Industrial safety and hygiene applied in production processes is a factor of utmost importance in every industry, since their objective is to comply with the standards to safeguard life and preserve the health and physical integrity of workers, which allows you to have control over the methods and procedures within the industry, which translates into a reduction in costs and time and a high degree of production, quality and competitiveness in the market.
INTRODUCTION
Practicing a culture of safety and risk prevention, as well as following and respecting the different standards that each company or factory must have, in accordance with the characteristics of the industrial activities and processes carried out there, will allow achieving high levels of productivity and make the total management of technical processes more efficient; since industrial safety is directly related to business continuity: in the best of cases, the damage of a machine, a work accident or any other unwanted event consumes production time and money and in other cases, it can take to the final closure of this.
This essay will be directed to the governing body of the production unit, with the intention that it serve as a point of reference for the implementation of regulations and actions that in the field of hygiene and safety ensure the continuity of the production process.
Said essay will be divided into three chapters, the first industrial hygiene and safety focuses on explaining in a general way what is understood by industrial hygiene and safety, its primary objective and the main types of risks in production processes; the second chapter, legal foundations of safety and hygiene, will mention the main standards to be met within the industry and, finally, chapter three risk prevention, will focus on mentioning how a prevention program and an emergency program should be developed.
1. INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND HYGIENE
1.1 BASIC CONCEPTS
Industrial safety is a discipline whose mission is to study workplace accidents by analyzing the causes that cause them, as well as controlling the risk of damage to both people and equipment and materials involved in the development of all activities. productive.
For Mancera "industrial hygiene is the science and art dedicated to the recognition, evaluation and control of those environmental factors that originate in, or by the workplace, which can be the cause of diseases, damage to health or well-being, discomfort or inefficiency among the workers, or among the citizens of the community ”(2012, p. 15). Whether some of these factors are due to unsafe conditions or unsafe acts on the part of the worker.
Unsafe conditions are those factors in the work environment that can lead to an accident, for example, dirt and clutter in the work area or facilities in poor condition.
An unsafe act is conduct by action or omission that leads to the violation of procedures, rules, laws, regulations or established safe practices that can cause accidents.
The objective of both disciplines applied to the work centers is to safeguard the life and preserve the health and physical integrity of the workers through the issuance of norms aimed both at providing them with the conditions for work, as well as to train and train them to that diseases and occupational accidents are avoided, as far as possible.
Work accidents are any permanent or temporary functional and bodily injury that causes the loss or reduction of work capacity. It applies to any risk or action that involves an ailment or harm to a person while they were working. Commuting accidents are included.
Commuting accidents are those that occur to the worker when moving, directly from his home to the place of work, or from it to that.
A risk factor is any circumstance or situation that increases a person's chances of contracting a disease or any other health problem.
In turn, industrial safety and hygiene is related to ergonomics, in order to analyze all the demands that workers and machinery present, as well as adapt equipment and tools, in order to avoid all those environmental factors that originate occupational diseases.
Ergonomics, which is responsible for ensuring the implementation of workplaces, designed in such a way that they adapt to the anatomical, physiological and psychological characteristics of the people who work in that place.
1.2 TYPES OF RISKS IN PRODUCTIVE PROCESSES
Workers do not create the risks; in many cases, the risks are already in the workplace. And it is the responsibility of the personnel in charge of occupational health and safety to ensure that work is safer by modifying the workplace and any type of unsafe work procedures that exist. In other words, the solution is to eliminate risks, not to make efforts to adapt workers to unsafe conditions.
A considerable number of hazards can be found in almost all workplaces. First, there are the obvious unsafe working conditions, such as unprotected machines, slippery floors or insufficient fire precautions, but there are also different categories of insidious risks (i.e. risks that are dangerous but not obvious), among others are the following:
Reference is made to all those risks inherent to the physical facilities of the work site, such as the work spaces and the structures of the building: floors, ceilings, windows, railings, ventilation and processes such as order and cleanliness. These risks are constant throughout the working day, therefore, they constitute one of the most frequent causes of accidents and, their characteristics (whether positive or negative), will depend, to a high degree, on safety, well-being and productivity. of employees.
