Brooke Harris

Asenath Gimedhin

Magnet Engineering Concepts 7th period

Ms. Matthieu

The Importance of Safety in Engineering and Technology Environments

Introduction

Engineering and science often involves working in an environment where machinery and

moving parts are involved; therefore, a comprehension of essential safety requirements are

needed. Safety is often rushed through in terms of teaching students and operators, but without

safety, many preventable and tragic incidents will occur, especially in the fields of science and

technology. So, it is necessary to talk about the purpose of safety, safety practices, and

scenarios that have occurred because safety protocols were not properly followed.

Types of Hazards/Purpose of Safety in Engineering and Technology

In order to be safe in the workspace, there are many hazards you should be aware of to

protect yourself. A hazard is a danger or risk that can affect a person or thing. Some hazards

include; physical, electrical, mechanical, and even airborne. “Why do we need to know these

hazards?” you may ask; well if by chance, a hazard were to affect you or anybody around you,

serious injuries can be caused. For example, it could result you into being paralyzed or even

death! Not wearing goggles while operating a machine could cause you to have something

stuck in your eye or not fully understanding how to work a sawing-type machine, such as a

high-power grinding wheel, could make you lose a finger! In order to prevent these from

happening, we use safety protocols such as wearing safety goggles so our eyes or safe or

putting on gloves to protect our hands. Safety in engineering keeps us healthy and less at risk.
Safety Practices

When operating with new machinery or a new environment, we have safety practices to

ensure everyone knows what to do and how everything works. We go over rules, even basic

ones, to ensure everyone is on the right track. Wearing proper PPE (personal protective

equipment) like safety glasses at all times, wearing closed shoes, keeping gloves on, etc. In

case of emergencies, it's important to know what to do before matters get worse. For example,

you’re supposed to go to an eye wash if a chemical ends up affecting a person’s eye; also, you

should know where and how to use a fire extinguisher in case of a fire. Following safety

practices like the ones above are very important and helps prevent incidents and injury.

Examples of the Consequences of Not Following Safety Protocols

There have been many cases where safety protocols were not properly followed, with

resulted in serious injury and even death, especially in the case of temporary workers. For

example, on August 12, 2012, 21-year-old temporary worker Lawrence Daquan Davis died after

someone turned on the palletizer while he was cleaning glass beneath it and he was

immediately crushed. That day was his first day as a temporary worker at Bacardi Bottling. He

was not properly trained on the safety practice called locking-out/tagging out that prevented the

accidental startup of machines while cleaning. After this, Bacardi Bottling was cited for 12 safety

violations by Federal OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and fined over

$192,000. Another example was October 2012, when another temporary worker named Terry

Palmer died after getting caught in the conveyor belt, and it was not the first time someone had

been in the conveyor belt at the plant. These are examples of incidents that maybe could have

been prevented by properly teaching workers about safety protocols and practices.

Conclusion
 Often times we tend to not take engineering seriously when it comes to safety. Engineering

takes place in an operating room filled with machinery and moving parts everywhere. It's

important to take safety protocols to keep you and the people around you safe. Not only are you

able to put yourself at risk but this also includes the people around you. Such as the Bacardi

Bottling company being fined for the death of one of their workers, or putting yourself at risk by

going in moving machinery, as stated in the Terry Palmer incident, for fun. Not learning your

safety practices or the hazards in your area can lead to many terrible injuries as consequences

whether its as small as a little cut on your finger or as big as being paralyzed or death. Never

underestimate machinery and always take safety seriously.

Sources:
● https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/sei_blog/2011/06/the-importance-of-safety--and-security-rela

ted-requirements-first-of-a-three-part-series.html

● http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.102.6736&rep=rep1&ty

pe=pdf

● https://online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/4-insights-factor-safety-engine

ering

● https://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/research-lab/laboratory/engineering.html

● https://www.eng.ufl.edu/safety/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2014/09/Safety-Culture-Survey-R

eport.pdf

● http://www.coshnetwork.org/sites/default/files/Preventable%20Deaths-The%20Tragedy%20o

f%20Workplace%20Fatalities_Natl%20COSH%20Report%202013.pdf