AFP - Wednesday, October 28,2009
TOKYO (AFP) - – A store manager with hamburger chain McDonald's in Japan who died of a brain haemorrhage was a victim of "karoshi" or death by overwork, a regional labour office said Wednesday.
The woman, employed at an outlet in Yokohama near Tokyo and reportedly aged 41, had done more than 80 hours of overtime per month before she collapsed in October 2007 during a training programme at a different store.
She died in hospital three days later, said an official at the Kanagawa Labour Bureau, which oversees the Yokohama region.
"We determined her work caused the illness," said the official in charge of work-related compensation, a decision that makes her dependent family members eligible to receive a public pension.
"She had early symptoms such as headaches some three weeks before she collapsed, and we presume she already had the illness at that point."
McDonald's Co. (Japan) Ltd. declined to comment on the case, with a spokesman saying only that the company had not been contacted by authorities and had not confirmed the decision by itself.
The woman had performed more than 80 hours of overtime a month on average for the six months before she suffered early symptoms, although she had a vacation shortly before she collapsed in October, the official said.
Japan's welfare and labour ministry investigates whether deaths are caused by excessive work if the victim had performed monthly overtime of 80 hours or more for the preceding six months, or 100 hours for the previous one month.
The number of deaths, usually through strokes or heart attacks, in Japan that are classified as "karoshi" has been hovering at around 150 annually in recent years, according to ministry data.
McDonald's suffered a blow to its image when a Tokyo court last year ordered it to pay compensation of more than 70,000 dollars to an employee who had performed unpaid overtime for several years.
The plaintiff, who had carried the job title of store manager, had earlier said he sometimes worked more than 100 hours of unpaid overtime in a month.
Japan's labour laws do not oblige companies to pay overtime to workers in managerial posts. McDonald's argued their store chiefs have a say in management decisions, but the court rejected that argument.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Worker Hit by Suspended Load
Incident
A worker was pinned under the base of a water tank in a recent incident. He was working directly below the suspended base of the water tank, applying a layer of cement grout onto the floor slab to prepare for installation of the water tank. The suspended base dropped suddenly and fatally pinned the worker under it.
Recommendations
1. Risk assessment must be carried out before starting any work.
A worker was pinned under the base of a water tank in a recent incident. He was working directly below the suspended base of the water tank, applying a layer of cement grout onto the floor slab to prepare for installation of the water tank. The suspended base dropped suddenly and fatally pinned the worker under it.
Recommendations
1. Risk assessment must be carried out before starting any work.
2. All persons involved in the work must be adequately trained to be competent for the job, as well as be aware of the risks and the safety precautions required on-site. It is important to engage trained and competent personnel to carry out the lifting operation. For example, the machine operator, lifting supervisor, rigger and signalman.
3. Prior to any lifting operation, the appointed lifting supervisor must ensure that there is a set of safe lifting procedure for the lifting operation. The lifting supervisor has to brief all crane operators, riggers and signalmen on the safe lifting procedure. It is also important to test the effectiveness of the communications plan and the communication means, such as the use of walkie-talkie before conducting the operation to ensure proper communication and coordination amongst workers when performing the task.
4. During the lifting operation, there must be constant and adequate supervision of the workers to ensure that works are being carried out in a safe manner. A lifting supervisor is to be present for the entire duration of the lifting operation. His duty includes ensuring the signallers maintain continuous visual contact with the crane operator.
5. At all times, the crane operator shall not lift a load above any person.
6. Do not allow any person from entering into the lifting zone where they may be hit by the falling load or objects.
7. Maintain sufficient clearance to minimize the potential hazard of collision between the load and people or other objects in a lifting operation.
8. Barricade the area to prevent unauthorized entry. Only the lifting supervisor, the signalman and the operator should be present within the lifting area.
