Why is it important to wear protective clothing and use other appropriate safety equipment during the fault di

Question

Why is it important to wear protective clothing and use other appropriate safety equipment during the fault diagnosis activities

Answer 1

Health and safety at work act 1974, section 7.

Answer 2

You have really answered your own question when you think about it. By it's very nature in fault diagnosis you do not know what has gone wrong and what could go wrong so you have to assume the worst. For example a full chemical suit would be required if you had a blockage in sulphuric acid line and there was the potential of a loss of containment, but you would not need it for say a domestic water problem. Similarly if you had to go into a tank that had contained a hazardous fluid you may again require the suit BA equipment and a safety line to be dragged out if something happens as there may be pockets of gas or similar that you have not envisaged

Answer 3

You don't say what industry you are working in, but generally if you are diagnosing faults, the equipment that you are working on is in operation. Therefore to comply with Health and Safety regulations (OSHA to our transatlantic cousins) and for your own protection, you need to wear whatever protective clothing and equipment is proscribed for the job situation. e.g if you are working on live electrics and you plan a long career - you must use insulated equipment and floor mats.

Answer 4

Fault diagnosis goes on when something has already gone wrong, therefore the risk of further failure, especially catestrophic failure is higher - if a valve is leaking, then if the cause of the leak is a crack in the housing, the chances of the housing failing and spewing high pressure or hot liquid are higher than in a non-leaking valve.

Answer 5

Hi,
I can only type wth some confidence concerning the eledtrical power industry although I know that parallels exist in all proffesions.
It depends on where you are.
I lived & worked in the Mid-East for many a year, as Cheif Sparks for a Govt.Department.
It was not unusual for me to "ride" on top of huge generators, running at full load, to make small adjustments.
Under orders that the power could not be shut down at one particular facility, I was crawling around inside control & distribution cabinets, with 33kV bus-bars, sarrying 10Mw, inches away, armed only with insulated tools, and a prayer.

I would not require or ask any member of my team to perform silmilar, or even more daft & risky operations, so at least it was down to my own risk.
Fiddling with 66kV overhead air-breaks, in a monsoon, was exciting to say the least. Not even a wooden ladder to hand, so a rediculous aluminium one employed.

My God must be smiling with me, as I am obvously still about.

Now, if I did any of that in the UK, or caught someone else, I would expect dismissals are in order.

Sometimes in the scheme of things, very rapid and unplanned action is needed. It then becomes risk assessment, and if life is in danger, to heck with reading all the rules.

Many moons ago twit lit a match one night to inspect the contents of his motor-bike petrol tank. Naturally an impressive blue flame shot out, and he ran away.
Muggins, knowing that it is only vapours in oxygen igniting, ran towards it & bunged the filler cap back on.
It went out. No flame retardant clothing, goggles, fire extinguisher being to hand in a village pub car park.
(You can put a match out in petrol - no oxygen)

Just some thoughts,
Keep safe !

Bob
(Edited to include the important word "not")

Answer 6

I have no idea to which "fault diagnosis activities" you refer. However, the obvious answer is simply to protect yourself from injury. Your employer's reason for providing you with appropriate safety equipment is to protect himself from lawsuit after you've hurt yourself on the job.

Answer 7

"because it's common sense"

[How old are you ???
Didn't your parents teach you anything about simple safety precautions ????]

Answer 8

for two reasons, one to protect you, and also its the law.