OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY .

1. A. describe “ make up air” and why it is essential

B. What principles should be taken into account for makeup air to be effectively applied?
2. Calculate the sound pressure level at a distance of 80m from a generator producing a
sound power level of 112dB. Assume that there are no obstructions and that the ground is
level.
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3. List and briefly explain three factors that are considered for fan selection in ventilation.

For a particular application, many factors need consideration for fan selection;

● the type of substance in the contaminant cloud;

● flammability or combustibility;
● the airflow required;
● the system resistance characteristics;
● the fan pressure characteristics;
● space limitations;
● the method of mounting the fan, and the type of drive; 􀁑
● the operating temperature;
● Acceptable noise levels.
● Accessibility for maintenance purposes
4. State 3 (three) industrial sectors that are highly rated for exposing employees to vibration
● Construction
● Manufacturing and mining industry
● Agriculture and fishing
● Electricity, gas and water supply
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5. Give a brief description of the control measures that can be adopted for whole body
vibration.
● Reduce the exposure time by rotation of workers
● Regular maintenance of equipment
● Design seats of machines to attenuate vibration so as to suit the worker
● Proper road maintenance or work surfaces
● Taking short breaks in between working hours
● Period monitoring of whole body vibration by the use of accelerometers
● Periodic examination of workers on the effects of whole body vibration for there
is no specific treatment for WBV.
● Reduce vibration at source if possible.
6. What is the significance of maintained illuminance?
● Maintained illuminance is the average illuminance over the reference surface at
the time maintenance has to be carried out. It is the level below which the

illuminance should not drop at any time in the life of the installation.
● time off work as a result of accidents and injuries
● increased absenteeism
● Reduced staff efficiency and productivity.
● irritation, eg inflammation of the eyes and lids
● itchiness
● breakdown of vision, blurred or double vision
● Referred symptoms, eg headaches, fatigue, giddiness.
7. Give detail of the key factors considered when seeking to optimize lighting energy
efficiency?
● Sufficiency; lighting should be sufficient to enable the eye discern the details of
the object as well as the surrounding without eye strain.
● distribution; the light distribution should be uniform so that the eye functions
efficiently and comfortably when the luminance within the visual environment is
not too different from the seeing task.
● Absence of glare; glare is an excessive contrast and can cause annoyance,
discomfort and can reduce vision for the eye.
● Diffusion and absence of shadows; shadows are inevitable but sharp and
contrasting shadows are disturbing.
● Colour; intensity should be adequate
● Surroundings; when dark objects are viewed against dark background, recognition
are difficulty.
● Steadiness; the source of light should be constant and should not flicker.

8. Give a detailed description of how radiation affects the body in five ways.
● Charged particles – when beta and alpha particles enter tissue they lose energy
thru electrical interaction with electrons of the atom near which they pass.
Gamma rays and X-rays transfer energy in various ways but the end result is of
each is electrical interaction.
● Electrical Interaction – during the tenth of a trillion of a second after radiation hits
an atom in tissue, an electron is stripped from an atom. The electron is negatively
 charged and the previously neutral atom becomes positively charged. This process
is called “ionization”. The electron may then go to ionize other electrons.
● Physical-Chemical Changes – both the electron and the ionized atom are usually
very unstable and during the next tenth of a billion of a second, they undergo a
complex chain of reactions which will create molecules of which some are very
reactive such as “free radicals”.
● Chemical Changes – during the next tenth million of a second these radicals may
interact with themselves and other molecules thru the process which is not yet
properly understood, may lead to changes in molecules that are biologically
important for the functioning of cells.
● Biological Effects – these biological changes which can occur over any time span
from seconds to decades after irradiation, may kill cells outright or alter them a
way that may lead to cancer and genetic effects.

