What is Engineering in Earth?

Believe that....

*If it's Green, it's Biology...

*If it Stinks, it's Chemistry...

*If it doesn't work, it's Physics...

**If it works but no one knows why, it's Engineering...

The person who find the solution for the engineering, called as an Engineer. The engineer creates that which thing never was...

Why Engineer?

Ingineniur (IR) : from old french 'engeigneur' represent a war machine. All of this word derive from the Latin "genius" meaning

- A divine spirit presiding at birth

- A talent, natural gift

So??? Engineering = Problem Solving related with machine, motion, activity and so on...

What is the principles?? - See and imagine

Before we think a problem, observe anything around us. Discover what people doing and what are they use to do their work? Try to imagine what is the solution after few minutes...

Good Imagination = Good Engineer

So what it's application?

They use scientific and mathematical principal to

*Design, construction and operation of

---Structures

---Equipment

---Systems

The HISTORY of engineering

1824 Civil Engineering

1865 Mechanical Engineering

1865 Mining Engineering

1873 Metallurgical Engineering

1885 Electrical Engineering

1888 Chemical Engineering

1893 Naval Architecture

1910 Aeronautical Engineering

1958 Nuclear Engineering

1974 Materials Engineering

Obey the speech of Scientist

“Too long have our schools of applied science and technology been regarded as affording an inferior substitute for classical colleges. Too long have the graduates of such schools been spoken of as though they had acquired the arts of livelihood at some sacrifice of mental, intellectual culture, and grace of life”

- Francis A. Walker

President, MIT, 1891

“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.”

- Machiavelli

“The mind is not a receptacle; information is not education. Education is what remains after the information that has been taught has been forgotten.”

- Robert M. Hutchins

…and science, history, and literature are but means used to accomplish this desired end. True education seeks to make men and women not only good mathematicians, proficient linguists, profound scientists, or brilliant literary lights, but also honest people with virtue, temperance, and brotherly love. It seeks to make men and women who prize truth, justice, wisdom, benevolence, and self-control as the choicest acquisitions of a successful life.”

- David O. McKay

“Before I came here I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture I am still confused, but on a higher level.”

- Enrico Fermi

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The object of a liberal education is not to teach the young all they will ever need to know. It is to give them the habits, ideas, and techniques that they need to continue to educate themselves. Thus, the object of formal institutional liberal education in youth is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”

- Robert M. Hutchins

Conclusion

If want to be successful professionally. First, learn to do your job in 42 hours per week, and Then, work 84 hours per week.

Abaqus Unified FEA

Efficient Modeling Tools

In today’s product development environment, geometry and models often come from a variety of sources. The Abaqus UnifiedFEA product suite offers a hybrid modeling approach that enables users to work with geometry-based data alongside imported meshes without associated geometry. Abaqus/CAE provides apowerful modeling and visualization environment, emphasizingease-of-use and ease-of-customization to capture and reuseproven analysis workflows. With Abaqus/CAE, dedicated expertand occasional novice users alike can create, edit, monitor,diagnose, and visualize basic to complex finite element ormultiphysics analyses.Feature-based, parametric modeling also makes Abaqus/CAEa highly efficient and effective pre- and postprocessor for everyanalysis need. Abaqus/CAE enables users to leverage thecomplete range of Abaqus analysis functionality, such asacoustics, connectors, damage, fracture, and failure. FamiliarAbaqus concepts such as steps, interactions, sections, materials, and amplitudes make the user interface highly intuitive.

Geometry

Parts and assemblies can be created in Abaqus/CAE using the constraint-driven sketcher, or they can be imported from CADsystems using neutral file formats. In addition, CAD associative interfaces for CATIA V5, Solid Works, and Pro/ENGINEERallow the synchronization of CAD and CAE assemblies and rapid model updates with no loss of user-defined analysis features. A comprehensive range of geometry creation and repair tools are available for querying, editing, repairing, and defeaturing geometry.

