Pit & Quarry, February 2013

by Carl Metzgar Y ou can get away with the most outrageous unsafe act once A friend told me this and he accompanied his words with a photograph of a dozer perched on a quarry ledge at an unbelievable angle Yes somebody got away with this once Had that unacceptable one time work practice become normal work practice an MSHA special investigation this is not a ladder steps or a ramp and it doesnt rise to the level of field expedient either surely would have been launched That sort of work practice is doomed for serious failure A cursory look at the photo on this page tells a similar story of failure The floor of the railcar is slightly less than 4 ft from the ground Miners have had falls from such a level and suffered serious injuries Still from safety literature we also know people have fallen 150 ft or more and survived Army basic training teaches that a field expedient is the art of getting the job done despite the limitations To prevent loss in a mine it is imperative to plug in with minimum risk even for a field expedient But the 4 ft x 4 ft accumulation of scrap lumber that has long since ceased to be a pallet because the pack house threw it away doesnt rise to the level of field expedient In the photo the approach pathways to the railcar are cluttered and difficult to walk in The space on the floor of the railcar is cluttered and serves as an immediate tripping hazard There are no handholds or provisions for fall protection nor are there mechanical aids for removing the heavy spare parts Also note that the accumulation of scrap lumber is broken and deficiently fastened together The accumulation of dust on the floor of the railcar and the cross pieces on the accumulation of scrap lumber is approximately 1 8 in to 1 4 in deep This is a rather sorry photo of an inadequate means of access and workspace Unfortunately this is not even the worst part of the photo Think about the pathological attitude management failure and lack of loss prevention systems that allowed this to happen The accumulation of dust on the scrap lumber is the giveaway for the duration of the exposed hazard Critical evaluation sponsored by The definition of safety culture is elusive But when a casual walk through a plant turns up scrap lumber substituted for an access ladder then the conclusion has to be that the culture in place is not a safe one would suggest weeks passed not just hours There was no comprehensive workplace inspection program in place either Oddly enough this rail siding was not in a remote location It was in the middle of the plant Even if the area was not inspected every shift a supervisor should have inspected the area before a miner was sent to get a part One idea discussed these days is safety culture The definition of the concept is elusive but when a casual walk through a plant turns up scrap lumber substituted for an access ladder then the conclusion has to be that no matter how you define a safety culture this just isnt one Some words from the distant past support a powerful message An outward and visible symbol of an inward and spiritual grace These words have a religious tone However the photograph serves as an outward and visible symbol of management with little to no appreciation for preventing injury property damage or disruption of the process for which it is responsible P Q Signs of real neglect Carl R Metzgar CSP has more than 30 years of safety and health experience in the aggregates industry He provides consulting services with a specialization in program evaluation training compliance and loss control and can be reached at 336 766 1218 cmetz46840@ aol com 50 PIT QUARRY February 2013 www pitandquarry com