The dangers inherent in a flow of electrical current for a person are mainly by contact, that is, electricity passes through the body and that current flow causes injuries, which depending on factors such as voltage, current intensity, resistance and the time of contact can cause slight, severe injuries and death by electrocution. Secondly, it has to do with the formation of electrical sparks, which cause burns due to their high temperatures and the infrared and ultraviolet radiation that also cause serious skin and visual injuries.
They are all those instruments that allow to carry out work in an agile, efficient, precise and effective way, such as tools and machines. The use of machines, although it has freed man from much of the effort required by his work, has also been a frequent cause of injuries, given their strength, speed and energy sources.
It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of all work-related injuries involve machines; Likewise, it is considered that 19.2% of accidents entitled to compensation and 3.1% of fatal accidents have been the result of human-machine interaction.
As Mancera affirms «Is the fire friend or enemy? It can be either one. The difference is the control. Just as our ancestors learned to control fire well enough to put it to work for the advancement of human society, in the same way, each of us performs our individual part - every day of our lives to control fire. as a friend and prevent it as an enemy ”(2012, p. 104).
If its use does not adhere to security parameters that keep it under control, it becomes a destructive force. Uncontrolled fire (fire) has left many human victims, material damage, economic losses, alterations in processes and modern companies, deterioration of the institutional image, among many other negative effects. Not protecting oneself (and when talking about protection refers to the control of risk factors associated with any activity that can generate a fire), and thinking that fires are foreign accidents, is perhaps the biggest mistake that can be made, since it entails not to take the necessary control measures to prevent it from occurring.
The effects of a sudden and intense noise are due to explosions or detonations, whose pressure waves break the eardrum and even damage the chain of bones; the resulting injury to the inner ear is mild to moderate. The tympanic tear usually heals without leaving any abnormalities, but if replacement does not take place, a permanent impairment may develop. The sporadic but intense noises of the metallurgical industry can be compared in their effects to small detonations.
Vibration is considered to be any oscillatory movement of a solid body with respect to a position of equilibrium or reference, without experiencing displacement. Within occupational risks, the importance of exposure to vibrations, present in hammering jobs, operating pneumatic hammers, driving vehicles, soil compactors, hammer drills and many other tools whose operation can affect the worker, especially in his articular system.
Temperature is a risk factor that can affect workers if they have excessive levels of heat or cold. Depending on the ambient temperature levels, it is possible to speak of thermal comfort problems or thermal stress problems. When the levels of exposure to cold or heat are very high or prolonged, the body becomes unable to maintain a constant internal body temperature, causing effects that can be serious for the worker's health.
Although it is true that man can withstand considerable variations in atmospheric pressures, these can become dangerous when changes occur quickly, without giving the body time to adapt to the new pressures it must withstand. It should be remembered that jobs carried out in environments with variable pressures are classified as risky jobs, taking into account that abnormal pressures can cause serious damage to the body.
It refers to any eventuality that arises in the workplace due to the amount of brightness (excess, lack) or its defects (flashing, glare, inadequate contrasts). Although the ability of human beings to adapt to the environment is amazing, it is a fact that their comfort, mood and performance are affected by light. In this context, inadequate or faulty lighting can cause fatigue, visual disturbances, increased mental effort, poor performance and even accidents of various kinds.
When talking about overexposure to radiation, reference is made to electromagnetic waves of great intensity that can penetrate organic matter and cause damage at the cellular level
Due to their long wavelength, these radiations are somewhat energetic and therefore not very penetrating. From a biological point of view, only the skin and external surfaces of the body are affected by infrared radiation. The cornea of the eye is particularly sensitive, and cataracts can occur.
Chemical risk is a factor of great importance within industrial hygiene, because it can affect the health of workers at a local or systemic level depending on the characteristics of the chemical such as its aggressiveness, concentration, exposure time and individual characteristics. of the worker. When the employee is exposed to different chemical substances, it must be taken into account whether the effect of these is mutually exclusive or additive; In addition, when it comes to flammable substances, fire and / or explosion may occur.