Meshing

Abaqus/CAE offers a comprehensive meshing environment and provides a variety of sophisticated approaches for simplifying and speeding up mesh creation. An example isthe automatic virtual topology toolset, which can be used to ignore unnecessary geometric details in a model. Structured,swept, free, and bottom-up hex meshing techniques enable high-quality meshes to be generated rapidly on complex geometries. All Abaqus elements and options can be used,including continuum and gasket elements and adaptive remeshing.

Analysis Procedures

The Abaqus Unified FEA product suite is routinely employed by leading companies in industries as diverse as automotive,aerospace, defense, biomedical, and consumer products. Astrong tradition of robustness and accuracy, combined with high performance and ease-of-use, has made Abaqus FEA software indispensable for simulating the behavior of productsin real-world conditions.

Abaqus/Standard employs solution technology ideal for staticand low-speed dynamic events where highly accurate stress solutions are critically important. Examples include sealing pressure in a gasket joint, steady-state rolling of a tire, orcrack propagation in a composite airplane fuselage. Withina single simulation, it is possible to analyze a model both inthe time and frequency domain. For example, one may startby performing a nonlinear engine cover mounting analysis including sophisticated gasket mechanics. Following the mounting analysis, the prestressed natural frequencies of thecover can be extracted, or the frequency domain mechanical and acoustic response of the prestressed cover to engineinducedvibrations can be examined.

Complementing Abaqus/Standard, the explicit solution technology employed by Abaqus/Explicit is well-suited forhigh-speed dynamic events such as consumer electronics drop testing, automotive crashworthiness, and ballistic impact.The ability of Abaqus/Explicit to effectively handle severely discontinuous behavior such as contact also makes it veryattractive for the simulation of quasi-static events such asrolling of hot metal, sheet stamping, and slow crushing of energy-absorbing structures.

The Abaqus Unified FEA product suite allows transferringresults between different solution technologies whenappropriate. For example, Abaqus/Explicit can be used topredict stresses that arise during manufacturing; then thesestresses can be used as the starting point for an assemblyanalysis in Abaqus/Standard. The assembled product couldthen be subjected to severe misuse loading in Abaqus/Explicit.

Advanced Materials

Increasing regulation, environmental concerns, and the need for lighter, more efficient products are forcing designers to seek out new materials such as lead-free solder, composites,and plastics. The Abaqus Unified FEA product suite providesan extensive library of material models that can be used to simulate the realistic behavior of such modern materials in addition to more traditional engineering materials such asmetals and rubber. Delamination of a composite panel, tearing of a spot weld, cracking in an electronics ball grid array, and debonding ofan adhesive joint all involve initiation and propagation of damage.

In some situations, damage accumulation can leadto catastrophic failure. Abaqus provides a general frameworkfor modeling progressive damage that can help predict suchfailures, thus enabling manufacturers to produce safer designs and avoid costly prototypes. Modeling composite laminates and calibrating advanced material models has traditionally been time-consuming and error-prone. Abaqus includes state-of-the-art tools for composite lay-up modeling and interactive material evaluation that accelerate model set-up and reduce possible modelingerrors.

Extending the Power of Simulation

Abaqus offers a range of innovative analysis techniques to simplify tasks and reduce overall development time.For example, the direct cyclic procedure provides a computationally efficient way to analyze steady-state responseto cyclic loading, making it an attractive feature in electronicsor powertrain applications where thermal fatigue is of concern. Adaptive remeshing alleviates uncertainty in mesh creationby automatically remeshing only where necessary to ensure accuracy.

Many applications today involve the interaction of multiplephysical phenomena. For example, to design safe andeffective drug-eluting stents, engineers must account for theinterplay between blood flow and stent deformation. Other challenging applications include coupled piezoelectric-acoustic effects in the design of hearing aids and coupled thermal electrochemical interaction in fuel cell design. To address these applications, Abaqus offers a wide range of multiphysics capabilities including thermal-electrical, structural-acoustic,and pore fluid flow-mechanical interaction. Abaqus also supports open standards code coupling, which allows usersto couple both commercial and in-house CFD software with Abaqus to perform Fluid-Structure Interaction analysis.

