Accident Prevention Manual

for Business & Industry:

Engineering & Technology
13th edition
National Safety Council

Compiled by
Dr. S.D. Allen Iske, Associate Professor
University of Central Missouri
 CHAPTER 2
BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES LAYOUT
 Design to Improve Safety
and Productivity
• Design of operations and facility
• Location of facility
• Layout of facility
 Facility Review
• What is the facility and operation about?
• Where do people work?
• What chemicals and materials are used or are on site?
• How many people work in the facility? Are there shifts?
• What are the processes or steps?
 Worker General Considerations
• What will workers do?
• How should workers perform?
• Where should workers perform tasks?
• Why should workers perform tasks?
• What can happen to workers in performance of tasks?
 Design for Safety
• Prevent accidents in early planning stages.
• During developmental stages, a safety and health study should
be conducted. Concept for this study should be removing
hazards rather than adding protective equipment.
• Three general considerations for efficient production are
human performance, machinery, and flow of raw materials to
products.
 Design Considerations

Workplace Machine Tools

• illumination • construction and procedures
• noise and vibration control • visual displays, signs, and
• product flow labels
• ventilation • protective features and guards
• control of temperature and • controls and handles
humidity • maintenance and service
• support requirements needs
• communication • safety signs
• supervision
 Buildings, Processes, and
Personnel Facilities
• Nature of business and processes
• Nature of the production materials
• Maintenance
• Mechanical handling equipment
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• Working conditions
• Shipping and receiving materials
• Economic considerations
 Codes and Standards
• Plans for the facility should include provisions such as
fire safety, safe work practice, etc.
• Building plans sometimes have to be approved by
governmental authorities.
• Codes require means of controlling air pollution
industrial contaminants and raw waste disposal.
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are
voluntary safety codes that were developed by various
organizations.
 Going Above
• Remember that “design by code” is no substitute for
intelligent and safe engineering and design.
• Codes establish minimum requirements and, in most
cases, companies need to exceed the base.
 Site Selection
• Selection of a site involves consideration of safety
issues and possible hazards to the community.
• Study factors of location, climate, and terrain
• Space requirements
• Type and size of buildings
• Labor supply
• Hazards to community
• Transportation to and from the facility
 Site Selection (Cont.)
• Space Requirements
• Fire protection codes specify minimum distances between
buildings according to their size, type, and occupancy.
• Laws governing the storage of explosives and other highly
flammable materials specify minimum distances between
manufacturing areas and storage facilities for such materials.
• Parking lots are best located inside the facility’s fence for the
convenience, protection, and safety of employees and visitors.
• Well-located disposal areas for solid and liquid wastes must also
be provided when a site is being laid out.
 Outside Facilities
• When planning outside facilities, safety and health
professionals should ensure that issues of worker safety
are incorporated into designs for company grounds,
shipping and receiving facilities, and all roadways,
walkways, trestles, and parking lots.
 Outside Facilities
• Enclosures and Entrances
• A fence keeps out trespassers who may interfere with
work or be injured on the property
• Fencing also protects employees and others from
transformer stations, pits, sumps, stream banks, and
similar dangerous places
• Entrances should provide clearance for loaded trucks
and for switching personnel riding on the side of
railroads cars
 Outside Facilities
• Shipping and Receiving
• Shipping and receiving facilities should mesh with the overall flow
of materials within the company or facility
• They should also aid the efficient flow of materials into and out of
production areas
 Outside Facilities (Cont.)
• Roadways and walkways
• The safety and health professional should help the civil
engineer design for optimum safety.
• Roadways in facility yards and grounds are sources of frequent
incidents unless they are carefully laid out, well constructed,
well surfaced and drained, and kept in good condition.
• Walkways between outside facilities help prevent injuries to
employees by helping them avoid stepping on round stones or
into holes and ruts in rough ground.
• To discourage shortcutting, walkways should be the shortest
distance from one building to another.
• Keep walkways in good condition
 Trestles
• Trestles have special requirements:
• Width at least 1.5 m or 5 ft 1 in.
• Railings or guardrails on footwalks should be at least 42 inches ± 3
inches with mid-rails installed
• Toe boards also should be installed
 Parking Lots
• Locate parking so employees do not have to cross streets
or roadways.
• Fence parking lot for security.
• Lot should be hard, smooth surface with no rough places.
• Lot should be level.
• Use white lines for parking spaces 9 x 20 ft.
• ADA requirements
• Install traffic signs for control.
 Waste Disposal
• Know the types of waste generated
• Plan for proper disposal procedures
• Proper disposal of sewage waste
• Do not dispose of toxic or hazardous waste down sinks
• Contract service if necessary
 Air Pollution
• Smoke or dust—potential hazard to public
• Check emissions before construction
• Toxic fumes, smoke, and dust are serious problems.
• Waste minimization
 Confined Space Definitions
• Confined space:
• Employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work
• Limited or restricted means for entry or exit (e.g., tanks,
vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits)
• Not designed for continuous employee occupancy