Biological risks affect all living beings and the presence of contaminants of this type is not easily detectable, since they can be present in the environment without anyone seeing them and enter the body through the respiratory, digestive, dermal or parenteral routes, furthermore, the situation is complicated by the fact that the contaminated person in turn becomes a transmitting agent.
Ergonomics is the scientific study of the relationships of man and his working environment. Its objective is to design the work environment to adapt to man and thus improve comfort in the workplace.
The ergonomic factor must coordinate internal and external customers and form part of the prevention of occupational risks, including the aspects that determine the positions and work stations, seeking consistency between furniture, equipment, tools, movement of loads in front of the human biomechanics, in this way you can make work an appropriate activity for the characteristics of man and where you can develop all your productive potential without risking your health and comfort.
2. LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF SAFETY AND HYGIENE
LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF SAFETY AND HYGIENE IN MEXICO
Safety and hygiene at work is contemplated in section “A” of article 123 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States in its sections XIV and XV.
Employers will be responsible for accidents at work and occupational diseases of workers suffered as a result of or in the exercise of the professions or work they perform; therefore, employers must pay the corresponding compensation, depending on whether death or temporary or permanent inability to work have resulted, in accordance with what the law determines.
The employer will be obliged to observe, in accordance with the nature of his negotiation, the legal precepts on hygiene and safety in the facilities of his establishment, and to adopt the appropriate measures to prevent accidents in the use of machinery, instruments and work materials. The laws will contain for this purpose, the sanctions applicable in each case.
2.1. FEDERAL LABOR LAW, TITLE FOUR
Right and obligations of workers and employers
Some of the obligations of employers contemplated in article 123 are:
- Install, in accordance with the principles of safety and hygiene, factories, workshops, offices and other places where work must be carried out, to prevent work risks and harm to the worker, as well as adopt the necessary measures to prevent contaminants from exceeding the maximum allowed in the regulations and instructions issued by the competent authorities Comply with the safety and hygiene provisions established by laws and regulations to prevent accidents and illnesses in the workplace and have essential medicines and healing materials available at all times so that first aid is given in a timely manner.
- Obligations of workers (Article 134).
- Observe the preventive and hygienic measures agreed by the competent authorities and those indicated by the employers for the safety and personal protection of workers Submit to the medical examinations provided for in the internal regulations and other regulations in force in the company or establishment, to verify that do not suffer from any contagious or incurable occupational disease or disability.
XII. Communicate to the employer or his representative the deficiencies that they notice, in order to avoid damages or losses to the interests and lives of their co-workers or employers.
2.2. GENERAL REGULATION OF SAFETY AND HYGIENE AT WORK
Referred entirely to Safety and Hygiene, this regulation contains the following titles:
- Title first. General provisions Second title. On the safety and hygiene conditions in the buildings and premises of the work centers. Third Title. Of the prevention and protection against fires. Fourth Title. On the operation, modification and maintenance of the equipment. Eighth Title. On the conditions of the work environment Title Nine. Of the personal protection equipment Title Tenth. Of the general Hygiene conditions.
2.3. OFFICIAL MEXICAN RULES
Some of the Official Mexican Standards corresponding to this regulation are the following:
- NOM # 1 Relating to the safety and hygiene conditions in the buildings and premises of the work centers NOM # 2 Relating to the safety conditions for the prevention and protection against fires in the work centers NOM # 4 Relating to the protection systems and safety devices in machinery and equipment in work centers NOM # 5 Relating to safety conditions in work centers for the storage, transport and handling of flammable and combustible substances NOM # 6 Relating to the safety and hygiene conditions for the stowage and unloading of materials in the work centers NOM # 11 Relating to the safety and hygiene conditions in the work centers where noise is generated.NOM # 17 Relating to the requirements and characteristics of personal protective equipment for workers NOM # 19 Relating to the constitution, registration and operation of the mixed commissions of safety and hygiene at work NOM # 20 Relating to the requirements and characteristics of first aid kits in work centers NOM # 21 Relating to the requirements and characteristics of the reports of the work risks that occur, to integrate statistics.to integrate statistics.to integrate statistics.