Contact

Manufacturing processes, bolted assemblies, snap-fits, and impact events all involve interaction between contacting bodies. Understanding the behavior of components when they come into contact is critical to designing better products. TheAbaqus Unified FEA product suite provides comprehensive contact modeling capabilities such as the ability to model interactions between deformable bodies, rigid bodies, and selfcontact.

The general contact capability in Abaqus automaticallydetects contact between different bodies with little needfor user intervention. Solution accuracy is improved by eliminating the possibility of missed contact definitions. This powerful capability dramatically reduces the time needed to define contact for complex assemblies such as those founding automobiles, aircraft, consumer products, and portable electronics.

Visualization

The comprehensive set of best-in-class visualization options inAbaqus/CAE helps users interpret and communicate analysis results. Visual diagnostics enable the progress of analyses tobe tracked and assessed easily. Very large, complex modelscan be visualized using a wide range of options including contour, path, X–Y, and ply stack plots.

In addition, results inspecific regions can be evaluated using display groups, viewcuts, and free body cuts. Simulation results can be output in a variety of formats including images, reports, animations, and 3D XML files. Abaqus/CAE provides unique visualization and plotting capabilities for Abaqus FEA that are not available in other post processing products. These features enable rapid results extraction and visualization, which help users review simulation results efficiently and collaborate effectively with colleagues to drive product design decisions.

High-Performance Simulation

Reducing analysis turn around time enables the examination of multiple and more detailed design scenarios. Thedistributed memory parallel direct solver technology inAbaqus/Standard sets a new benchmark for the industry, demonstrating impressive scaling and robustness. Theparallel implementation of Abaqus/Explicit, based on domain decomposition technology, greatly accelerates the solution process and boosts productivity.

Today, effective parallel scaling is available on up to 64 CPUs for a range of industrial applications; models that may take days to run on a singleCPU can now be run overnight.Abaqus/Standard also provides a framework for high performance, large-scale linear dynamics powered by theAbaqus/AMS eigensolver. Combined with features suchas substructures and material damping, Abaqus delivers acompelling solution for powertrain and body-in-white noise and vibration studies.

Customization

The capture and deployment of proven analysis work flows provides significant benefits to organizations. The Abaqus Scripting Interface, Abaqus GUI Toolkit, and user subroutines provide the ability to customize Abaqus.From macros and plug-ins to complete vertical applications, users are able to automate basic and advanced analysis tasks and processes. This capability allows organizations to capture the expertise of skilled analysts and deploy robust analysis methods across their enterprise for routine use. Such automated environments enable experienced analysts andnon-expert FEA users to share data and methods, ensuring that results are reliable and reproducible. The Abaqus scripting and automation capabilities provide an effective way to rapidly explore design options, which ultimately results in significant cost savings and product innovations.

Driving Innovation with Realistic Simulation

Harvesting Clean, Renewable Ocean PowerPelamis Wave Power Ltd (PWP) is harnessing the renewable energy source of the ocean with their innovative Wave Energy Converter (WEC) machines. To generate electricity, the Pelamis machines are linked together in a“wave farm” on the ocean’s surface. Hydraulic rams resistthe motion of the waves and pump hydraulic fluid through electricity-producing generators. A wave farm of 40 Pelamis machines, covering a square kilometer of ocean surface, is capable of generating electric power for 20,000 homes.To design an adaptable, rugged, and clean-running machine, PWP has selected Abaqus FEA software toevaluate the sub-parts of their machines for stress, contact,and fatigue. Pelamis engineers incorporate data fromhydraulic system tests, electrical layouts, and production assembly while lever aging the extensive material modeling and nonlinear analysis capabilities in Abaqus to conduct realistic performance studies.Pelamis engineers developed a novel joint configuration designed to create a tunable, cross-coupled resonant response to waves. This allows the machine to be “turnedup” to increase power capture in small seas, and “turneddown” to limit motion loads in rough seas. To assess the reliability of this unique response characteristic, PWP engineers performed a considerable number of FEA driven design iterations and validated them with fatigue tests. Their efforts resulted in innovative Wave Energy Converters that are reliable, efficient, and environmentally sound.

