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0 INTRODUCTION

A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can

constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically,

to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. An

occupational hazard is a hazard experienced in the workplace. Occupational

hazards can encompass many types of hazards, including chemical hazards,

biological hazards (biohazards), psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards.

For any industry to be successful, it has to be safe, reliable and sustainable in its

operations. The industry has to identify the hazards and assess the associated

risks and to bring the risks to tolerable level.

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) is carried for identification

of undesirable events that can lead to a hazard, the analysis of hazard of this

undesirable event, that could occur and usually the estimation of its extent,

magnitude and likelihood of harmful effects. It is widely accepted within

industry in general that the various techniques of risk assessment contribute

greatly toward improvements in the safety of complex operations and

equipment.

The objective of this work of hazards and risk analysis is to identify and analyze

hazards, the event sequences leading to hazards and the risk associated with

hazardous events. Many techniques ranging from the simple qualitative methods

to the advanced quantitative methods are available to help identify and analyze

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hazards. The use of multiple hazard analysis techniques is recommended

because each has its own purpose, strengths, and weaknesses.

Hazard identification and risk analysis (HIRA) is a collective term that

encompasses all activities involved in identifying hazards and evaluating risk at

facilities, throughout their life cycle, to make certain that risks to employees, the

public or the environment are consistently controlled within the organizations

risk tolerance level. These studies typically address three main risk questions to

a level of detail commensurate with analysis, objective, life cycle stage,

available information, and resources.

Tools for simple hazard identification or qualitative risk analysis include hazard

and operability analysis (HAZOP), what –if/checklist analysis, and failure

modes and effect analysis (FMEA).

2.0 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ANALYSIS (HIRA)

To manage risk, hazards must first be identified, and then the risk should be

evaluated and determined to be tolerate or not. The earlier in the life cycle that

effective risk analysis is performed, the more cost effective the future safe

operation of the process or activity is likely to be. The risk understanding

developed from these studies forms the basis for establishing most of the other

process safety management activities undertaken by the facility. An incorrect

perception of risk at any point could lead to either inefficient use of limited

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resources or unknowing acceptance of risks exceeding the true tolerance of the

company or the community.

3.0 HIRA OPERATION

HIRA reviews may be performed at any stage in a works life cycle-conceptual

design, detailed design, construction, Commissioning, on-going operation,

decommissioning or demolition. In general, the earlier that a hazard is identified

(e.g. during conceptual design). The more cost-effectively it can be eliminated

or managed. Studies performed during the early design stages are typically done

at corporate or engineering offices. Studies performed once a process is near

start-up, during operation or before decommissioning are typically done in a

plant environment.

A HIRA study is typically performed by a team of qualified experts on the

process, the materials, and the work activities-personnel who have formal

training on risk analysis methods usually lead these teams, applying the selected

analysis technique with subject matter experts from engineering ,operations,

maintenance and disciplines as needed. A simple early-in-life hazard

identification study may be performed by a single expert: However, a

multidiscipline team typically conducts more hazardous or complex process risk

studies, especially during later life cycle stages involving operating and

maintenance personnel early in the review process will help to identify hazards

when they can be eliminated or controlled most cost- effectively. When the

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study is complete, management must then decide whether to implement any

recommended risk reduction measures to achieve its risk goals.

4.0 PROCEDURES FOR HIRA

At each stage in the work life cycle, a review team questions process experts

about possible hazards and judges the risk of any hazards that are identified.

Several common methods exist for questioning a design, ranging from simple

qualitative checklists to complex quantitative fault tree analysis. The result of

the review process is typically documented in a worksheet form, which varies

detail, depending on the stage of the work and the evaluation method used. Risk

studies on operating processes are typically updated or revalidated on a regular

basis.

The purpose of this work is to identify the hazards and risk by analyzing each

steps involved in various activity in the construction, and to give suggestion in

order to eliminate or reduce the risk assessment (HIRA).

Factories become successful by not only meeting the production requirements

but also should have high employee satisfaction by providing the safety

requirements in the workplace. The Hazards and risk assessment should be done

and actions to be taken to convert the risk to a tolerable level on regular basis.

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5.0 HIRA PROCESS

Figure 1: HIRA Process

HIRA Process consists of four steps as follows:

i. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION: Hazard identification is a part of

risk assessment in which the hazards are identified for further

investigation. Once the hazards are identified then proper measures

can be taken to eliminate them by using engineering controls. For

example, if a fan is installed without a fan cage, then installing a fan

cage will be an engineering control to eliminate the associated hazards

of using the fan without a cage. The administrative controls can also

be incorporated. For example, in this case, the administrative control

will be to repeatedly check if the fan cage is still intact.