9. Explain the efficiency of a hood in a ventilation system

● Where flowing air enters a hood, there is always some ‘flow separation’ and
recirculation of air at the entrance edges. As the airflow enters an enclosure, the
flow separates from the enclosing wall. The streamlines then become parallel –
this region is called the ‘vena contracta’. The greater the flow separation, and the
more turbulent the airflow within the hood, the lower the hood efficiency. The
flow separation and vena contracta can be reduced by smoothing the flow of air
into the enclosure using a flange or flared inlet

10. State the three forms in which poor lighting can be a cost to a business which you may
use in convincing to explain a business proprietor to improve their lighting.
● time off work as a result of accidents and injuries
● increased absenteeism
● Reduced staff efficiency and productivity.
● irritation, eg inflammation of the eyes and lids
● itchiness
● breakdown of vision, blurred or double vision
● Referred symptoms, eg headaches, fatigue, giddiness.
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11. List the general principles of hood design in ventilation.
● Maximise the enclosure of the process and source, because the greater the degree
of enclosure, the more likely it is that the LEV will be effective.
● Ensure the hood is as close as possible to the process and source.
● Position the hood to take advantage of the speed and direction of the airflow from
the source.
● Match the hood size to the process and contaminant cloud size.
 ● Separate the contaminant cloud from the worker’s breathing zone as much as
possible
● Minimise eddies within the hood.
● Use ergonomic principles when designing the application of an LEV hood and
make sure it is consistent with the way the worker actually does the job.
● Try out the LEV selected; make prototypes and get feedback from users.
● Use observation, information on good control practice and simple methods, eg
smoke or a dust lamp, to assess exposure control effectiveness.
● Take measurements, eg air sampling, where necessary.
● Match the LEV control effectiveness to the potential degree of overexposure
based on: how exposure occurs; and the capabilities of different hood types and
designs.
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12. State the three basic approaches of hazard identification in the field of environmental
health.
● Recognise the hazard
● Hazard analysis
● Control to measure compliance

13. State and define the commonly used radiation measurement units

● Becquerel (Bq) – this is the name for the unit of activity of radioactive material.
The activity is the total number of α, β, or γ emissions per second. One Becquerel
corresponds to one disintegration per second of any radionuclide.
● Gray (Gy) – this is the name for unit of absorbed dose. It is the quantity of energy
imparted by ionizing radiation to a unit mass of matter such as human tissue. One
gray corresponds with one joule per kilogram.
● Sievert (sv) – The name of a unit dose equivalent. This is the absorbed dose
weighted according to the potential of the radiation involved (α, β, or γ) to do
damage. One sievert correspond to one joule per kilogram.
14. State and describe two factors that contribute to the operational efficiency of an air
conditioning system.

The operating efficiency of an air conditioning system depends on a number of factors

concerning:

— The inherent efficiency of the system; the type of refrigerant used

— Its state of maintenance; well maintained air conditioner shall effectively
operate than the one which is not regularly maintained.
— Its effective control.

The inherent efficiency of the system is affected by the efficiencies of:

 — the refrigeration equipment that removes heat
— the refrigerant fluid chosen, and its charge in the system
— heat rejection to atmosphere
— the delivery of cooled air or water to, or other means of absorbing heat from,
the treated spaces
— any associated ventilation air supply and/or extract system.
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15. Briefly describe four assessment components of manual handling.
● the task being carried out;
● the loads being handled;
● the environment in which the task takes place;
● the capacity of the individuals involved;
● Relevant psychosocial factors.
● The aim is to try and identify any problems (i.e. risks) that may exist in relation to
these areas.
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16. What are the risk factors that are attributable to manual handling?
● physical: excessive force being applied, repetition, poor posture, vibration and
cold temperatures;
● psychosocial: high work demands, low job control, poor management/staff
relations, low job satisfaction, monotonous work;
● Personal: pre-existing health problems, fitness, differences, vulnerabilities.
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17. Briefly discuss the approach of managing noise in a work place from an advisory
perspective.
● First point is policy analysis on noise management
● Consultation ( identify stakeholders)
● Assessment; take measurements, identify noise sources
● Control measures; at source, along the path, at the worker
● Conduct a training on noise management
● Continued monitoring and evaluation of the noise control process.
18. State the two categories of noise related stress effects and give two examples for each
category.
● Categories are Physical and psychological;
Physical
● Decrease of skin electrical resistance
● Short time increase of blood sugar level
● Increase of general metabolism
● Acute increase of muscular tone
● Lower production of gastric juice and saliva
 ● Change of breathing frequency
Psychological
● Resignation
● Inability to concentrate
● Anxiety
● Nervousness
● Anger
● Insomnia

