Hazard management in Power Sector:

Techniques for Hazard Identification &

Risk Mitigation

By
Dr. Rohit Verma Dy.Director NPTI
Dr. Manisha Rani Fellow,NPTI

DEFINATIONS
HAZARD
Source or situation with a potential for harm in
term of injury or ill health, damage to property,
damage to workplace environment, or
combination of these.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
Process of recognizing that a hazard exists and
defining its characteristic

RISK
Combination of likelihood & consequences of a
specified hazardous event

RISK ASSESSMENT
Overall process of estimating the magnitude of
risk and deciding weather or not the risk is
tolerable

ACCIDENT
Unplanned & unexpected event which results
into injury or property damage is known as
accident.

CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS
Unsafe

conditions

Unsafe

act

unsuitable

clothing for a particular job

untidy work area
tools in poor condition
poor lighting in work area
using

equipment without having received proper

training in its use
failing to use the appropriate protective
equipment
distracting others from their work or allowing
yourself to be distracted
using tools or equipment incorrectly.

TYPES OF OCCUPATIONAL
HAZARDS

Physical hazards

Chemical hazards

Biological hazards

Mechanical / Electrical hazards

Psychosocial hazards

TYPES OF OCCUPATIONAL
HAZARDS

Physical hazards
Heat
Cold

Light

Vibration

Radiation
Noise

Chemical

Biological

Mechanical-electrical
Psychological

PHYSICAL HAZARDS
HEAT

The direct effects of heat exposure are

Heat exhaustion heat stroke [civil works]

Burns [boiler area, electrical flash over]
Heat cramp [civil works, boiler area]

COLD

Important hazards associated with cold work

[[[[[[

Frost bite
Chilblains
Immersion foot
General hypothermia as a result of cutaneous
vasoconstriction

PHYSICAL HAZARDS

HEAT- As a hazard in power stations can cause

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Heat stress-it is the aggregate of environmental & physical

work factor i.e. Total heat imposed on the body.
Heat strain- it is the physiological responses to the heat
stress.
Heat disorders-these result in heat cramps, heat exhaustion,
heat stroke.
Heat cramps: painful intermittent spasms of voluntary
muscles after hard physical work in hot environment. Cramps
usually occur after heavy sweating.
Heat exhaustion: profuse sweating, weakness, rapid pulse,
dizziness, nausea & headache. Skin is cool/pale. Body
temperature is normal, nausea, vomiting and
unconsciousness may occur.

Physical Hazards
Light as a hazard in working condition can be due to:

Less lighted areas

when the light is insufficient person strains his
eyes to see the work object/area. Light
requirements are increasing with age of a person
to see and work on the object.
Excessive lightit is dangerous for eyes when light in work area is
excessive since it causes glare.

Physical Hazards
LIGHT
Effect of poor illuminations are : Headache
Eye pain
Lachrymation
Congestion around the cornea
Eye strain
Eye fatigue
Exposure to excessive brightness is associated with
discomfort, visual fatigue, blurring of vision and may lead
to accidents.

Physical Hazards
VIBRATION

VIBRATION ESPECIALLY IN THE

FREQUENCY OF 10 TO 500 HZ,
CAN AFFECT HAND AND ARM
AFTER MONTH OF YEARS OF
EXPOSURE

Ill effects:

The fine blood vessel of finger becomes

sensitive to spasm (white fingers).

increasingly

Injuries of the joints, of the hands elbow and

shoulders may take place

Physical Hazards
NOISE

Industrial noise can give rise to deafness

Non auditory effects are irritation, nervousness,

annoyance, fatigue, inefficiency etc.

Hearing impairment due to Noise is, as per the

schedule of the Factories act, is reportable as well as
compensable.
Hearing loss in most cases is not sudden but increases
with the length of the work time in the noisy zone.

Physical Hazards
NOISE
Threshold Limit Value for noisy working conditions:
(An 8 hour shift in all following cases)

8 hours work 90 dBA

4 hours working 95 dBA
2 hours working 100 dBA
1 hour working 105 dBA
half hour work 110 dBA
Threshold of hearing 125 dBA
Sudden deafness/rupture of ear drum can occur at 140 dBA

Physical Hazards

RADIATION
A. ULTRAVIOLET

RADIATION HAZARD-

SEEN IN WORK WITH ARC WELDING AND

MAINLY AFFECTS
THE EYES.
EXPOSURE TO SUCH RADIATION MAY LEAD TO
CONJUNCTIVITIS AND KERATITIS (WELDER S
FLASH)
B. IONIZING RADIATION HAZARDS[X ROOM USG CT]
ANEMIA
LEUKEMIA
CANCER

MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL
HAZARDS

Accident

Fall

Injury

Electricity burn

Electric shock.

ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
Injury from direct contact
1.
Injury by shock
2.
Injury from internal burns

Injury without current flow through body

1.
Direct burns from electrical arcs
2.
Radiation burns from very heavy arcs
3.
Injury from fire & explosion from electrical arc
4.
Physical injury from false starting of machinery, failure of
controls
5.
Eye injury from electrical arc welding

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chemical hazards liquid and gaseous hazards
1.
Dust
2.
Smoke
3.
Fumes
4.
Poisonous gases
5.
Acids
6.
Alkalis

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
They enter our body through

Skin

Inhalation

Mouth
They can cause internal as well external injuries

Skin diseases

Lung diseases

Internal blood and other diseases

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Exposure to infective and parasitic agents
Inset bite
Dog bite
Snake bite

PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
FACTORS
Maladjustment with work
environment.
Lack of job satisfaction
Insecurity
Emotional tension
Poor human relationships
Health problems
Behaviors changes
Anxiety/Depression
Sickness absentees

Fatigue
Headache
Hypertension
Heart disease
Peptic ulcer

PREVENTION

MECHANICAL HAZARD
PREVENTION

Preventive maintenance
Adequate job training
Ensuring safe working
environments
Establishment of safety
department with qualified
safety engineer
Periodic survey for finding out
hazards
Application of ergonomics

Physical Hazards
NOISE
Noise can be controlled by;
1.

Reducing vibrations

2.

Enclosing the noise producing

equipment

3.

Enclosing the operator

4.

Moving away from the noisy

area

5.

Use of personal protective

equipments

Physical Hazards
Effective temperature and heat
effect in an environment can be
controlled by:
Increasing
Reducing

radiated heat by insulation

Reflection
Drinking

of salt

Use

air changes

of heat

plenty of water and intake

of personal protective
equipments

Physical Hazards
VIBRATION
Continuous

working should be avoided and rest pauses after some time

of work must be allowed to workers.

The

driving force of vibrating surfaces may be reduced by;

1. Reducing the forces
2. Minimizing rotational speed
3. Isolating

The

response of vibrating surfaces may be reduced by

1. Damping
2. Additional
3. Increasing mass of vibrating surfaces
4. Changing size to change resonance frequency

MECHANICAL HAZARDS
MACINERY HAZARDS:
These are due to revolving parts of the machines.
These can be controlled by providing machine guards which
are a statutory requirements under Sections 21 to 26 of the
Factories Act 1948.
As per section 21 of the Factories Act- provide guards at
following;
Moving parts of the machinery including fly wheels
Transmission machinery
Point of operation
Any other dangerous part

Mechanical Hazards
SAFETY OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL
Safety

precautions are required to safe guard

the maintenance personnel from getting
involved in machinery accidents owing to
inadvertent starting of machinery by;
Design of control switches
Safe guards for the operating levers
Interlocking of power system

PREVENTION
Physical hazards

Application of ergonomics
Maintenance of temperature- 69 to 80 deg. F is the comfortable
zone
Proper ventilation
Good housekeeping
Proper illumination
Personal protection
Personal hygiene
Health education
Job rotation
Periodic health Check up

Biological Hazards
PREVENTION

Personal Protection
Post Control

Psychosocial Hazards
PREVENTION
Good induction program.
Management by participation.
Establishment of Proper communication
channel.
Establishment of Healthy personnel
policies
Establishment of healthy HR relationship.
Regular stress management program.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chemical Safety

There are thousnands of chemical compounds,

which presents some form of hazards either major
or minor incidents usually termed as chemical
accidents.

To avoid chemical accidents some points to be kept

in mind.
1.
knowledge of chemicals
2.
knowledge of pocessing plant
3.
knowledge of operator

CHEMICAL HAZARDS IN
POWER PLANT

Coal/silica dust is major health hazard in power station

These dusts enter our body through inhalation

Respirable dust particles can enter our lung sacks and

reduce our breathing capacity since this reparable dust
settles there,
Normally coal dust particle less than 1 micron only can
enter in our lung sacks.
Bigger dust particles either remain in our nose or get stuck
in throat. Then they go into stomach and get removed from
our body system in natural way.
Coal dust is non toxic and as such no effects are caused on
body due to the particles of dust in stomach.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS

Respirable dust particle which enter into our lungs can

not be removed and they remain settled there.
Disease which can occur due to inhalation of coal dust
is known as pneumoconiosis and is irreversible till
person is shifted from job
Silica dust can cause silicosis
Both are reportable as well as compensable diseases
under the schedule of the factories act

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Control of coal dust by

Reduction of dust emission by suppression by

wetting coal in wagons, at the time of tippling, water
spray in coal conveyors.
Suction of coal dust from environment in above
areas.
Use of personal protective equipments like filter
respirators which can filter out reparable coal dust
particles.
Continuous monitoring of environment by
measuring and keeping it below.