(Reference: WSH Alert dated 24 March. Recommendations are not exhaustive. Control measures should be determined during disk assessment.)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
WSH Alert – Workers Killed by Acid Burns
Incident
On 27 Feb 2009, a group of workers were pumping nitric acid (70% concentration) into a heat exchanger to remove some residual polymer (di-methylacetamide). During the process, a reaction occurred within the heat exchanger. The reaction most likely generated heat and gases and caused pressure to build up inside the tank. Consequently, the contents of the heat exchanger was forced out and toxic fumes were also emitted. The mixture splashed onto the workers, killing 4 and injuring another.
Recommendations*
1. It is important for the Management to show commitment and put in place an effective workplace safety and health management programme. Through this, operations within the organization would be guided through a safety policy, establishment of a safety management system and proper work procedures.
2. A risk assessment must be carried out before starting any work. This is especially important for new or unfamiliar work, operations or processes. Through the risk assessment, employers and workers can identify potential hazards and take appropriate actions to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers involved.
3. All hazardous substances in the workplace should be placed under the control of a competent person who has the adequate knowledge of the properties of the substances used and their associated dangers. A course, such as the “Management of Hazardous Substances” conducted by the Singapore Environment Institute provides the necessary training and knowledge in handling such hazardous substances.
4. The National Environment Agency (NEA) requires that any person who wishes to purchase, store and/or use hazardous substances (such as nitric acid) that are regulated under the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations must obtain a hazardous substances permit. For more information on obtaining the permit, please refer to NEA’s website HERE.
5. In addition, under the Fire Safety (Petroleum and Flammable Materials) Regulations, if petroleum or flammable materials are imported, transported or stored beyond the stipulated exemption quantities, a Petroleum & Flammable Materials licence, issued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), is required. For more information on obtaining the licence, please refer to SCDF’s website HERE.
6. When hazardous substances are used, handled or stored in the workplace, it is necessary to obtain the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of the substances. The SDS provides key information on the properties of the substances and the hazards as well as the necessary precautionary measures. A copy of the SDS should also be made available to persons who are likely to come into contact with the substance.
7. For any work process that involves two or more substances coming into contact with each other, it is important to always check for the compatibility of their chemical properties. Incompatible chemicals can cause reactions that could result in adverse outcomes such as a fire and/or explosion. If in doubt, you should always refer to the SDS or clarify with the suppliers / manufacturers of the substances.
8. Whenever practicable, containers of the substances should be affixed with easy to understand labels that provide information of the hazards of the substances and the required precautionary measures.
9. A written emergency response plan should be established. Emergency response equipment should be kept on site and made readily available. Personnel responding to such emergencies should be properly trained on the emergency procedures and the use of equipment.
(From WSH Alert dated 5 March 2009)
On 27 Feb 2009, a group of workers were pumping nitric acid (70% concentration) into a heat exchanger to remove some residual polymer (di-methylacetamide). During the process, a reaction occurred within the heat exchanger. The reaction most likely generated heat and gases and caused pressure to build up inside the tank. Consequently, the contents of the heat exchanger was forced out and toxic fumes were also emitted. The mixture splashed onto the workers, killing 4 and injuring another.
Recommendations*
1. It is important for the Management to show commitment and put in place an effective workplace safety and health management programme. Through this, operations within the organization would be guided through a safety policy, establishment of a safety management system and proper work procedures.
2. A risk assessment must be carried out before starting any work. This is especially important for new or unfamiliar work, operations or processes. Through the risk assessment, employers and workers can identify potential hazards and take appropriate actions to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers involved.
3. All hazardous substances in the workplace should be placed under the control of a competent person who has the adequate knowledge of the properties of the substances used and their associated dangers. A course, such as the “Management of Hazardous Substances” conducted by the Singapore Environment Institute provides the necessary training and knowledge in handling such hazardous substances.
4. The National Environment Agency (NEA) requires that any person who wishes to purchase, store and/or use hazardous substances (such as nitric acid) that are regulated under the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations must obtain a hazardous substances permit. For more information on obtaining the permit, please refer to NEA’s website HERE.
5. In addition, under the Fire Safety (Petroleum and Flammable Materials) Regulations, if petroleum or flammable materials are imported, transported or stored beyond the stipulated exemption quantities, a Petroleum & Flammable Materials licence, issued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), is required. For more information on obtaining the licence, please refer to SCDF’s website HERE.