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 ii. RISK ASSESSMENT: The definition of a risk assessment is a

systematic process of identifying hazards and evaluating any

associated risks within a workplace, then implementing reasonable

control measures to remove or reduce them. When completing a risk

assessment, it is important to clearly define some keywords:

a. An accident is ‘an unplanned event that results in loss’

b. A hazard is ‘something that has the potential to cause harm’

c. A risk is ‘the likelihood and the severity of a negative

occurrence (injury, ill-health, damage, loss) resulting from a

hazard.

iii. Risk Analysis: Risk analysis is the process of identifying and

analyzing potential issues that could negatively impact key business

initiatives or projects. This process is done in order to help

organizations avoid or mitigate those risks. Performing a risk analysis

includes considering the possibility of adverse events caused by either

natural processes, like severe storms, earthquakes or floods, or adverse

events caused by malicious or inadvertent human activities. An

important part of risk analysis is identifying the potential for harm

from these events, as well as the likelihood that they will occur.

iv. Monitor and Review: Monitoring and review should be a planned

part of the risk management process and involve regular checking or

surveillance. The results should be recorded and reported externally

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 and internally, as appropriate. The results should also be an input to

the review and continuous improvement of the firm's risk management

framework.

6.0 CEMENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Cement is a fine powder that consists of a mixture of hydraulic cement

materials comprising primarily calcium silicates, aluminates and

aluminoferrites. More than 30 raw materials, which are divided into four basic

categories (calcium, silica, alumina, iron), are known to be used in the

manufacture of portland cement (EPA 1994).

These raw materials are presented in table below;

Calcium Iron Silica Alumina Sulfate

Alkali waste Blast-furnace Calcium Aluminum- Anhydrite

flue dust silicate ore refuse
Aragonite Clay Cement rock Bauxite Calcium
sulfate
Calcite Iron ore Clay Cement rock Gypsum

Cement-kiln Mill scale Fly ash Clay

Dust
Cement rock Ore washings Fuller’s earth Copper slag
Chalk Pyrite cinders Limestone Fly ash
Clay Shale Marl Fullers’ earth
Fuller’s earth Ore washings Granodiorite
Lime stone Quartzite Rice – hull
ash
Marble Rice-hull ash Sand
Marl Sand sandstone

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Seashells Sandstone Shale
Shale Shale Slag
Slag Traprock Traprock
Table 1: Raw materials necessary for cement manufacturing

Cement manufacturing process comprises of crushing, grinding, raw meal

preparation, kiln burning and cement production basically. The following figure

shows the process flow of a typical cement factory (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Simplified process flow of a typical cement manufacturing

Quarrying of limestone is performed by using explosives and all of the raw

materials (limestone, marn, clay…etc.) are transported to the plant. These raw

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materials are crushed, finely ground, and blended to the correct chemical

composition. The fine raw material is fed into a large rotary kiln (cylindrical 4

furnaces) which rotates while the contents are heated to extremely high

temprature (EPA 2010). The most commonly used kiln fuels are coal, natural

gas, and occasionally oil (EPA 1994). Rotary kiln is heated by a 2000°C flame

inside of it. The kiln is slightly inclined to allow for the materials to slowly

reach the other end, where it is quickly cooled to 100-200°C (CEMBUREAU).

Following re-cooling, the clinker is stored in silos, and then transformed into

cement by using gypsum and other additives according to the production

requirements. Finally, the cement is stored in silos and loaded on a truck or

packaged into bags (LAFARGE).

7.0 CLASSIFICATION AND DEFINITION OF THE HAZARDS IN

CEMENT MANUFACTURING
Cement manufacturing processes including health and safety risks which are

classified as follows:

i. Quarrying

ii. Crushing

iii. Clinker production

iv. Milling processes at raw mill, cement milling and coal milling

v. Material transport

vi. Filtering

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 vii. Storage

viii. Loading and delivery of final products

ix. Fuel storage activities

x. Use of hazardous material

xi. Generating units (TRIA Project).

The table below summarizes the main hazard factors associated with cement

manufacturing processes (Cumbane 2011).

Cement Manufacturing Process Main Hazard Factor

Quarrying Dust, Noise

Raw material preparation
Clinker burning
Clinker cooling and cement milling
Packaging, storage and delivery
Dust, toxic gas (CO, CO2, NOx, SO2),
noise, heat pollution
Dust, toxic gas, high heat radiation, high
workload
Auxiliary materials and additives, dust,
heat, noise
Dust, high workload

Table 2: Main hazard factors associated with cement manufacturing processes

Dust emissions are one of the most significant impacts of cement manufacturing

and associated with handling and storage of raw materials (including crushing

and grinding of raw materials), solid fuels, transportation of materials (e.g. by

trucks or conveyor belts), kiln systems, clinker coolers, and mills, including

clinker and limestone burning and packaging/bagging activities (IFC 2007).

Packaging is the most polluting process (in terms of dust) in cement production

(Cumbane 2011).
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Nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions are emitted from the high temperature

combustion process of the cement kiln. Carbon dioxide defined as greenhouse

gas is mainly associated with fuel combustion and with the decarbonation of

limestone (IFC 2007).