2. Gases

Chemical Hazards

Gases are the common hazards in many industries leads to

suffocation and asphyxia.
Asphyxiating gases are CO, Cyanide, SO2, Chlorine etc.

Smoke: inhalation of smoke which can contain poisonous

gaseous fumes also and can have effects on our health;
Fumes: fumes emanating from liquid chemicals can cause ill
effects on our health when inhaled;
Vapor: vapors of chemicals liquids are also dangerous to our
health when inhaled. Vapours of hydrazine hydrate can cause
unconsciousness when inhaled.

Chemical Hazards
3.Metals and compounds

Toxic hazards are seen from Lead, Mercury, Chromium, Arsenic etc

4.Chemicals

Acid (water treatment/ chemistry), Alkali and Pesticides.

Hazardous chemicals used in thermal power stations:

Chlorine
Hydrochloric acid
Euphoric acid
Hydrazine hydrate
Liquor ammonia
Sodium hydroxide

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chlorine

It is the most hazardous chemical used

It is used in water treatment plant

It is procured in toners for use in chlorinationation

When more than 10 tons of chlorine is stored/

handled/used in any industry, a Disaster Management
Plan (DMP) is required to be prepared and submitted to
statutory authorities.
This DMP is required to be practiced through mock drills
periodically and review meeting are to be conducted for
checking discrepancies.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chlorine
Chlorine vapor is poisonous when inhaled
Will cause burn in eyes
Chlorine liquid can cause burn on skin and eyes
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for chlorine is 1 ppm
At 100 ppm it can be fatal.

PLANT / SECTIONS WHICH ARE

PRONE TO EMERGENCIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Coal handling plant

Main plant
Water treatment
plant
Hydrogen generation
plant
Mgr transpiration
system

PREVENTION OF CHEMICAL HAZARD (PNEUMOCONIOSIS)

1.Dust control Proper Ventilation

Exhaust
Enclosed apparatus
Good house keeping
2.Personnel protection
Mask, clothing, cloves, apron, boots barrier cream etc
3.Personal hygiene
4.Health education about respiratory evolvement
and personal protection
5.Medical control
Periodic medical check up for early detection
6. Bagasse control Spraying with 2% propionic acid Keep the moisture content around 20%

Fire hazard
Fire is a chemical reaction or series of
chemical reaction accomplished by heat,
light, smoke or other gases.

FIRE HAZARDS IN POWER

PLANTS
Coal

handling plant:
coal dust accumulation on conveyor decks,
cable trays, head & tail pulleys, jamming of
idlers and pulleys, belt sway, belt tension, dust
& coal deposited at tops, crusher house and
vibrating scene floors, bunker house , failure of
belt joints, snapping of belts, partially
damaged belt in operation, smoldering fire in
bunkers

FIRE HAZARDS IN POWER PLANTS

Cables

in cable galleries and on trays in all plant

sections, coal dust deposited on cable trays in
mill area
Fuel oil handling and oil tanks (hsd,hfo,lshs,
naphtha, petrol, diesel oil )
Transformer oil, turbine oil, control fluid, seal oil,
Natural gas
Electrical system
Heat path damaged insulation
Grass
Accumulation of waste material etc.

EXPLOSION HAZARD IN POWER

PLANT
Hydrogen plant
Turbo generators where hydrogen is
used for cooling of Generator.
Boilers

How to
Control
Hazard ?
3 step
process

Step 1: Hazard Identification Techniques

Hazard Identification Techniques

Safety audit
Safety survey
Safety inspection
Safety tour
Safety sampling
Job safety analysis
Hazard & operability studies
Fault & event tree analysis
Failure mode & effect analysis (FMEA)
50

Hazard Identification Techniques

Safety audit
A systematic & independent examination of all or
part of a total operating system to determine
whether safety activities comply with planned
arrangements for ensuring safety and health of
workers and other interested parties who may be
affected and whether these arrangements are
effective and are suitable to achieve objectives.

Hazard Identification
Techniques
Safety survey
Safety survey is a detailed & in-depth
examination of a narrow field of activity eg...
Major key areas revealed by safety audit,
Individual plants,
Procedures or
A specific problem.

Hazard Identification Techniques

Safety inspection
A

routine

department or
out

by

scheduled
unit

personnel

inspection

which

may

of

be carried

within the unit. During

inspection deviations from safety standards,

employees unsafe work practices and unsafe
conditions are checked.

Hazard Identification Techniques

Safety tour
Safety tour is an unscheduled examination of a
work area, carried out by any personnel from
manager to safety committee members to
ensure that companys safety standards and
procedures are being observed.

Hazard Identification Techniques

Safety sampling
A specific application of safety inspection /
tour designed
activity posing

for

random sampling of any

serious

accident

potential.