Accelerating Reliability Evaluation of Automotive Electronics

Delphi’s Electronics & Safety division produces an array of electronic components that control a wide range offunctions in today’s automobiles, including entertainment, security, brakes, and powertrain systems. These electronic systems are subject to extreme heat and vibration, especially under the hood.

Significantly, the largest driver of field failure in automotive electronics systems is repeated temperature cycling.With the ability to produce one billion solder joints per day,it is critical for Delphi’s design engineers to have the abilityto evaluate the thermal cycling of their solder joints quickly and accurately. To support this high-volume electronics production, the Delphi simulation and analysis group developed a Web interface to Abaqus, called D-Cube,which enables their design engineers to input electronics specificdesign parameters into an online form and submit their designs for thermal cycling analysis. This innovative customized interface to Abaqus saves Delphi an enormous amount of time and cost and opens doors to design innovation. It enables design engineers to quickly explore different configurations for automotive electronics packages and select the optimal solution to meet their electronics reliability requirements.

Upgrating The Submarine

History of The Earliest Submarine

Early submarines were incapable of diving very deep or moving very fast because their engines required air. When they submerged deep enough that their conning tower or snorkel went underwater, they had to switch to battery-powered electric engines with limited life and power.

Published reports describe how in the 1950s, this problem was solved with the introduction of nuclear power, which did not require air to generate large amounts of electricity. This change permitted submarines to stay submerged for longer periods of time. These more powerful nuclear engines also allowed the subs to move much faster, while their smooth turbines made them quieter than the banging pistons of internal combustion engines.

In 1954, under the leadership of Admiral Hyman C. Rickover, nuclear power was introduced to the fleet on the U.S.S. Nautilus. Together with advances in hull design, silencing techniques, and sonic detection, nuclear power dramatically improved the speed, stealth, and range of U.S. submarines. The USS Thresher, which became the submarine class name as well, was launched in July of 1960 and, after preliminary trials for seaworthiness, was commissioned a little over a year later in August of 1961.

As the first in her class, she underwent lengthy trials at sea over the next two years, of the new design, such as the ability to travel 1300 feet deep at over twenty knots. While on exercises in Florida, she was hit by a tug while moored at Port Canaveral and in the spring of 1963, after repairs and an overhaul for upgrades, she was sent back to sea off the coast of Massachusetts for post-overhaul trials. participating in exercises that demonstrated the capability.

Launched in 1960, the USS Thresher

A submarine disaster in April of 1963 destroyed the USS Thresher and killed 129 American Sailors.

The proximate causes :

1. Bad brazing in the sea water cooling system

2. Poor quality assurance in the installation process

Underlying Issues :

1. Poor ballast system design

2. Extreme depth of water for initial deep dive test after extensive overhaul

What Happened??

Deep Waters

On April 9th, as described in public documents, the USS THRESHER was escorted by another Navy vessel, the USS SKYLARK, out to the edge of the continental shelf off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where the Atlantic Ocean floor drops precipitously to 8000 feet.

The USS SKYLARK was standing by for rescue if anything went wrong at a few hundred feet, though at the depths at which they were operating there would have been little she could do if the USS THRESHER went too deep. At 6:35 AM on the morning of April 10th, USS THRESHER spotted USS SKYLARK through her periscope to ensure she was in range, and prepared to dive in stages down to their maximum depth for testing.

The crew presumably attempted to restart the reactor and probably also attempted to get their crippled vessel back to the surface. This would explain the “positive angle” as they attempted to point upward and climb with the propellers. Without the reactor, however, they would have been relying on auxiliary power, with far weaker thrust than the reactor had. The boat probably also had negative buoyancy, meaning that it would sink if no active measures were taken, and simply didn’t have enough thrust to lift its weight to the surface.

A section of brass sea water piping recovered from the USS thresher

Emergency Measures

In order to lighten the vehicle, so that the weakened propellers could get it to the surface, or even allow the sub to float up on its own, the normal procedure would be to blow the water out of the ballast tanks and fill them with air, increasing the submarine’s buoyancy. That the sub’s crew were attempting to do so is evidenced by the next message from the stricken craft, shortly after the first troubling message—“Attempting to blow.” The microphone then picked up sounds of compressed air being blown through the lines to the ballast tanks.

