A woman was killed in her home and four other people were injured when a truck carrying a load of Takata airbag parts crashed and detonated in Texas last week. The blast demonstrated just how potent and dangerous the explosives used to activate Takata airbags are, creating an explosion so immense that the victims’ remains were not found for a number of days.
It also highlights how risky it is to transport the airbag inflater explosives, the focus of the largest automotive safety recall in history. An internal document provided by a former Takata employee shows that the drives operating these trucks over their 36 hour journey are required to wear fire resistant clothing, steel toed boots with rubber soles, safety goggles and helmets.
The company is expected to face intense scrutiny over its packaging and shipping, together with its record of the safety inspections that are carried out before each shipment leaves the plant.
This is not the first safety incident involving the chemical used in the Takata airbags, in 2006 a number of explosions in its plant in Monclova, Mexico caused by chemicals forced hundreds of workers to evacuate the plant, hundreds of local residents were also forced to evacuate their homes.
Operating in an environment that is susceptible to explosions adds to the hazards that are faced by workers and the public. However it is possible to use intrinsically safe equipment and mobile safety inspection software to perform mobile inspections before vehicles leave the plant, during the transportation process and on arrival at the end destination. Mobile Safety Inspection Software using Smart phones and Tablets that are approved for use in explosive areas is available, workers can be scheduled to carry out inspections at various intervals that will improve safety for not only the workers but the public as dangerous goods are transported on the public roads. Capturing GPS coordinates during the inspection can prove the exact location where the inspection was performed.
IMEC Technologies provides Safety Management Software to increase worker safety and aid compliance. IMEC’s Safety Management Software will manage inspections and audits, provides hazard identification, incident reporting, management of corrective and preventative actions from generation to closure. IMEC provides lock out tag out software solutions that will allow users to create lockout tagout procedures using an intuitive Mobile App and Manage Lockout Tagout Procedures, also the Review and Execution of those Lockout Tagout Procedures using the Mobile App. Annual Lockout Tagout Procedures audits are conducted using a Mobile App. The Mobile Inspection App allow users to perform inspections and audits, for example the system can be used as a Fire Extinguisher Barcode Inspection Software system to manage monthly fire extinguisher inspections and general fire safety inspections and also to record safety observations and manage corrective actions, anywhere and anytime. The solution can be used as a fire extinguisher barcode inspection software system or life safety inspection system to aid compliance in Higher Education, Healthcare, Industrial and Commercial Organizations. Benefits from a Fire Extinguisher Barcode System include the elimination of paperwork and reducing the burden of compliance with regulations such as NFPA, The Joint Commission. The Incident Reporting App allows users to easily and quickly report incidents, hazards and near-misses, these are then sent to the appropriate people for action and are managed to closure. Web Apps provide features such as, setup, management, scheduling tools, analysis, reporting and dashboards etc with the ability to report incidents to government bodies such as OSHA and RIDDOR. HazMat T&T is a hazardous waste management software solution designed for Environmental Service Companies and companies who generate a large quantity of hazardous waste. The solution tracks hazardous waste from cradle to grave aiding compliance, providing accurate waste inventory, increasing waste handling efficiency, reducing risk and also helps manage waste costs. HazMat T&T Hazardous Waste Management Software can be deployed in a number of deployment scenarios, from Large Hazardous Waste Generators, tracking their hazardous waste at their site to Environmental Service and Waste Management Companies using it track and manage hazardous waste at transfer and disposal sites. For more information visit our website www.imectechnologies.com