Complex Engineering Problem
Industrial safety and environment
Title:
Evaluate incidents in the light of HSE practices and
frameworks/methodologies. Conclude your findings and
recommendations in the light of working environment, culture,
beliefs/ societal norms, legal as well as environmental aspects in a
well-documented manner.
Submitted To:
Dr. Faisal Shahzad
Submitted By:
Name Registration no Work contribution
Muhammad Hassan 2022-IM-01 ISO+Cable
Amir manufacturing
literature review +
documentation
M. Rahman Siddique 2022-IM-02 RIDDOR literature
review + Industrial
visit notes
Sohail Abbas 2022-IM-03 Hazards listing +Risk
assessment matrix
preparation
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
University of Engineering and Technology. Lahore
Contents
Page 1 of 14
Course learning outcomes:.........................................................................................................3
Literature review:...................................................................................................................3
ISO:....................................................................................................................................3
ISO standard for health and safety:....................................................................................3
Incident:..............................................................................................................................3
Accident:............................................................................................................................3
Hazard :..............................................................................................................................3
Why ISO-45001 is important:............................................................................................3
Who is ISO-45001 for:.......................................................................................................4
Benefits of ISO-45001:......................................................................................................4
ISO-14001:.........................................................................................................................4
RIDDOR:...........................................................................................................................4
Work-related accidents...........................................................................................................5
Types of reportable injury..........................................................................................................5
Industry related literature review:..........................................................................................5
Manufacturing process of electric wire cables:..................................................................5
Flow chart of processes:.....................................................................................................6
Selection of industry:...........................................................................................................11
General view of work in industry:.......................................................................................11
Industry culture and workers experience level:...................................................................11
Fresh workers:..................................................................................................................11
Intermediate experienced workers:..................................................................................12
Highly experienced workers :..........................................................................................12
How to look for hazards in industry:....................................................................................12
Framework of industry visit:................................................................................................12
Hazards in industry:.............................................................................................................12
Recommendations:...................................................................................................................13
Risk assessment matrix:.......................................................................................................13
Hazard categories excel sheet:.................................................................................................14
Abbreviations:..........................................................................................................................14
Table of figures:.......................................................................................................................15
References:...............................................................................................................................15
Table of figures:
Page 2 of 14
Figure 1:Types of Electric cables...............................................................................................6
Figure 2: Crushing of metal.......................................................................................................7
Figure 3: Drawing machine........................................................................................................8
Figure 4: Heating/Annealing of metals......................................................................................8
Figure 5: Insulation of wires......................................................................................................9
Figure 6: Twisting of wires........................................................................................................9
Figure 7: Cable extrusion machine..........................................................................................10
Figure 8: Cutting of cables.......................................................................................................11
Course learning outcomes:
1. Evaluate projects based on various criteria. (CLO4 & PLO4)
Page 3 of 14
1. Explain the relevance of subject contents/assignments with environmental and
sustainability aspects.(CLO6 & PLO7)
Literature review:
As the problem statement of our complex engineering problem requires us to evaluate
incidents, the concept of incidents and accidents must be clear to us.
ISO:
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. ISO is an independent,
non-governmental international organization. It brings global experts together to agree on
the best ways of doing things, from making products to managing processes. Its mission
is to make lives easier, safer and better – for everyone, everywhere. [1]
ISO standard for health and safety:
The standard of ISO for health and safety is ISO-45001. Its statement is following:
Reduce workplace risks and make sure that everyone gets home safely. [1]
Incident:
According to ISO-45001, Occurrences arising out of or in the course of work that could
or does result in injury and ill health are called incidents. [1]
Accident:
According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE), any unplanned event that results in
injury or ill-health of people, or damage or loss to property, plant, materials or the
environment or a loss of a business opportunity. [1]
Hazard :
According to ISO-45001 , a source or situation with a potential to cause injury or ill
health is called hazard.
Whereas ,effect of uncertainty is called risk. [1]
Why ISO-45001 is important:
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently more than
2.78 million deaths a year as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases,
in addition to 374 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses. Aside from the enormous
impact on families and communities, the cost to business and economies is significant. [1]
Who is ISO-45001 for:
ISO 45001 is applicable to all organizations, regardless of size, industry or nature of
business. It is designed to be integrated into an organization’s existing management
processes. [1]
Benefits of ISO-45001:
1. Decreased instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, resulting in higher
efficiency.
2. Lowered expenses on insurance premiums.
3. Establishment of a culture prioritizing health and safety, motivating employees to
actively engage in their own Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S).
4. Strengthened commitment from leadership to actively enhance occupational
health and safety performance.