3. RISK PREVENTION
To develop a security management plan within a company, it is necessary to have a structured plan to be able to facilitate the implementation, development and evaluation of activities within a process of continuous improvement to comply with the legal and technical standards that allow establishing the Adequate working conditions that promote the development of processes without interruptions or delays.
3.1. PREVENTION PROGRAMS
The main objective of the occupational risk prevention strategy is to reduce the accident rate and fatalities in the affiliated companies.
Additionally, its objective is to educate in prevention, especially, less informed workers.
According to the authors Muñoz and Rodríguez “for every industry it is vital to offer products that compete successfully in the market, so they have to eliminate any situation that affects their costs. For this reason, it is essential to abate or eliminate occupational accidents and diseases among its workers, whose cost in lost man-hours is considerable. ”(2014, p.35)
In order to achieve the objective mentioned by the authors, both administrative and technical aspects must be taken into account. The former are based on the implementation and monitoring of regulations and laws, in addition to being responsible for the training of personnel and thus ensuring that they are capable of carrying out the activities that are requested of them in the different areas of the organization. The latter are mostly related to:
- Design of the workplace. Aspects that affect the workplace that may pose a risk, such as ramps, machinery, materials, atmospheric conditions, etc. Safety inspections: preventive maintenance, evaluation of equipment before use, review order and hygiene in the workplace. Study of work and tools.
Thus, taking into account the aforementioned aspects, a series of steps that are essential for the creation of a prevention program can be mentioned:
- Managerial strategy: It is in charge of the system in all its phases. It must allocate the material, economic and human resources necessary for the development of the system Hazard identification: Identification and evaluation of risks through an occupational health and safety diagnosis aimed at identifying hazards and risks Safety inspection: Identification of the hazards and occupational risks before they can turn into occupational accidents and diseases. The inspections may be due to their coverage or their frequency of risks. Risk analysis and evaluation. The degree of dangerousness and the degree of risk are established.Risk Assessment: Process to identify and treat the dangers and risks inherent to the operation of the organization and their interaction with the vision, mission,objectives and goals, as well as legal requirements Continuous improvement: It will begin by trying to solve the highest risk situations as much as possible, continuing with the other risks that may exist and the efficiency of the established controls will be optimized, in a search for excellence.
3.2. EMERGENCY PROGRAMS
We must be aware that an emergency does not warn, that is why it is important to be prepared to face any situation that represents a threat.
According to the author Cortes Díaz "an emergency program helps us prepare to face situations that put facilities, equipment or people at risk." (2012, p. 50). This is made up of strategies that "theoretically" will reduce the risk of being affected when the emergency occurs.
An emergency program must respond to the following points:
- Vulnerability Analysis: Refers to identifying how likely it is that a specific threat will arise in an emergency situation, taking into account that the threats can be caused by the company's own activity or by the environment. Threat Identification: What types of disasters do we face? These can be: bomb threats, fire, explosion, floods, earthquakes, volcanic threats, spills of hazardous materials, etc. Resource Inventory: What do we have to deal with an emergency? Fire extinguishers, hydrant network, first aid kits, any equipment that helps us to attend an emergency must be taken into account, Emergency Brigades: It is important to train a group of people who can support us in case of emergency:Who can help us in case of injuries? Who knows how to use a fire extinguisher? Something very simple: Who knows how to report an emergency to the Red Cross or Firefighters? Not everyone can do it, and not everyone knows how to do it, so training (and practice) is important. Evacuation Plan: How and when should you evacuate? Where will people meet? Who will verify that all staff - or family have evacuated the premises? Recovery Plan: If the company was severely damaged, how will we restart the work?How and when should you evacuate? Where will people meet? Who will verify that all staff - or family have evacuated the premises? Recovery Plan: If the company was severely damaged, how will we restart the work?How and when should you evacuate? Where will people meet? Who will verify that all staff - or family have evacuated the premises? Recovery Plan: If the company was severely damaged, how will we restart the work?