At this point, Navy investigators believe, based on tests performed later on another vessel, strainers in the lines upstream of the ballast tank valves iced up. This occurs because the high volume of air moving past the strainers at such high velocity would have caused them to cool rapidly. Icing up of the strainers would have reduced the air flow such that either the tanks couldn’t be cleared at all, or at least not fast enough, because it’s clear that the boat continued to sink. There was only one more ominous voice communication: “...test depth.”

From this point on, the only sounds picked up by the open microphone were the distinctive and dismaying creaks of straining metal and fasteners as the craft sank deeper and started to crush under the unimaginable external pressure.

The submarine eventually broke into several pieces, killing almost instantly all 129 crew and observers aboard. It continued to sink, falling almost two miles to the floor of the Atlantic, prematurely ending the career of the most advanced submarine built to that date.

Proximate Cause

According to the Navy investigation, the proximate cause of the disaster was the leak of seawater into the reactor control electronics. This shut down the reactor, resulting in the inability of the boat to control itself or get back to the surface.

Underlying Issues

According to published reports, there were perhaps

several factors that came together to destroy the USS

THRESHER and its crew. The leak itself probably

occurred because of faulty brazing of the piping at the

shipyard. Prior to the USS THRESHER loss, the

installation procedure for pipes less than four inches in

diameter was to put a silver ring at the joint between two

points and braze it with a torch.

Poor Brazed Pipes led to the electrical shortage that led to the loss of the USS THRESHER

Subsequent investigation of other ships after the accident

showed that, though joints created in this manner

appeared solid, when broken apart there was no silver in

them, indicating that they were much weaker than had

been previously estimated. In general, the design and

standards for the non-nuclear portions of the vessel

seemed to have been more lax than those for the nuclear

reactor and its associated systems.

The icing of the line strainers, resulting in the failure of

the ballast tanks to empty themselves of water fast

enough, also contributed to events. This latter problem

was a failure to meet design specification. Had either of

these methods for surfacing been effective, the reactor

loss would likely not have been catastrophic, because the

crew could have dealt with the leaks and reactor problems

on the surface.

Finally, had the testing occurred in shallower water

(perhaps with the ocean bottom just slightly below test

depth), in which the USS SKYLARK could have

potentially come to their aid, the crew might have been

saved, if not the USS THRESHER itself.

Wreckage from the USS THRESHER's sonar dome can be seen on the ocean floor

Problem and Solution

As a result of the loss of the USS THRESHER, a major

new initiative was undertaken by the Navy, called

“SUBSAFE,” to reform design and manufacturing

processes (similar in many ways to changes at NASA

following the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia

disasters). Part of this initiative was to end the practice of

brazing smaller pipes, and to instead start welding and

doing x-ray inspection of joints to verify their integrity.

It also resulted in changes in designs of the system that

blows out the ballast tanks, providing a capability to do

so seven times faster than the system used in the USS

THRESHER.

It had another effect in that during the search for debris

and clues on the deep ocean floor, the Navy recognized

the need for better deep submersibles. This (combined

with other requirements) helped result in the remarkable

new designs that can now explore some of the deepest

trenches of the seas, and that helped discover the remains

of the Titanic. In fact, part of the legacy of this accident

was the development of the kinds of undersea rescue

vehicles that recently saved seven Russian sailors trapped

at six hundred feet off the Kamchatka peninsula, in early

August of 2005.

Applicability To NASA

Like the Navy, NASA operates vessels that must endure

harsh external environments (in this case a radiationdrenched

vacuum), though the pressure differential of

space is much lower (one atmosphere at most, compared

to potentially many atmospheres under the ocean’s

surface). It is also somewhat easier to deal with, because

constructing pressure vessels to keep pressure in is

structurally easier than to keep it out.

Nonetheless, both

types of failures are equally unforgiving, and can kill

people very quickly. This incident shows the importance

of having multiple layers of defense against harsh outside

environments, with redundant means of keeping

functional those vital systems that protect us from it.