5. Capability to fulfill legal and regulatory mandates. [1]
Page 4 of 14
ISO-14001:
The standard of ISO for environmental protection is ISO-14001. ISO 14001 sets out the
criteria for an environmental management system and can be certified to. It maps out a
framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective
environmental management system. [1]
RIDDOR:
RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) is
the law that requires employers, and other people in control of work premises, to
report and keep records of:
Accidents and incidents at work.
A brief guide to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and
Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) [2]
What is RIDDOR?
RIDDOR is the law that requires employers, and other people in control of work premises, to
report and keep records of:
work-related accidents which cause death
work-related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries)
diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases and
certain ‘dangerous occurrences’ (incidents with the potential to cause harm).
Why report?
Reporting certain incidents is a legal requirement. The report informs the enforcing
authorities (HSE, local authorities and the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR)) about deaths,
injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, so they can identify where and
how risks arise, and whether they need to be investigated. This allows the enforcing
authorities to target their work and provide advice about how to avoid work-related deaths,
injuries, ill health and accidental loss. [2]
What must be reported?
Work-related accidents
For the purposes of RIDDOR, an accident is a separate, identifiable, unintended incident that
causes physical injury. This specifically includes acts of nonconsensual violence to people at
work.
Not all accidents need to be reported, a RIDDOR report is required only when:
the accident is work-related; and
it results in an injury of a type which is reportable (as listed under ‘Types of
reportable injuries.[2]
Types of reportable injury
Deaths
All deaths to workers and non-workers must be reported if they arise from a work related
accident, including an act of physical violence to a worker. Suicides are not reportable, as the
death does not result from a work-related accident. [2]
Page 5 of 14
Specified injuries to workers
The list of ‘specified injuries’ in RIDDOR 2013 (regulation 4) includes:
a fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes.
amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe.
permanent loss of sight or reduction of sight.
crush injuries leading to internal organ damage.
serious burns (covering more than 10% of the body, or damaging the eyes, respiratory
system or other vital organs). [2]
Industry related literature review:
To evaluate the hazards and incidents related to them, first we have to know about the
process taking place in that particular workplace or industry.
Manufacturing process of electric wire cables:
Lets explore the manufacturing process of cables and wires.
Figure 1:Types of Electric cables
Flow chart of processes:
Crushing
and Insulatio Cutting
grinding Drawing Heating Twisting Extrusion
n
1. Crushing and Grinding
Page 6 of 14
The metals like Copper and Aluminum are crushed at the first step to manufacture wires. The
process of crushing and grinding is done in large machines. With this process, the squandered
material is removed and the metal is extracted. [3]
Figure 2: Crushing of metal
2. Drawing
Drawing wire is the next step in the manufacturing process. Material is drawn to produce
different gauge wires. In this process, engineers use many days to reduce the copper size.
They also use copper wire drawing lubricants for increasing the life of the day. After the
successful process of wire drawing, the wire becomes thin and malleable. [3]
Page 7 of 14
Figure 3: Drawing machine
2. Heating
The process of gradually cooling metals to alleviate internal stresses and fortify them is
known as annealing. In wire and cable manufacturing, heat treatment is employed to soften
wires. By subjecting a metal rod to immense pressure, it's shaped into a thinner wire. The
primary aim of heating during annealing is to prevent cable oxidation. [3]
Figure 4: Heating/Annealing of metals
3. Insulation:
Cables consist of various wires bundled together within an insulating material. Wires are
coated/cabled with with PVC,PP or PE. Certain cables might require added elements for
enhanced protection. Engineers evaluate insulation materials based on their capacity and
resistance to heat, selecting them according to cable specifications. [3]
Page 8 of 14
Figure 5: Insulation of wires
4. Twisting and Stranding
Multiple wires are often twisted together to boost flexibility and electrical performance
compared to a single wire. Manufacturers utilize specific machinery to efficiently carry out
this process. [3]
Figure 6: Twisting of wires
5. Extrusion
Extrusion involves subjecting materials to plastic deformation by applying force and guiding
material flow through a die or orifice. During this stage, engineers pass the wire through an
extruder, applying a coat of plastic or alternative insulating material. [3]
Page 9 of 14
Figure 7: Cable extrusion machine
6. Cutting of cables:
Cables of different lengths are cut according to the required length.
Figure 8: Cutting of cables
Selection of industry:
We selected wire cable manufacturing industry named SC select cables. Wire cables are
quite an important product for any use in any industry or home for the transmission of current
at high as well as low voltage. The capacity of wire to carry voltage depends on the thickness
of wire. That is the reason wires with different range of thicknesses are being manufactured
in Industry.
Page 10 of 14
General view of work in industry:
The cable wires go through different processes like heating, annealing , extrusion and
insulation coating etc. There are physical, chemical and other hazards related to every process
involved in manufacturing of cable wires.
