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What is the worst safety violation you’ve ever seen?

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Question added by Ahmed Hosny , Hse Manager , Dubco construction L.L.C / DDA Approved
Date Posted: 2016/04/02
HASSAN AHMED
by HASSAN AHMED , Internal Auditor , TIE

Climbing on tower without belt, working at the site where crane bucket on your head and you are not wearing helmet

Ali Orkkatteri
by Ali Orkkatteri , hse executive , UAE University

The worst safety violation which I have seen is working at height (more than 15 Meters ) on an incomplete scaffolding. The scaffolding which I saw had no proper access ladders and the work platform was incomplete and it has a huge gap. Moreover, workers were allowed to climb like a monkey. I have immediately stopped the work as the risk of fatality was really high and it broke all regulatory requirements for working at height. Moreover, there was no permit to work systems implemented by the contractor and hence, there was no Risk assessment or method statement prepared. Falling from the height and falling objects always occupies top of the chart throughout Middle east when comes to fatality rates.

Worst safety violation I have seen is poorly managed shift operation. Whilst working in one of my previous organisation, I was a trainee in a Benzene plant and during one of the night shift I saw my Panel Operator asleep (may be due to fatigue). I noticed that one of the process parameter had deviated and immediately alerted the operator to take necessary action. Human error can result in a major accident hazard and we can find numerous cases in history including BP Texas refinery explosion

working with bare hands without gloves when handling chemicals in the lab

not wearing protective glases during the experiments 

dispoving chemicals in the sink which is wrong and dangerous 

using chemicals without knowing the potentioal hazards and having zero knowledge of the whole process 

Jeremias Lopez
by Jeremias Lopez , Safety Engineer/Specialist , Al-Khafji Joint Operations (Aramco Gulf Operations Co./Kuwait Gulf Oil Co.

An employee working in a confined space/manhole 1.2m x 1.2 wide x 2.8m deep cutting the 24" FRP oily water pipe line using portable grinder instead of hand saw/cold cutting as specified in the method statement. The safety violation committed by the employee committed by the employee almost cost his life as a flash fire occurred when grinding slugs came in contact with flammable gas inside the pipe. Lucky, the employee only sustained 2nd & 3rd degree burns and was immediately rescued. 

Working at height without having a properly installed scaffolding is the worst thing that can have in your site as it can cause serious fatality in most cases. Probability of people falling and scaffolding failure is imminent and very high. What you can do to avoid such thing is to use the trained scaffolding erectors only. Half measure is always dangerous!!!

Nazir Abbasi
by Nazir Abbasi , Senior Engr. (Process , OGDCL, Pakistan

Storm water drain channel filled with oil.

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