Question 1 of 7: The Engineer's Role in Safety and the Three E's
Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)
Notes on this paper
National Exams — May 2018 — 11-CS-2 Engineering in Society: Health and Safety. Closed book; approved calculator permitted. Any five of the seven questions constitute a complete paper; all questions are of equal value. Answers are written in point form but fully, as instructed. Complete answers to all seven questions follow.
Question 1: The Engineer's Role in Safety and the Three E's (20 marks: 7/7/6)
(i) General Engineering Activities Requiring Hazard Recognition
Design of products/equipment/plant/structures/processes; selection/specification of materials and machinery; plant layout and workplace design; process design and operation; construction, installation and commissioning; operation and maintenance planning; modification; decommissioning/disposal.
(ii) Design Activities to Eliminate/Reduce/Control Risk
Design out the hazard (inherent safety); substitute safer materials/processes; build in engineering controls (guarding, enclosure, interlocks, ventilation, fail-safe/redundancy, pressure relief); ergonomic design; adequate safety factors and codes; and provision for safe maintenance (isolation, access, lockout). Follow the hierarchy before procedures or PPE.
(iii) The Three E's of Safety
Engineering — control hazards at source by design (most reliable). Education — training/informing workers and supervisors. Enforcement — rules/standards and ensuring compliance. All three are complementary and needed.