It is

also critical from a safety perspective that NASA

simulate as close as possible to the real environments that

a spacecraft or manned system will experience during

flight and even include some margin above the flight

expected loads and environments. These factors would

include: Vibration; Acoustics; Thermal; Radiation;

Vacuum, etc.

This accident also indicates the importance

of redundant systems and that NASA must assure that

these systems will operate successfully when or if they

are called upon. Finally, highly coupled and complex

systems should have the benefit of a Failure Mode and

Effect Analysis (FMEA) to identify potential failure

modes and to control and mitigate them.

Refferences

Generally, for the common pressure :-

1 atm = 100 kPa = 760 mm per Hg (in manometer) = 10 m of H2O = 1 kg/ cm2 = 1 Bar

1 oz (ounce) = 28.35g

1 fl oz = 28ml

1 lb (pounds) = 454 g = 32 oz

WORKERS' WELLBEING & STRESS

Recession Has Had Devastating Effect On British Workers' Mental Wellbeing.

The recession has had a significant impact on the mental wellbeing of the British workforce, with a considerable number of people seeing their doctors and taking antidepressants formental health problems and stress, apparently linked directly with the pressures of the recession in the workplace. The findings of MIND, a leading British mental health charity, have prompted fears for the mental health of hundreds of thousands of employees who face pressures as businesses tighten their belts.



According to MIND's Populus poll of 2,050 employees, as a direct result of recession in the UK:

• 10% have visited their GP (general practitioner, primary care physician)
• 28% were putting in more hours of work each week
• 5% have consulted a counselor
• 50% informed there was a slump in morale
• 7% have started on a course of medical therapy fordepression
• Approximately 1/3 said employees were competing against one another

The findings coincide with new UK governments figures which reveal the largest ever increase in antidepressant prescriptions - 39.1 million were issued in 2009, compared to 35.9 million the year before.

Badly managed stress and problems related to mental health have for a long time been workforce issues. MIND informs that according to previous research, approximately 1 in every 6 people of working age experiences a mental health problem each year in the UK, and 5 million individuals believe work-related stress has made them very or extremely stressed.

According to MIND:

• A mere 38% of employees believe their current employer is providing enough support
• About 25% were brought to tears at work because of"unmanageable pressure"
• Approximately 20% of individuals blamed their work for making them physically ill
• Nearly half of all people have lost sleep due to work
• Over one fifth had developed depression

MIND's Taking Care of Business campaign aims to improve working lives and environments over the next five years, with a strong focus on altering attitudes to mental wellbeing in the workplace. Large companies, such as BT (British Telecom), AXA, as well as several trade unions have backed the campaign. MIND's Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:

"Considering how much time we spend at work, it is hardly surprising that it can have a huge impact on our mental wellbeing. A bad work environment can be damaging and can trigger a wide range of problems from exhaustion to depression, while having a good working life is proven to be an asset for our overall mental health. Employers and employees have a responsibility to recognise that mental health is an issue in every workforce and make sure they are doing what they can to promote a healthy workplace.

Working conditions have been incredibly tough for the last couple of years, and the emotional fall out of the recession doesn't just centre on people who have lost their jobs, but on people who are struggling to cope with the extra demands of working harder, longer hours, and under more pressure as their employers battle for survival. It is more important than ever that businesses look at how they can manage stress levels and improve the working environment for all their employees. Investing in wellbeing doesn't have to be expensive, and businesses who look after their staff reap the rewards in reduced sickness absence and increased productivity. Small changes can have big results, such as making sure staff take their breaks and making time to listen to their concerns. Not investing in wellbeing can be damaging to staff and eat into the success of a business. No employer can afford to ignore mental health."

Workplace safety - manual handling injuries

One in three injuries to Australian workers are caused by manual handling, with inexperienced workers at greatest risk.

Manual handling injuries are not limited to those sustained by lifting or carrying heavy loads. A person can be injured when handling objects in a variety of ways including pulling, pushing, holding or restraining. The object can be anything from an animal to a piece of equipment.

Good posture and lifting techniques can help reduce the risks, but research indicates that making changes to workplace design is the most effective way to prevent manual handling injury.