Here are some basic rules to follow in the event of an emergency or risk situation.
In the event of an accident:
- Keep calm, reassure the victim and do not allow crowds around him. Do not move the injured person without first assessing his condition, except in the event that the situation requires it (risk of explosion, fire, collapse, etc.). Do not try to feed or drink the injured person. If you do not know the techniques of action related to first aid, do not intervene. Notify trained people or health services. Do not abandon the injured person until trained personnel arrive.
In case of fire:
- Communicate the situation with the available means (telephone, radio frequency transmission, etc.) If the fire is small, try to smother it with the available extinguishing means. Always stand between the exit and the fire. If the fire is of great intensity, evacuate the room, do not take unnecessary risks. In the event of smoke, move crouching down, protecting your nose and mouth with a handkerchief or a wet cloth. If your clothes catch on, don't run, get down on the ground and ask for help. If you find yourself trapped by fire; close the doors that exist between you and the fire, cover the slots of these with rags, if possible, wet.
In case of evacuation order:
- Follow the instructions of those responsible for emergencies. Disconnect, if possible, electronic work equipment. Stay calm and leave the workplace quickly. Use the established escape routes and not the advisers or forklifts. Do not back up for personal items Offer your help to the disabled.Once abroad, go to the meeting point that, where appropriate, has been established.
More than 80% of the industries or companies that have a model for the prevention of risks and emergencies, have significantly reduced their production and labor safety problems.
In conclusion, in order to comply with the stipulated standards regarding safety and hygiene in production processes, the application and development of preventive and emergency programs, companies have implemented tools that help prevent accidents and / or diseases of occupational type. All these actions are an industrial strategy aimed at the development of companies, because as we can see they play a crucial role in crowning the objectives and achievements that they set in terms of their competitiveness, in terms of cost savings and time. It is very important to achieve success at the level of competitiveness, since this becomes one more ingredient to guarantee the dynamics of the businesses that companies or industries carry out within the market, whether internal or external.
GLOSSARY
Accident: It is any unscheduled suspension within a process.
Instantaneous, pathological, short-lived and it is an unpredictable phenomenon.
Working conditions: These are the norms that establish the requirements for the defense of the health and life of workers in establishments and workplaces and those that determine the benefits that men must receive for their work.
Emergency: Unwanted and unforeseen situation that can endanger the physical integrity of people, seriously damage the facilities and affect the environment, requiring rapid action and / or the evacuation of people.
Disease: It happens according to the exposure time since it can be a sudden or chronic disease. Progressive, pathological states, it happens over a long period of time and is a predictable phenomenon.
Hygiene: It is the discipline that studies and determines the measures to improve and preserve health, as well as to prevent diseases.
Hygiene at work: It is the rational and inventive application of the aim of recognizing, evaluating and controlling those environmental factors that originate in the workplace, which can cause diseases, health damages and discomfort among workers.
Work environment: It is conceived as the physical conditions to those found in the workplace.
Risk prevention: A set of measures designed to prevent or hinder the occurrence of an accident and to ensure that, if the accident occurs, the consequences are the minimum possible.
Emergency program: A set of measures designed to deal with risky situations, minimizing the effects that may arise on people and belongings and guaranteeing the safe evacuation of its occupants, if necessary.
Risk: It is the possibility of loss and the probability of these losses. Exposure to a possibility of accident is defined as taking a risk and depends directly on an unsafe act or condition.
Work risk: It can cause accidents and / or illnesses originated in the work environment.
Safety: It is the set of standards, works and actions as well as the technical and legislative instruments required to protect human life and human property from the action of destructive phenomena, both those caused by nature and those caused by human activity.
Safety at work: It is the rational and inventive application of the techniques that are intended to design: facilities, equipment, machinery, work processes and procedures, training, training, motivation and administration of personnel, with the purpose of abatement the incidents of accidents capable of generating health risks.
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