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Engineers and The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)

Specific Engineering Concepts

You will find below a list of specific engineering concepts, with health and safety issues related to them. Which of the following engineering concepts are relevant to these engineering disciplines?
1. Industrial
2. Chemical
3. Mechanical
4. Electrical
The answer key is at the bottom of this page

Concept	Health and Safety Issues
Control Systems	Selection and use of controls Human error Layout and positioning of controls
Statics and Dynamics	Calculation of safety factors and performance limits Rated capacities of hoists, cranes, scaffolding, storage racks, etc. Floor loading
Automation	Robotics safety Use of automation in the prevention of materials handling hazards Assessment of human tolerance for speed
Mechanics and Kinetics	Slip and fall protection Properties of floor surfaces and optimal coefficients of friction Biomedical assessment of musculoskeletal system Health hazards of segmental and whole body vibration
Fluid and Gas Dynamics	Ventilation of air contaminants Design and hydrostatic testing of sprinkler systems Safety properties of cryogenic fluids
Thermodynamics	Control of explosions and other unintended releases of energy Safe use of compressed gas Safety of boilers and pressure vessel
Electrical Theory and Systems	Protective and system grounding Lockout/tagout – zero energy state Prevention of fires and electrical shock
Electronic Data Processing	Safety data storage and retrieval Software safety Hazards of computers and VDTs
Strength of Materials	Fire safety in building design Storage and transport of corrosive and reactive substances Selection and testing of personal protective equipment (hard hats, safety shoes, etc.)
Layout and Facility Planning	Ergonomic design of workplaces Minimization of materials handling Facility traffic flow and vehicle safety Design for fire prevention and protection Life safety and evacuation planning
Productivity	Work physiology and fatigue Detrimental effect of shift work/overtime Optimization of ambient environmental conditions (e.g. lighting, temperature, etc.)
Product Design	Product hazard assessment and control Product life-cycle analysis (e.g., installation, repair, maintenance, disposal) Use of CPSC, ASTM and other safety-related standards
Quality	Detection and analysis of defects and system failures Hazard identification techniques System safety analyses (e.g., FMEA, Fault Tree)

Answer Key:

1. Industrial Engineering
Mechanics and Kinetics
Control Systems
Automation
Layout and Facility Planning
Productivity
Strength of Materials

2. Chemical Engineering*
Product Design
Quality

3. Mechanical Engineering
Statics and Dynamics
Fluid and Gas Dynamics
Thermodynamics
Product Design
Quality

4. Electrical Engineering
Electrical Theory and Systems
Product Design
Electronic Data Processing
Quality

*Check the MSDS for further issues