Industry culture and workers experience level:
The number of employees in SC select cables was 20-25. The workers were categorized in
three levels:
Fresh workers:
These are the workers with little or no experience. They were just used as helpers of therir
senior workers in machine related tasks. Mostly they were used for loading and unloading of
raw materials.
Intermediate experienced workers:
They are the workers with 5-10 years of experience. They are used in running and
maintaining machines. There safety awareness level is comparatively high. They can be
trained on safety controls easily.
Highly experienced workers :
They are the workers with 20-25 years of experience. They are aware about hazards and risks
because they are expert in their work related to machines. So, they can also be trained easily
on safety controls.
How to look for hazards in industry:
According to HIRAAC ,searching for potential dangers involves examining the workspace,
considering employees' feedback on possible hazards, evaluating the departmental procedure
manual, work instructions, standard operating procedures, past incident reports, material
safety data sheets, first aid/injury logs, and employees' health records. [5]
Framework of industry visit:
As a health and safety executive, it is important to visit industry very carefully to inspect and
audit the processes and observe the hazards related to the industry. According to the
statement of our CEP, we have to observe incidents and accidents. Also , we have to know
about the cultural and societal beliefs of workers to make our recommendations effective.
Hazards in industry:
The main purpose of our industry visit was to note the hazards related to the workplace and to
suggest their effective safety management technique.
Physical hazards:
Hazard Risk Control
Machine tripage Fire Fire extinguisher
Uncovered electric wires Short circuit Wire clippers
Flying PVC chips Eyes damage Goggles/Safety glasses
Open machines Hand injury and clothes A yellow line in front of all
strangling open machines
Slippery floor Slips and fall Using extragrip shoes
Noise Hearing loss Ear plugs
Page 11 of 14
Chemical hazards:
Hazard Risk Control
PVC smoke Respiratory issues Mask
LPG leakage fire Proper tightening of cylinder
Ergonomic hazards:
Hazard Risk Control
Dim light Eye strain Proper lighting systems
Conjusted space Collision of workers Proper layout designing
Long working hours Reduction in workers Planning of
productivity
Carrying heavy wire bundles Muskoskeletal disorders Using of small carriage
wheel
Environmental hazards:
Hazard Risk Control
Contaminated water Damage to plants Water filters
Psychological hazard:
Hazard Risk Control
Price negotiation Mental stress Communication skills
training
Recommendations:
As the factory owner did not kept record of incidents and accidents, we recommended the use
of PPE’s and drawing safety line in front of machines. Then we will be be able to do PDCA
at the factory. We have mentioned controls of all the risks keeping in view the planning
section of ISO-45001. We inspected the industry according to context section of ISO-45001.
As there was no safety policy at the industry , so we also recommend the formation of safety
policy for the factory. The safety policy had to be made by involvement of all stakeholders
and experienced workers from factory.
Page 12 of 14
Risk assessment matrix:
SEVERITY(S) OCCURANCE(O) RISK SCORE(RS)
S LEVEL O LEVEL
0 NO 0 NO RS ZONE
1 VERY LOW 1 VERY LOW 0-5 LOW
2 LOW 2 LOW 6-10 MODERATE
3 MODERATE 3 MODERATE 11-15 HIGH
4 HIGH 4 HIGH 16-20 CRITICAL
5 CRITICAL 5 CRITICAL
SR. RISKS SEVERIT OCCURANC RISK ZONE
NO. Y E SCORE
1. Fire 4 5 20 Critical
2. Electric current 4 4 16 Critical
3. Eye damage 3 3 9 Moderate
4. Finger/Hand 3 4 12 High
injury
5. Slipping 2 2 4 Low
6. Respiratory 4 4 16 Critical
disorders
7. Plants damage 4 3 12 High
8. Fire 3 4 12 High
9. Eye strain 3 3 9 Moderate
10. Collision of 2 1 6 Low
workers
11. Muskoskeletal 4 3 12 High
disorders
12. Skin damage 3 3 9 Moderate
13 Hearing loss 4 5 20 Critical
Page 13 of 14
Hazard categories excel sheet:
Abbreviations:
ISO=International standard organization
HSE=Health and safety executive
RIDDOR=Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
HIRAAC=Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Control measures
PPE=Personal protective equipment
References:
1. https://www.iso.org/home.html 19:56 20/11/23
2. https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg453.pdf 20:36 20/11/23
3. https://www.primecabindia.com/what-is-the-manufacturing-process-of-cables-and-wires
11:50 2/12/23
4. Figure 1. https://absolutepcbassembly.com/top-7-wire-and-cable-manufacturers-in-the-
world/ 12:26 2/12/23
5. Figure 6,7,8 https://fajarcables.com.my/manufacturing-process/ 12:50 2/12/23
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5844132/ 21:03 8/12/23
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