Identifying the hazards
Some factors in the workplace may increase the risk of an injury occurring. These hazards can be identified in different ways:

• Walk through the workplace and look for potential hazards.
• Talk over risk factors with workers.
• Check through injury records to help pinpoint recurring problems.
• Regularly monitor and update risk identification.

A detailed process, including manual handling regulations and the code of practice for manual handling, is available from WorkSafe Victoria.

Assessing the risks
The next step is to assess which factors are contributing to the risk of injury.

Typical risk factors include:

• Type of work – working in a fixed posture for a prolonged period of time can increase the risk of injury.
• Layout of the workspace – a cramped or poorly designed workspace can increase the risk of injury by forcing people to assume awkward postures, such as bending or twisting.
• Weight of an object – a heavy load may be difficult to lift and carry and can increase the risk of injury.
• Location of an object – heavy objects that have to be lifted awkwardly, for example above shoulder height or from below knee level, can increase the risk of injury.
• Duration and frequency – increasing the number of times an object is handled or the length of time for which it is handled can increase the chance of injury.
• Condition of an object – more effort may be required to manipulate badly designed or poorly maintained equipment
• Awkward loads – loads that are difficult to grasp, slippery or an awkward shape can increase the risk of injury.
• Handling a live person or animal – lifting or restraining a person or animal can cause sprains and other injuries.

Reducing or eliminating the risk
After identifying workplace hazards and controlling the risks, you can do several things to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries. These tips can help reduce injury at home as well as at work.

Safety suggestions include:

• Change the task - does this task need to be carried out? If so, does it have to be done this way?
• Change the object – for example, repack a heavy load into smaller parcels.
• Change the workspace – for example, use ergonomic furniture and make sure work benches are at optimum heights to limit bending or stretching.
• Use mechanical aids – like wheelbarrows, conveyor belts, cranes or forklifts.
• Change the nature of the work – for example, offer frequent breaks or the chance to do different tasks.
• Offer proper training – inexperienced workers are more likely to be injured.

Protecting your back
The back is particularly vulnerable to manual handling injuries. Safety suggestions include:

• Warm up cold muscles with gentle stretches before engaging in any manual work.
• Lift and carry heavy loads correctly by keeping the load close to the body and lifting with the thigh muscles.
• Never attempt to lift or carry loads if you think they are too heavy.
• Pushing a load (using your body weight to assist) will be less stressful on your body than pulling a load.
• Use mechanical aids or get help to lift or carry a heavy load whenever possible.
• Organise the work area to reduce the amount of bending, twisting and stretching required.
• Take frequent breaks.
• Cool down after heavy work with gentle, sustained stretches.
• Exercise regularly to strengthen muscles and ligaments.
• Lose any excess body fat to improve fitness.

HAZARDS cited by OSHA.

OSHA fines USPS nearly $500,000 for exposing workers to electrical hazards at two Philly facilities.

OSHA announced that it has cited the US Postal Service for workplace safety violations related to electrical hazards found at two Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, facilities following an investigation conducted as a result of complaints received by the agency about both locations. Proposed penalties total $497,000.

OSHA’s inspections of Philadelphia’s Network Distribution Center (NDC) and the Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) found inadequately trained employees performing work, without proper personal protective equipment, while also exposing employees to live parts, risking electric shock and burn hazards. As a result of these conditions, OSHA cited the NDC with four willful violations, with a proposed penalty of $280,000, and the P&DC with three willful violations, with a penalty of $210,000, and one serious violation, with a penalty of $7,000.

“The Postal Service’s disregard for workplace safety standards has left workers at these facilities exposed to unnecessary dangers including electric shock, electrocution, fires and explosions,” said Al D’Imperio, director of OSHA’s Philadelphia Area Office. The Postal Service has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, meet with the OSHA area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. This inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Philadelphia Area Office.

The Philadelphia violations are the fifth set of citations issued to the Postal Service since April 29, confirmed the American Postal Workers Union. Other safety citations were issued in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; in Bedford Park, Illinois; in Denver, Colorado; and in Providence, Rhode Island. These most recent charges bring the Postal Service’s total OSHA fines to nearly $1.8 million.