Comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment for Tanga Pharmaceutical and Plastics Limited (TPPL), Tanga Duga Industrial Area

Assessment Date: [DATE]

Assessor: [ASSESSOR NAME]

Department/Area: [DEPARTMENT/AREA]

Review Date: [REVIEW DATE]

1. Assessment Scope

This assessment covers occupational health and safety risks associated with cosmetic and pharmaceutical support manufacturing, plastic bottle and cap production using IBM, IMM and BIM machines, polybag shrink tunnel and sleeving operations, laboratories, white oil and glycerin storage tanks, finished goods warehouses, loading bays, LPG area, boilers, RO plant, ETP, compressors, chillers, cooling towers, recycling systems, agglomerators, and molten plastic reprocessing at TPPL, Tanga Duga Industrial Area. The scope includes routine production, start-up, shutdown, cleaning, maintenance, material handling, storage, internal transport, laboratory activities, utility operations, waste handling, contractor work, and emergency response readiness. The assessment excludes detailed structural engineering design, product formulation validation, and off-site logistics beyond the site boundary, except where vehicle movements interface with site loading bays and access roads. Administrative placeholders such as document number, names, phone numbers, and dates are intentionally left blank for human completion.

2. Risk Assessment Methodology

A baseline survey and task-based Job Hazard Analysis (JHA/HIRA) approach were used to identify hazards across the full workplace, equipment, and work processes. Hazards were evaluated using a 5x5 risk matrix considering likelihood and severity, with risk ratings expressed as Low, Medium, High, or Extreme. Controls were selected using the hierarchy of controls, prioritizing elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. The assessment also considers process safety principles, machine safeguarding, fire and explosion prevention, chemical exposure control, and legal compliance expectations aligned with OSHA-style good practice, ISO 45001 management system principles, HAZOP thinking for process deviations, and industrial safety documentation requirements.

3. Risk Matrix Reference

The following matrix is used to evaluate risk levels based on likelihood and severity:

		Likelihood
Rare	Unlikely	Possible	Likely	Almost Certain
Severity	Catastrophic	Low	Low	Low	Medium	Medium
Major	Low	Low	Medium	Medium	High
Moderate	Low	Medium	Medium	High	High
Minor	Medium	Medium	High	High	Extreme
Negligible	Medium	High	High	Extreme	Extreme

4. Hazard Identification and Risk Evaluation

1. Entanglement, crushing, and amputation hazards from IBM, IMM, BIM, agglomerators, recycling systems, and other rotating or reciprocating machine parts at the point of operation, nip points, and transfer points.

Potential Consequences: Severe hand injuries, amputations, fractures, fatal crushing injuries, and secondary injuries from sudden machine movement during clearing jams, mold changes, purging, or maintenance.

Affected Persons: Machine operators, helpers, maintenance technicians, cleaners, supervisors, and contractors working near production equipment.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• Eliminate exposure by designing tasks so operators do not reach into moving parts during normal production.
• Install fixed guards, interlocked gates, presence-sensing devices, two-hand controls, and barrier guards at all point-of-operation and nip-point locations.
• Apply lockout/tagout for cleaning, clearing jams, maintenance, mold changes, and repair work; verify zero energy before access.
• Use written machine-specific SOPs, permit-to-work controls, and authorized-person-only access for maintenance and setup.
• Provide close-fitting work clothing, safety footwear, eye protection, and task-appropriate gloves where hand contact with sharp stock is unavoidable, while ensuring gloves are not used where they increase entanglement risk.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Catastrophic	High

2. Burns, fire, and explosion hazards from molten plastic, hot runners, heaters, boilers, shrink tunnels, and hot surfaces on processing equipment.

Potential Consequences: Thermal burns, ignition of combustible materials, fire spread, smoke inhalation, equipment damage, and production shutdown.