• Permit required:
• Contains or has a potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere
• Contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an
entrant
• Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be
trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a
floor which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-
section
• Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard
 Outside Facility Lighting
• Outside lighting
• Outside lighting should serve not only to aid production but should
also function as a safety measure and as part of the facility’s
security system.
 Docks and Wharves
• Construction is a major planning item.
• Soft footing for piers and support
• Protection of wood if used (piers)
• Lighting is essential.
• Traffic flow, size, and speed
• Environmental conditions
 Facility Railways
• Facility railway hazards should be eliminated when a new
facility is being designed.
• Employees must know the safety regulations and
practices for operating and maintaining fuel-fired, electric,
diesel, compressed-air, and battery-powered locomotives.
 Rail Safe Practices
• Stop and look before crossing tracks.
• Expect train movement at any time and direction.
• Step over rails when crossing.
• Never go between moving cars or cars that may move.
• Give hand or lamp signal to stop.
• Step down from cars; do not jump.
 Facility Layout
• Facility layout of buildings and facilities should permit the
most efficient use of materials, processes, and methods
and minimize the hazards of fire and explosions.
 Location of Buildings
• Minimize fires and explosions—store raw and finished
products away from processing facility.
• Provide ample space between buildings.
• Proper storage of explosives and flammables
• Proper distance between buildings
• Proper location of tanks and secondary containment
 Electrical Equipment
• Metal enclosed and grounded units for industries
• Ensure transformers are non-combustible if near
flammables.
• Install short-circuit devices.
• Design for grounding and battery back-up.
• Design for selective shutdown or isolation.
 HVAC
• Ventilating, heating, and air conditioning are not only
important for people but support key processing
conditions.
• Control noise of HVAC systems from general work
environments.
• Maintain system with qualified individuals having proper
authorization.
 Inside Storage
• Ensure sufficient space is allocated for raw materials,
products, seasonal shipping, quantity purchases.
• Plan for major vertical storage with mechanical handling
and stacking equipment.
• Plan proper shelving and racks.
• Plan for storage of wastes.
 Lighting
• Both daylight and electric lighting can supply a facility’s
lighting needs.
• Proper illumination can help to reduce accidents, minimize
hazardous areas, and make buildings and grounds more
secure.
• In addition to natural lighting, electric lighting is required to
maintain good conditions.
 Types of Lighting
• General lighting
• Localized general lighting
• Supplementary lighting
• Emergency lighting
 Illumination
• Quality—distribution of brightness in the visual
environment (glare, diffusion, direction, uniformity, color,
brightness)
• Quantity—foot-candles, depending upon work tasks
(General 100–500)
 Use of Color
• Industrial designers and managers are paying more
attention to the interactions of color, lighting, and human
behavior.
• The light-reflectance value of color refers to its effect on
light, which can contribute to worker’s ability to see a task
or identify color-coded materials.
 Security in Facilities

• Functional and cost-effective

• Keep number of openings to a minimum.
• Secure all windows.
• Use protective lighting.
• Entrances and service doors lead to receptionist.
• Limit access to docks and receiving.
• Install alarm systems to indicate intruders and
hazards.
 Building Structures
• Access structures must be designed for easy use, be
clearly marked, kept clear and well maintained, and
safeguarded with rails, banisters, or other safety devices.
 Exits
• Locate for people to escape quickly without loss of life
• Design with sufficient size and number
• Meet code of all agencies
• Visible, illuminated, and with signs
• Open in direction of exit
 Floors
• Conduct a careful study of each department in order to
chose the best flooring materials.
• Parameters
load drainage
durability heat conductivity
maintenance resilience
noise appearance
dustiness slip resistance
 Workstation Design
• Place controls to require the least amount of movement
• Provide lighting suitable for task rather than general illumination
• Provide fixtures that relieve pressure
• Provide workbench for workers to sit or stand as needed
• Determine workflow patterns that are normal and easy for worker
• Provide audio and/or visual signals for machine operators
• Pre-position materials, equipment, products, and tools
• Place tools, controls, and materials in the employee’s direct line
of vision
• Ergonomic factors should be incorporated