You may have heard of the line of fire in certain hazardous work environments. You could have probably guessed that it referred to something dangerous and that you should avoid it.
Although it may not seem intuitive at first, it’s important to know what it is and avoid certain accidents and injuries from happening as much as possible.
What To Know About Line Of Fire Hazards
When you are in the line of fire, you are in danger. When someone is in the path of a moving object or some form of hazardous energy, they are in the line of fire. Different types of accidents and incidents can occur as a direct result of being in the line of fire in certain jobs.
On the construction site, for example, it’s a must never to position or let workers be underneath a cargo being lifted. Workers may be injured by being struck by, struck against, entangled in, beneath, or between the pipe and other circular tools and supplies.
Another example is working in butchery with equipment that rotates and can harm hands and fingers. This is a line of fire hazard since it can entangle and pull into the machine other objects like workers’ clothing during the job.
Using the right technical controls, such as guards to avoid contact with rotating machinery, can reduce line of fire threats.
What Are The Types Of Line Of Fire?
The three major categories of incidents are caught-in or between incidents, struck-by incidents, and released energy incidents. Some of which include:
Caught-in Or Between
These incidents occur when somebody is caught in or between something or two opposing objects. An example of this would be someone getting their foot stuck in a grate or a crevice or when a person is pinned to a wall by a vehicle or mechanical equipment.
Struck-by
These incidents occur when someone is impacted by something larger in size or stature. A very common example of this would be pedestrians getting hit by cars or construction workers suffering head injuries from getting hit on the head by falling objects.
Released Energy
A simple definition of released energy is when energy, such as heat or electricity, is released in a person’s direction or when they are directly exposed to it. An example would be a pipe bursting, releasing scalding steam, or a live power line arcing electricity.
How Can You Avoid These Deadly Hazards?
The best way to avoid these hazards is to eliminate them in the first place. In this case, there is no risk of injury from them.
In cases where you can’t eliminate the source, certain engineering controls are in order. Physical barriers could prevent people from being in the line of fire.
Two things aim to eliminate hazards and risks but are not always successful. It’s crucial to know that it’s plausible for these preventive measures to fail.
Thus, it is for this reason that your last line of defense is not in the line of fire in the first place. This might seem fairly obvious, and it is, but it can not be understated. Anywhere from 80-90% of all workplace accidents occur due to human error.
To avoid getting in the line of fire, everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings and the work around them. Work with the mindset that anything can happen at any time to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you.
Awareness and mindfulness are the keys to safety from being in the line of fire. If you’d like to know more about safety measures at work, visit Be-Safe.org today.
