OHS Newsletter March 2002

Stress balls and sunscreen holders

In January all staff who work indoors received a yellow "stress ball" and all staff who work outdoors received a sunscreen roll-on in a holder to hang on their belt loops.

Both items have the Flinders University Occupational Health and Safety site map web address printed on them so that staff can readily access OH&S Policies Procedures and Guidelines.

The stress balls can be used by office based staff to exercise their hands and reduce the potential for occupational overuse syndrome from keyboard work and the sunscreen holders enable outdoor workers to have their sunscreen readily available to them.

OH&S Incidents

Four "foreseeable" events have occurred on campus this year and a brief report on each is given below. None of the events caused injury, but the potential existed in each case.

Relocation of staff

The existing roof is being removed from Social Sciences North Building and replaced with newer roofing material. Staff working in an office in that building reported that there was dust falling through the ceiling tiles and that they could see daylight through the cracks in the ceiling tiles.

Staff were moved to another office because although the probability of an item/person falling through the ceiling was considered unlikely, the possible outcome of such a drop/fall and associated collapse of ceiling could be a fatality.

It is recommended that when roofing is being replaced above occupied rooms that people be relocated until the work has been completed.

Holes in floor / ceiling

Recent work being carried out in the Physical Sciences Building involved drilling wide holes for pipes to pass from the floor in one level of the building through the ceiling of the rooms below. Because the holes weren't "plugged" rubble and debris fell through the holes into the rooms below as the workers moved about in the room above.

The holes are now routinely blocked as soon as they have been drilled, and people are warned of the drilling process before it begins.

The relevant Project Manager from Buildings and Property Division can assist if similar difficulties arise.

Wall cupboards collapse

Cleaners discovered a "Monday morning surprise" in the Humanities Building recently. Five melamine cupboard units had fallen from a wall in the enquiries office, damaged the fax machine and scattered assorted papers and folders. The cupboards were not overloaded with weighty items.

All but two of the wall plugs were still attached to the back of the cupboards because they had pulled straight out of the brick wall. Investigation showed that two of the holes were not deep enough to take the full depth of the 50mm wall plug, and the "ribs" of all of the plastic wall plugs were not completely expanded because the diameter of the screws was too small. In addition, the screws were the wrong type - they are not designed for use in brick walls.

These cupboards were erected by contractors two years ago and the company has now gone out of business. All cupboards erected by that company are now being checked and the fixing method will be reinforced where necessary.

If external contractors are engaged to install wall mounted cupboards the contract documentation must include detail of the general method of fixing the cupboards, including matching components within size ranges, and that the specifications are then followed. Buildings and Property Division can assist.

All areas need to be aware that the principle of specifying safe methods of work applies when engaging all contractors. Also, the cheaper and quicker option is not necessarily the best.

High voltage underground cable damaged

Contractors excavating a road connection between Carpark 9 and the new Carpark 9A encountered a high voltage cable that was not recorded on the underground services plan. The cable did not have identification markers and was not detectedby the cable-locating device prior to commencing excavation.

Buildings and Property Division are implementing a system to update the services plans.