also encouraged not to start the engine until the spill has been cleaned up and the console operator given them the go ahead. The Service stations have rules that see to it that the spills are not hosed down by water to the drainages systems. When at the station all the workers are encouraged to switch off their phones as if they slip and drop, they are likely to ignite fire through sparking, especially when the batteries are knocked off (BP Australia, 2015). Pay phones are recommended for use near the service stations (BP Australia, 2015). When motorists are refilling they are encouraged to get off their bikes and keep the motorcycles steady. All children who are going to the wash rooms should also be accompanied. The other hazard is the vehicle movement within the station. This poses the risk of accidentally knocking off structures likely to ignite fires or release chemicals in the atmosphere as well as run into the stores. This is prevented by having one exit and entry into the forefront of the station. There are also designated parking areas that are close to the shops and not the pumps. There is also mechanical protection to vulnerable points such as areas designated for the storage of the LPG gas cylinders as well as the LPG storage areas, the fuel tanks alike. The areas are grilled with hard still and have hazard warning signs. Additionally, the areas are located in areas that are visible by the staff, so as to avoid malicious ignitions by rogue people. Within the stations are carwash areas that deal with chemical detergents that have the capacity of inducing harm to the staff if not properly handled (BP Australia, 2015). These chemicals are stocked for general cleaning and can cause serious illnesses such as chemical burns and dermatitis. Some of these chemicals are also applied in scrapping the oils from the engines (BP Australia, 2015). These detergents have the capacity to cause burns on the skins of the workers. BP Shell service station in its various distribution points and retail stores acknowledges this and trains the staff frequently on safe use of the chemicals (BP Australia, 2015). There are also emergency spill response procedures that are well stipulated and hanged at specific locations should there be an occurrence of such. Electric faults are also likely to cause fires if poorly handled. Additionally, the staff may also be electrocuted when performing their duties. All the new equipments come with operation manual that the staff is made aware of. The electricity in the whole petrol station is grounded. Additionally, there are fault detection systems and circuit breakers that are strategically placed disconnect electricity when the wires are overheated (BP Australia, 2015). There are also egornomical hazards that result from repetitive tasks especially by the fueling staff and long standing hours as well. BP shell service station in Sydney, ensures that there are shifts in working hours as well as job rotations so that the employees are kept off occupational stress. The violent staffs are well evaluated and corrigible measures taken (BP Australia, 2015). There are also team building activities offered especially during breaks from work and when exchanging shifts. Violent staff also risks the lives of others since they might start fires or even rob the cash and products. There are a good number of CCTV cameras that are strategically located as well as panic alarms (BP Australia, 2015). BP shell has invested in a variety of safety equipments that are strategically placed. First off, there is the E-flare that is used to warn the customers when measuring or refilling underground storage tanks. This is in compliance with various Australian safety standards as well as tests (BP Australia, 2015). The workers at the stations are also given protective gear such as high visibility vests and helmets to prevent them from all manner of physical hazards. There are also designated areas for throwing the used cans to prevent exposure (BP Australia, 2015). The company also does all transport safety tracking to ensure that goods on board to the petrol stations are well handled so as to minimize damage (BP Australia, 2015). When the workers in the service bay are working they are forced to kneel or work at low floor levels with the items that are to be stores (BP Australia, 2015). There is the risk of slipping and falling especially when lowering products for stocking in the store rooms. This is mainly the case with the shops located at the service stations (BP Australia, 2015). The employees are therefore trained on how to handle the trolley and all other machines that are used when working at low levels. Recommendations for BP Australia Occupational Safety BP Shell Service station in Sydney, should conduct a regular onsite and offsite training for the staff. The organization as a whole should come up with a safety program for all the motorists and customers, who fuel, buy goods from the Service Shops, and those that come for car wash services. This will raise awareness of any occupational health and safety risks that are likely to be encountered in such areas (OSHA, 2014). BP should follow the set strategy of risk or hazard minimization that involves removal of all the hazard prone areas replacing them with effectively designed ones (Service Station Safety, 2015). The next best strategy is stipulation of organizational rules to be observed both by the customers and the staff. The next best strategy is to have administrative controls that offer back up the engineering controls (OSHA, 2014). These include alignment to safe work procedures and policies. The Protective gear provided to the employee should frequently be replaced for efficiency in guarding their safety. All the employees should also undergo frequent job rotation and team building breaks to put off occupational stress. There should also be a frequent risk assessment after which communication takes place so as to further strengthen the safety programs (OSHA, 2014). All the incidents and accidents should be reported in a controlled manner so that there is a hazard tracking system in place. Conclusion BP Australia is one of the largest petroleum products explorers in the region. The company has variety of service stations that offer a variety of services from fueling to car washing. All these services together with the products and the facility themselves have potential hazards as identified in this paper. Worth to note is that nearly all the hazards identified by the Service station in Sydney, have been mitigated through various strategies as discussed above. However, there is still a gap that exists in the health and safety program of the organization at its widespread service stations all over Australia. The small gap is covered in the recommendations section. The company is compliant with the safety acts put in place by various governmental bodies in Australia (Australian Government, 2015). Generally, all the risk prone hazards are taken care for in the company and could further be strengthened by the stipulated recommendations. A safety inspection check list is presented in the appendix section. References Australian Government. (2015). WHS/OH&S Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice | business.gov.au. Retrieved from http://www.business.gov.au/business-topics/employing-people/workplace-health-and-safety/Pages/whs-acts-regulations-and-codes-of-practice.aspx Energy Institute. (2015). Document - Energy Institute. Retrieved from https://www.energyinst.org/documents/1317 Health and Safety Authority. (2015). Petrol Stations - Health and Safety Authority. Retrieved from http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Your_Industry/Petrol_Stations OSHA. (2014). Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 2 - Overview of System Components: Hazard Prevention and Control. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/comp3.html Service Station Safety. (2015). Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) in Petrol Stations, Victoria Australia. Retrieved from http://www.servicestationsafety.com.au/ Appendix Safety Inspection Checklist for Petrol Stations Element Yes No N/A Comments Fast aid facilities accessible and functioning Hazard substance warnings in place and visible Warning signs strategically placed Standard operating procedures in place PPEs available Safety training drills scheduled Mechanical shielding on the storage areas Administrative controls taken care of Safety policies outlined and accessible Safety equipments functioning and operable Workers have adequate training on safety measures Regular risk assessments conducted Read More