19. A noise level at a site on which it is proposed to build a housing estate arises mainly from
trains on a nearby railway line. There are three types of train using the line fast express
trains, slower suburban trains and freight train. It is proposed to predict the equivalent
continuous noise level at the site over a 24h period from sample noise measurements of
each of the noise events. The results of the measurements are:
● For fast train: Leq = 85dB (A) over a period of 12s
● For slow trains: Leq = 78dB (A) over a period of 18s
● For freight trains: Leq = 76dB (A) over a period of 24s

During the 24h period there are 120 fast trains, 200 slow trains and 80 freight trains.
Calculate the equivalent continuous level over a 24h period. After which you should
justify whether this housing estate is appropriately located.

Leq = 10log10 (T1 x 10l1/10 + T2 x 10l2/10 + T3 x 10l3/10)/ T

= 10log10 (120x 12x 1085/10 + 200 x 18s x 10878/10 + 80 x 24s x 1076/10)/ 24h

= 10log10 (1440 x 1085/10 + 3600 x 1078/10 + 1920 x 1076/10)/ T

= 10log10 (0.4 h x 108.5 + 1h x 107.8 + 0.53h x 107.6)/ 24h

= 10 log10 (209492199.4)/24h

= 10 log10 8728841641

= 69.40956615dB

Leq= 69.4dB

20. List the three principles of radiation protection

● Reduce the exposure time
● Increase the distance from the radiation source
● Shield the radiation source with a radioactive proof material

21. Mention any 3 of the 6 stages in the Cause Consequence Analysis.(2)

1. Select event or type of accident.
 2. Identify the safety functions that influenced the course of the incident resulting from
event
3. Develop the accident path resulting from event
4. Develop the initiating event and safety function failure event to determine their basic
causes.
5. Evaluate the accident sequence
6. Document the event

22. State two significant changes in the industrial environment that have increased the
exposure of humans to a complex mix of artificially elevated electromagnetic waves. (3)
● The technology in the generation of power
● Distribution and utilization of electrical energy
23. What’s the greatest source of radiation? (2)
● The sun and then X-rays
24. State the two advantages and one disadvantage of a safety audit (5)
● Helps to know performance level
● Helps to assess compliance to set standards
● Helps to identify performance gaps
● It sets the mode to find lasting solutions to the identified gaps

Disadvgs
● Limited room for improvements and new ideas due to inclination to set standards.

25. With respect to radiation, the usage of ALARA (as low as reasonable achievable) is a
direct consequence of what? (3)
26. Give the characteristics of two different air moving devices.
● Types of fans
● propeller
● axial
● centrifugal
● turbo exhauster
● Compressed-air-driven air mover.

Centrifugal
● Centrifugal fans are the most commonly used fans for LEV systems. They generate large
differences in pressure and can produce airflows against considerable resistance.
● The impeller fan blades are mounted on a back plate, often within a scroll casing. Air is
drawn into the centre of the impeller along the line of the drive shaft. The air is ejected
at a tangent to the impeller.
Turbo exhauster
● Turbo exhausters can generate the high suction pressures needed to power low volume
high velocity (LVHV) systems: they are not conventional fans. They use high-precision
blades that are susceptible to damage by dust and require a filter to protect the
exhauster.
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27. What are the risk factors that are attributable to manual handling
● physical: excessive force being applied, repetition, poor posture, vibration and
cold temperatures;
● psychosocial: high work demands, low job control, poor management/staff
relations, low job satisfaction, monotonous work;
● Personal: pre-existing health problems, fitness, differences, vulnerabilities.
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28. Define Ergonomics and explain its significance in addressing the safety of workers.
● Greek ergon (work) and nomos (laws) meaning in effect, the science of work.
Ergonomics is a relatively new branch of science which aims to ensure that work systems
and products are designed to meet the needs of the people who will use them.
● Ergonomics as a discipline combines the sciences of engineering, anatomy, physiology
and psychology, whilst making considerable reference to the concept of design.
● Ergonomics involves adapting the work so that it is suitable for the worker, rather than
attempting to adapt the worker to the task.
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29.