MRO Today - Far from perfect

Far from perfect

by Paul V. Arnold

Why does MRO Today produce a special safety section each year?

Is safety and health a real plant issue?

Statistics show workplace fatalities have decreased more than 65 percent since 1970, and workplace injuries and illnesses have dropped more than 40 percent since 1973.

With that said, American workers are still human and, like most humans, are prone to mistakes, errors in judgment and an occasional brain fart.

How far off is perfection? Consider the following real-life news blurbs:

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Travis Bogumill couldn’t remove his baseball cap. That’s because it was nailed onto his head. Bogumill was standing at the bottom of a ladder when a co-worker climbed down carrying a nailing gun. The nailing gun bumped Bogumill on the head, discharging a 3-inch nail that pierced his skull. Says Bogumill: "I was hoping a hammer fell on my head, but then I looked at my friend and said, ‘You nailed me in the head.’" Surgeons removed the nail and used 34 stitches to close the wound.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The owner of MIT Inc. pleaded guilty to willful violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. The company had a standard procedure for sanitizing chemical and food tanks. An employee would enter a drained tank, swab the insides with a poisonous cleaning substance while holding his breath, climb a ladder to the top of the tank, and take a gulp of fresh air before descending again for more cleaning. An employee died of asphyxiation using this cleaning method.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Joseph C. Aaron was injured while trying to bore a hole in a piece of pipe. Aaron could not find a drill nearby to make the hole, so he used his handgun, which for some reason was nearby. The bullet fragmented upon impact. Bullet shards hit Aaron in the leg.

And, finally . . .

KANSAS CITY, MO. — OSHA issued 60 citations and $90,000 in fines after uncovering unsafe workplace conditions at an office building in this city. The building was OSHA’s regional office.

For many people who receive MRO Today, the safety articles in this issue will serve as a reminder of proper practices. For others, these articles will provide insight to improve personal or organizational safety practices. The remainder won’t read these articles, making themselves susceptible to painful/stupid/humorous incidents like the ones listed above.