In addition to specific hazards, there are also general hazards in all of the

cement manufacturing process such as safe behavior, work equipment, safety

labeling, personal protective equipment (PPE), manual load.

Typical injury causes in cement plants are defined as slips, trips and falls (29%);

falling or moving objects (19%) and lifting, overload and exertion (18%) as

shown from Figure 3. Fatalities are the most serious tragedy that can happen in

the cement Industry. 79% of all fatalities arise from 3 main causes: Traffic &

Mobile Plant (43%), Falls from Heights & Items falling (21%) and Caught in

Moving/Starting Equipment (15%). It was reported that contractors and

young/temporary employees are high risk categories in cement manufacturing

plants (WBCSD 2004).

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 Figure 3: Injuries by causes

An example of potential hazards and preventive actions in a cement

manufacturing plant was presented in Table 3 below;

Potential Hazard Preventive Action

Slip, Trips & Falls i. Good housekeeping
ii. Sufficient lighting
iii. Tidy work place
iv. Identify and fix fall hazards, such
as slippery surfaces, damaged
ladders and walkways
Confined areas (Lack of oxygen, i. Must be avoided entry to confined
Poisonous gas, fumes or vapour, Fire and spaces
explosions, dust, hot conditions. ii. Remote cameras can be used
iii. Permit-to-work
iv. Cleaning before entry

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 v. Provision of ventilation
vi. Testing the air
vii. Provision of lightings
Electric i. Each panel should be labeled
ii. Safe electrical equipment should
be purchased and used.
iii. Appropriate PPE
iv. Training of personnel
Falling/Moving Objects i. Tidy workplace
ii. Avoid working beneath cuber
elevators,
iii. conveyor belts
iv. PPE (Personel protective
equipment) usage
Vehicles i. Avoid overloading
ii. Make sure back-up alarms on all
vehicles are functioning
iii. Be sure that trucks and other
vehicles are in good working
order, including audible back-up
warning signals, before operating
them
Excavation sites i. All excavations in the plant should
be surrounded with a handrail
Cement dust i. Usage of respirator to minimize
inhalation of cement dust
ii. Usage of soap and water avoid
skin damage

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8.0 CONCLUSION
The cement manufacturing industry is labor intensive and uses large scale and

potentially hazardous manufacturing processes (Marlowe and Mansfield 2002).

Therefore, health and safety is the number one priority in for the cement

industry for its employees, contractors, end-users and those who are neighbors

to its operations. The following safety hazards should be considered and

implemented;

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

i. Your safety is your personal responsibility.

ii. Always follow the correct procedures.

iii. Never take shortcuts.

iv. Take responsibility and clean up if you made a mess.

v. Clean and organize your workspace.

vi. Ensure a clear and easy route to emergency exits and equipment.

vii. Be alert and awake on the job.

viii. Be attentive at all times to your work surroundings.

ix. When in doubt, contact your supervisor or manager for instruction,

guidance, or training.

x. Never take risks when it comes to safety.

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 EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS PRECAUTION

i. Educate everyone in the workplace about the safety requirements and

consider posting a list of workplace safety tips. Workplace safety training

will help them reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses from occurring in

the workplace.

ii. Always keep the communication lines open with your co-workers,

employers, or employees in order to promote and maintain a safe

environment.

iii. Immediately notify others of any (new or old) hazards that you perceive.

iv. Be alert to hazards that could affect anyone— not just yourself; in this

respect, maintain a team mentality at all times.

v. Report a hazardous condition immediately to your manager or supervisor.

vi. Be conscious as to what others are doing around you, and do your best to

ensure you don’t pose a hazard to them (and vice versa).

vii. If you’re an employer, invite and involve your employees in safety

planning; obtain their insight, give and take suggestions, and ensure that

everyone is on the same page.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS

i. The residents should ensure to use face mask always to avoid inhaling

unhealthy substances.

ii. They should also ensure to go for a regular health checkup.

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 REFERENCES

Canfeng, Z, Shujie, Y, Dong, L 2012, ‘Comprehensive Control of the Noise

Occupational Hazard in Cement Plant’, Procedia Engineering, Vol. 43,
pp. 186 – 190.

Cumbane, AJ 2011, ‘Environmental Health and Safety Aspects in the Cement

Industry’,<http://www.spin.bam.de/en/spin_media/spin_environmental_h
Health_and_safety_aspects_in_the_cement_industry.pdf>, viewed 27
March 2015.

Rachid, C, Ion V, Irina, C, Mohamed, B 2015, ‘Preserving and improving the

safety and health at work: Case of Hamma Bouziane cement plant
(Algeria)’, Safety Science, Vol. 76, pp. 145–150.

Tomar, MK 2014, ‘Study of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental

Aspects in Major Cement Manufacturing Industry (Ultratech Cement
Limited.)’, Journal of Environment and Earth Science, Vol. 4 , pp. 117-
120.

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