6. When hazardous substances are used, handled or stored in the workplace, it is necessary to obtain the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of the substances. The SDS provides key information on the properties of the substances and the hazards as well as the necessary precautionary measures. A copy of the SDS should also be made available to persons who are likely to come into contact with the substance.
7. For any work process that involves two or more substances coming into contact with each other, it is important to always check for the compatibility of their chemical properties. Incompatible chemicals can cause reactions that could result in adverse outcomes such as a fire and/or explosion. If in doubt, you should always refer to the SDS or clarify with the suppliers / manufacturers of the substances.
8. Whenever practicable, containers of the substances should be affixed with easy to understand labels that provide information of the hazards of the substances and the required precautionary measures.
9. A written emergency response plan should be established. Emergency response equipment should be kept on site and made readily available. Personnel responding to such emergencies should be properly trained on the emergency procedures and the use of equipment.
(From WSH Alert dated 5 March 2009)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuas acid spill: Fourth man dies
(Source: Wed, Mar 04, 2009The Straits Times)
A FOURTH worker has died of his injuries from a nitric acid spill which occurred last Friday at a factory in Tuas.
Mr Arumugam Mahadevan, 20, suffered about 70 per cent burns to his body and was in critical condition when he was taken to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). He was in the burns unit for about four days before he finally succumbed to his injuries on Monday night.
The death toll from the spill at Chemic Industries makes it one of the worst industrial accidents in recent years. Prior to last week's incident, a flash fire that killed seven people on the Portuguese-registered oil tanker Almudaina on May 29, 2004 was probably the worst accident to have occurred.
A FOURTH worker has died of his injuries from a nitric acid spill which occurred last Friday at a factory in Tuas.
Mr Arumugam Mahadevan, 20, suffered about 70 per cent burns to his body and was in critical condition when he was taken to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). He was in the burns unit for about four days before he finally succumbed to his injuries on Monday night.
The death toll from the spill at Chemic Industries makes it one of the worst industrial accidents in recent years. Prior to last week's incident, a flash fire that killed seven people on the Portuguese-registered oil tanker Almudaina on May 29, 2004 was probably the worst accident to have occurred.
3 workers dead, 2 others suffer burns from chemical spill in Tuas
SINGAPORE: Three workers have died after a chemical spill took place their work site in Tuas on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT
if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();
window.yzq_d['X2dKOnxsfEo-']='&U=13frmc3s8%2fN%3dX2dKOnxsfEo-%2fC%3d629078.12732857.13035082.3272417%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d5378559%2fV%3d1';
Two died last night from chemical burns, while the third man succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. Another worker is in critical condition at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with 70 per cent burns to his body. A fifth worker is now in stable condition at SGH.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident when yellow fumes were seen coming from the first level of the building. The workers were conducting equipment maintenance works when the incident took place.
The Civil Defence Hazardous Materials team de—contaminated the workers before they were sent to the National University Hospital for treatment. They were later transferred to SGH.
The workplace was then cleared of the fumes using absorbents and water.
3 workers dead, 2 others suffer burns from chemical spill in Tuas
(Source: Channel NewsAsia - Sunday, March 1)
SINGAPORE: Three workers have died after a chemical spill took place their work site in Tuas on Friday.
Two died last night from chemical burns, while the third man succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. Another worker is in critical condition at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with 70 per cent burns to his body. A fifth worker is now in stable condition at SGH.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident when yellow fumes were seen coming from the first level of the building. The workers were conducting equipment maintenance works when the incident took place.
The Civil Defence Hazardous Materials team de—contaminated the workers before they were sent to the National University Hospital for treatment. They were later transferred to SGH.
The workplace was then cleared of the fumes using absorbents and water.
SINGAPORE: Three workers have died after a chemical spill took place their work site in Tuas on Friday.
Two died last night from chemical burns, while the third man succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. Another worker is in critical condition at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with 70 per cent burns to his body. A fifth worker is now in stable condition at SGH.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident when yellow fumes were seen coming from the first level of the building. The workers were conducting equipment maintenance works when the incident took place.