Affected Persons: Operators, maintenance staff, cleaners, warehouse personnel, contractors, and emergency responders.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Substitute lower-temperature processes or materials where technically feasible.
• Insulate hot surfaces, fit temperature controls, over-temperature trips, and guarded access to heated zones.
• Keep combustibles away from heat sources and maintain housekeeping around heaters, shrink tunnels, and boilers.
• Use hot-work permits, fire watch, and ignition source control during maintenance and repairs.
• Provide heat-resistant gloves, face protection, long-sleeved protective clothing, and safety footwear for tasks involving hot material handling.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	Medium

3. Fire and explosion risk from LPG storage, cylinder handling, transfer operations, leaks, and ignition sources in the LPG area and adjacent utilities.

Potential Consequences: Flash fire, explosion, asphyxiation, frostbite from rapid gas release, property damage, and multiple fatalities.

Affected Persons: LPG handlers, boiler operators, maintenance staff, nearby workers, contractors, and visitors.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• Restrict LPG handling to trained and authorized personnel only.
• Store cylinders upright, secured, protected from damage, heat, oxidizers, and ignition sources, with access limited to authorized persons.
• Use leak detection, gas monitoring, intrinsically safe tools, and ventilation in transfer and storage areas.
• Prohibit smoking, open flames, and portable electrical tools within the designated exclusion zone during transfer.
• Implement emergency isolation, evacuation, and fire response procedures specific to LPG releases and cylinder incidents.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Catastrophic	High

4. Chemical exposure from glycerin, white oil, cleaning agents, laboratory reagents, lubricants, coolants, and process chemicals used in manufacturing and maintenance.

Potential Consequences: Skin and eye irritation, dermatitis, respiratory irritation, chemical burns, ingestion hazards, and chronic health effects from repeated exposure.

Affected Persons: Laboratory staff, production operators, maintenance personnel, sanitation workers, and contractors.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Use SDS-based chemical risk assessment before use, storage, transfer, or mixing.
• Provide local exhaust ventilation, closed transfer systems, eyewash stations, and safety showers near chemical handling points.
• Segregate incompatible chemicals and store containers tightly closed in cool, dry, well-ventilated areas away from heat and sunlight.
• Require chemical-resistant gloves, goggles or face shields, protective clothing, and respiratory protection where exposure limits or irritation potential justify it.
• Train authorized personnel only for chemical mixing, decanting, and spill response.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Moderate	Medium

5. Electrical shock, arc flash, and fire hazards from motors, control panels, compressors, chillers, boilers, RO plant, laboratories, and maintenance activities.

Potential Consequences: Electrocution, burns, cardiac arrest, equipment damage, fire, and unplanned shutdown.

Affected Persons: Electricians, maintenance technicians, operators, contractors, and anyone working near energized equipment.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• De-energize equipment before work and apply lockout/tagout with verification of isolation.
• Restrict live electrical work to competent, authorized personnel under a controlled permit system.
• Inspect panels, cables, plugs, and earthing systems routinely and remove damaged equipment from service.
• Provide arc-rated PPE, insulated tools, and barriers where energized testing is unavoidable.
• Label electrical hazards clearly and maintain safe clearances around switchgear and distribution boards.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Catastrophic	High

6. Pressure system hazards from boilers, compressed air systems, compressors, chilled water systems, and pressurized process lines.

Potential Consequences: Line rupture, projectile release, burns, hearing damage, mechanical injury, and escalation into fire or explosion.

Affected Persons: Utility operators, maintenance staff, contractors, and nearby workers.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Maintain pressure vessels, relief devices, gauges, and isolation valves under a preventive maintenance and inspection program.
• Depressurize and isolate systems before maintenance, cleaning, or line breaking.
• Use rated hoses, fittings, and guards; replace damaged components immediately.
• Train operators on safe start-up, shutdown, and abnormal pressure response.
• Establish exclusion zones during testing, venting, and maintenance activities.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	Medium

7. Warehouse, loading bay, and internal traffic hazards involving forklifts, pallet trucks, trucks, pedestrians, and mixed vehicle movements.