During safety sampling number of defects

Are

observing

actions.

for

immediate

corrective

Hazard Identification Techniques

Hazard and operability studies
Hazop is essentially a examination procedure
takes

full

description

of

the

process,

systematically questioning of every part of process

to discover how deviations from the intention of
the design can occur and decides whether these
deviations can give rise to hazard.

Hazard Identification Techniques

Principles of examination
Full description of the process, systematically
questions on every part of the process
Discover deviations from the intention
the design can occur
Decides weather these deviations
rise to Hazards

can

of
give

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

Failure or Malfunction of each component is
considered
Effect or Consequences of failure traced
Frequency of Occurrence, Severity of Failure and
detecting the problem
Impact on the System Functioning is evaluated
Remedial method for Possible Impact

Fault Tree Analysis

Starts with Undesired event.
All possible happenings contributing Undesired
event is listed.
Put these happenings in the form of tree with
logic signals OR and AND.

JOB SAFTEY ANALYSIS (JSA)

JSA is a procedure used to review job methods at the design stage
itself to ensure safe working at the site places and to adopt the safe
working practices.
However, it may also be used successfully to uncover hazards that
may have developed after production started: or that resulted from
change in work procedures.
The procedure of job safety analysis is simple and consists of 4
basic steps.
a) Jobs with potential for more frequent accidents,
b) Severity of injury
c) New jobs in which the accident potential is unknown should be
selected first from the entire job list.
d) Proper Care for analyzing the job condition.

PLANT SAFETY INSPECTION

Inspections are that monitoring function conducted in the
organization to locate and report existing and potential
hazards which have the capacity to cause accidents in the
work place.
Inspections are not primarily aimed at unearthing new types
of hazards; though that may be achieved also; but rather at
locating and correcting known hazards.
Continuous Inspection
Periodic Inspection:

Steps to Control
Hazard
Step 2. List, rank and set priorities
for hazardous jobs List jobs with hazards that present
unacceptable risks, based on those most
likely to occur and with the most severe
consequences. These jobs should be
your first priority for analysis.

Steps to Control
Hazard
Step 3. Controlling Hazards
Solutions to the Control of Hazard are identified
and measures are executed
Hazard can be eliminated
(i)
At the Source
(ii)
Along the path from hazard to the Worker
(iii)
At the level of the worker

Hazard Removal at the Source

1.Elimination - Getting rid of a hazardous job,
tool, process, machine or substance is
perhaps the best way of protecting workers.
2.Substitution - Sometimes doing the same
work in a less hazardous way is possible.
3.Redesign - Jobs and processes can be
reworked to make them safer.
4.Isolation - If a hazard cannot be eliminated
or replaced, it can sometimes be isolated,
contained or otherwise kept away from
workers.
5.Automation - Dangerous processes can be
automated or mechanized.

Hazard Removal
along the path from Hazard to
Worker
1. Barriers - A hazard can be blocked before it
reaches
workers.
Proper
equipment
guarding will
protect workers from
contacting moving parts.
2. Absorption - Baffles can block or absorb
noise.
3. Dilution - Some hazards can be diluted or
dissipated. For example, ventilation systems
can
dilute toxic gasses before they reach
operators.

Hazard Removal at the Level of Worker

Work procedures, supervision and training
Administrative controls
Job rotations and other procedures can reduce
the time that workers are exposed to a hazard
Housekeeping,
repair
and
maintenance
programs
Hygiene - Hygiene practices can reduce the
risk of toxic materials being absorbed by
workers or carried home to their families.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) and
clothing - This is used when other controls
arent feasible and where additional protection
is needed. Workers must be trained to use and
maintain their equipment properly.

RISK MANAGEMENT
Risk

Management is the
Identification, Analysis and
Economic control of those risks
which can threaten the assets,
human being or earning capacity of
an enterprise

STAGES IN RISK MANAGEMENT

Identifying

the hazards
Evaluating the associated risks
The

likely effect of a hazard may for Example be

rated: Major, Serious, Slight The likelihood of harm may be rated: High,
Medium, Low

Controlling

the risks

CONTROLLING RISK
Risk Avoidance
Risk Retention
Risk Transfer
Risk Reduction

CONCLUSIONS
The thought process behind selecting hazard evaluation
techniques is complex, and a variety of factors can
influence the decision-making process.
Hazards
identification, hazards categorization, and
hazards analysis are key components of integrated safety
management for facilities and activities in industries.
Each hazard evaluation technique has unique strengths
and weaknesses.
These techniques can provide the industrial hygienist with
the tools needed to protect both workers and the
community from both major and small-scale hazards.
Probability of occurrence of hazard increases the risks
associated with an industry.
A risk management proposal has been given for the ready
reference in this paper.

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Thank You