The Civil Defence Hazardous Materials team de—contaminated the workers before they were sent to the National University Hospital for treatment. They were later transferred to SGH.
The workplace was then cleared of the fumes using absorbents and water.
5 workers suffer chemical burns from chemical spill in Tuas
(Source: Yahoo News / Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, February 28)
SINGAPORE : Five workers suffered chemical burns when a chemical spill took place at their worksite in Tuas on Friday.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to the incident when yellow fumes were seen coming from the first level of the building. The workers were conducting equipment maintenance works when the incident took place.
The Civil Defence Hazardous Materials team de—contaminated the workers before they were sent to the National University Hospital for treatment. The workplace was then cleared of the fumes using absorbents and water.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Incidents involving Falls from Height
Recently, two incidents involving falls from height were reported within a span of two days. Two lives were lost.
Case 1 - Fall through Roof
A worker was found dead on the ground at the back of a factory unit. He had been assigned to repair the air-conditioning condenser unit on the external wall of the factory. He tried to access the condenser unit by climbing out of the window. As he stepped on the roof, he immediately fell 4.25m through the roofing material.
Case 2 - Fall from Formwork
A worker was working on the formwork of a 2-storey detached house. While receiving a reinforcement bar from another worker, he lost his balance and fell off the formwork to the ground 9.8m below. He was pronounced dead.
Recommendations
1. Prior to the start of work, conduct an adequate risk assessment to identify all potential hazards and the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented.
2. Workers working at height (such as rooftop and formwork) should either be provided with an individual fall arrest system or a travel restraint system. This would include the use of safety harnesses, safety nets or safety belts. When using safety harnesses or safety belts, it must be securely anchored to a suitable anchor point or static line. Safety nets could also be slung close beneath the roof to protect workers from serious injuries.
3. Air-conditioning units may be installed on the ground level to eliminate the need for working at height. If the units must be located at height, safe and proper means of access to the external condenser unit must be provided.
4. Do not step directly onto the rooftops as the roofing material as it may not support the weight of a person. Instead, suitable working platforms such as cherry pickers and/or other safe means of accessing the roof should be utilised.
Proper guard rail (blue arrow) installed as barricade
Case 1 - Fall through Roof
A worker was found dead on the ground at the back of a factory unit. He had been assigned to repair the air-conditioning condenser unit on the external wall of the factory. He tried to access the condenser unit by climbing out of the window. As he stepped on the roof, he immediately fell 4.25m through the roofing material.
Case 2 - Fall from Formwork
A worker was working on the formwork of a 2-storey detached house. While receiving a reinforcement bar from another worker, he lost his balance and fell off the formwork to the ground 9.8m below. He was pronounced dead.
Recommendations1. Prior to the start of work, conduct an adequate risk assessment to identify all potential hazards and the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented.
2. Workers working at height (such as rooftop and formwork) should either be provided with an individual fall arrest system or a travel restraint system. This would include the use of safety harnesses, safety nets or safety belts. When using safety harnesses or safety belts, it must be securely anchored to a suitable anchor point or static line. Safety nets could also be slung close beneath the roof to protect workers from serious injuries.
3. Air-conditioning units may be installed on the ground level to eliminate the need for working at height. If the units must be located at height, safe and proper means of access to the external condenser unit must be provided.
4. Do not step directly onto the rooftops as the roofing material as it may not support the weight of a person. Instead, suitable working platforms such as cherry pickers and/or other safe means of accessing the roof should be utilised.
5. Whenever reasonably practicable, edge protection such as barricades or guard rails should be installed to provide protection against person falling off the formwork. The top rail must be at least 1m above the working surface.
Proper guard rail (blue arrow) installed as barricadeWorker fell into passenger hoistway
Recently, a worker fell to his death from the 11th floor of a building under construction while he was transferring building materials between a passenger hoist and the landing slab. It was likely that he had fallen through an unguarded gap between the hoist and the landing slab. The worker was found not to be wearing any personal protective equipment (PPE) including fall arresting devices.The exit platform for the passenger hoist at the 11th was not guarded with any side barricades
Recommendations
1. Prior to the start of any work, conduct an adequate risk assessment to identify all potential hazards and the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented.
