According to worldsteel, the most common causes of incidents in the steel industry, along with preventive measures, are:
- Moving machinery. Before any machinery is cleaned, serviced or adjusted, all sources of energy including gravity must be isolated, locked or pinned to prevent movement.
- Falling from heights. Training should be provided on how to use protective equipment and work safely at heights.
- Falling objects. Measures must be taken to prevent objects from falling and all people should be evacuated from areas where this remains a possibility.
- Asphyxiation or gassing. Workers should be trained to ensure that they can test for and eliminate dangerous gases in confined spaces.
- Cranes. Daily checks must be carried out on cranes before use to maintain reliable operation.
"The steel industry is a highly automated industry and most manual handling, heavy lifting and many operational activities have been automated," says worldsteel's Edwin Basson. "This has removed staff's exposure to many hazards and reduced safety risks in the working environment. However, safety incidents still happen in the industry today and it is our responsibility to make sure that all applicable measures have been put in place to manage the hazards."
