Question 2 of 7: Sources of Hazards and Communication in Safety

Question 2: Sources of Hazards and Communication in Safety (20 marks: 7/7/6)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

(i) Engineering Activities that Give Rise to Hazards

• Design decisions (inadequate design, no safety factor, poor material choice); process design/operation (high pressures/temperatures, hazardous chemicals); plant layout (crowding, poor access/ventilation/lighting); equipment selection/installation (unguarded/unsuitable); construction and maintenance methods; and modifications made without reassessing hazards.

(ii) Non-Engineering Factors

• Human (error, fatigue, inadequate training, attitude); management/organizational (weak policy, poor supervision, production pressure, poor culture); environmental (noise, temperature, lighting, housekeeping); administrative (lack of maintenance/inspection, poor scheduling). These interact with engineering factors (the four M's).

(iii) Components of Safety Communication (diagram)

 SENDER --> [encode] --> MESSAGE --> CHANNEL --> [decode] --> RECEIVER
   ^                                                            |
   |------------------------ FEEDBACK ---------------------------
              (NOISE / barriers act on every stage)

• Sender, message (encoded), channel/medium, receiver (decodes) and feedback; noise/barriers (physical noise, jargon, language, distraction) can distort any stage. Clear encoding, appropriate channel and feedback are essential for safety-critical messages.