2. Openings or gaps that create risk of persons falling through must be effectively guarded or barricaded. This shall include installing guardrails or side barricades at the exit platform of the passenger hoist.
3. Every worker working at height with a risk of falling must be provided with suitable and individual fall arresting device such as a safety harness with lanyard attached to a shock absorbing device. The safety harness must be worn correctly and secured to an anchor point or an independent lifeline at all times.
4. All personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to the workers, including safety harnesses, must be in good condition and be without any obvious indication of wear and tear.
5. Provide adequate lighting at the workplace to reduce risk of falls.
6. Workers must be constantly and adequately supervised to ensure that works are being carried out in a safe manner.
7. When using hoists and lifts, the Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) Regulations specified that:
a. every hoist shall be thoroughly examined by an authorised examiner at least once every 6 months or at such other intervals as the Commissioner may determine.
b. every hoistway or liftway used shall be efficiently protected by a substantial enclosure fitted with gates that will, when the gates are shut, prevent any person from falling down the way or coming into contact with any moving part of the hoist or lift.
c. every gate shall be fitted with efficient interlocking or other devices to ensure that: (i) the gate cannot be opened except when the cage or platform is at the landing; and(ii) the cage or platform cannot be moved away from the landing until the gate is closed. d. owner or occupier must not modify the hoist system after the 6 monthly inspection.
(Extracted from WSH Alert dated 5 Jan 2009)
Worker killed by toppled Stacked Boom Section
On the day of the incident, a group of workers was tasked to separate a telescopic boom into its individual sections. The separated sections were placed as shown in the figure, using an overhead travelling crane. After placing Boom-1 in its position, the crane operator began to hoist the chain slings away. As the chain slings were being hoisted away, Boom-1 toppled onto a nearby worker and pinned him against a steel block. He was conveyed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Recommendations
1. Crane operator should ensure that lifting gears are completely dislodged from the load before they are hoisted away. This is to prevent any entanglement of the lifting gears with the load.
2. All personnel involved in a lifting task, including the lifting supervisor, rigger, signalman and the crane operator should remain vigilant during the entire lifting operation.
3. Workers should stay away from the lifting zone and away from the lifting object.
(Extracted from WSH Alert dated 21 Jan 2009)
Worker fell from Formwork
IncidentIn a recent accident, a worker fell to his death when he was using a chain block to lift a wall formwork into position.
During the lifting, he was standing on top of the formwork to operate the chain block. At the time of the accident, one of the wire sling ropes used for rigging gave way, causing both the formwork and worker to fall.
He fell 3m onto the floor slab below and succumbed to his injuries.
Recommendations
1. Prior to starting work, conduct an adequate risk assessment to identify all potential hazards and the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented.
2. All persons involved in the work must be adequately trained to be competent for the job, as well as be aware of the risks and the safety precautions required.
3. For any lifting operations, only lifting appliance / machine / gear that have been tested and certified by an authorised examiner should be used. There should not be any unauthorised improvisation or usage of unsuitable or improper appliance / machine / gear.
4. Whenever reasonably practicable, provide engineering control measures such as proper working platforms.
5. Every worker working at height with a risk of falling must be provided with suitable and individual fall arresting device such as a safety harness with lanyard attached to a shock absorbing device. The safety harness must be worn correctly and secured to an anchor point or an independent lifeline at all times.
6. All personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to the workers, including safety harnesses, must be in good condition and with no indication of wear and tear.
7. Provide constant and adequate supervision of the workers to ensure that works are being carried out in a safe manner.
8. The Workplace Safety and Health (Construction) Regulations states that:
a. No person is to ride on the loads, buckets, skips, cars, slings or hooks of the machinery during work operations where hoisting machinery is used. (R138)
b. All works involving the erection or dismantling of formwork must be carried out only under the immediate supervision of a formwork supervisor. (R60)
(Extracted from WSH Alert dated 13 Feb 2009)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)