Potential Consequences: Struck-by incidents, crushing injuries, collisions, dropped loads, product damage, and fatal pedestrian impacts.

Affected Persons: Warehouse staff, drivers, loaders, visitors, contractors, and pedestrians.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Major	High

Control Measures

• Separate pedestrians and vehicles using marked walkways, barriers, one-way routes, and controlled crossing points.
• Use trained and authorized forklift operators only, with pre-use inspections and speed control.
• Implement loading bay traffic plans, reversing controls, spotters where needed, and exclusion zones during loading/unloading.
• Require high-visibility PPE in traffic areas and enforce seatbelt use on powered industrial trucks.
• Maintain good housekeeping to prevent slips, trips, and load instability.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

8. Laboratory hazards including chemical handling, glassware breakage, sample contamination, and exposure to unknown or reactive substances.

Potential Consequences: Cuts, chemical splashes, inhalation exposure, contamination of samples, and incorrect test results affecting product quality and safety.

Affected Persons: Laboratory analysts, supervisors, cleaners, and maintenance personnel.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Moderate	Medium

Control Measures

• Use laboratory SOPs, sample labeling, and segregation of incompatible materials.
• Provide fume extraction, splash protection, and controlled access to laboratory work areas.
• Require lab coats, gloves, eye protection, and face protection for splash-prone tasks.
• Maintain spill kits, eyewash stations, and emergency wash facilities.
• Train staff in chemical hygiene, sample handling, and incident escalation.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Moderate	Low

9. Noise exposure from compressors, blow molding equipment, agglomerators, boilers, and production machinery.

Potential Consequences: Noise-induced hearing loss, communication failure, reduced situational awareness, and increased likelihood of incidents.

Affected Persons: Production workers, maintenance staff, warehouse personnel, and contractors.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Select quieter equipment or dampen noise at source where feasible.
• Install acoustic enclosures, silencers, and vibration isolation.
• Define hearing protection zones and require hearing protection in designated high-noise areas.
• Conduct noise surveys and audiometric surveillance for exposed workers.
• Train workers on correct selection, fit, and care of hearing protection.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Moderate	Medium

10. Fire load and storage hazards in finished goods warehouses, raw material stores, recycling areas, and packaging stores.

Potential Consequences: Rapid fire spread, smoke inhalation, collapse of stacked goods, blocked egress, and major business interruption.

Affected Persons: Warehouse workers, forklift operators, security staff, contractors, and visitors.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Control storage heights, aisle widths, and stacking stability.
• Separate incompatible materials and keep ignition sources away from combustible storage.
• Maintain fire detection, extinguishers, emergency exits, and clear access routes.
• Apply FIFO stock control and routine inspection for damaged packaging, leaks, or contamination.
• Train warehouse staff in fire prevention, manual handling, and emergency evacuation.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	Medium

5. General Control Measures

• Implement a site-wide hazard identification, reporting, and corrective action system.

Use routine inspections, near-miss reporting, and supervisor verification to ensure hazards are identified early and corrective actions are closed out promptly.

• Maintain a formal permit-to-work system for high-risk activities.

Apply permits for hot work, confined space entry, electrical work, line breaking, work at height, and contractor-controlled tasks.

• Enforce preventive maintenance and inspection of critical safety systems.

Include machine guards, emergency stops, pressure relief devices, fire systems, gas detection, ventilation, and lifting equipment in the maintenance schedule.

• Apply strict access control and competency management.

Limit hazardous areas to trained, authorized personnel and verify contractor competence before work begins.

• Maintain robust housekeeping, segregation, and storage discipline.

Keep walkways clear, segregate chemicals and combustibles, manage waste promptly, and prevent accumulation of dust, scrap, or spills.

6. Emergency Preparedness

• Develop and drill emergency response procedures for fire, LPG leak, chemical spill, machine entrapment, electrical shock, and boiler or pressure system failure. Response plans should define alarm activation, area isolation, evacuation routes, assembly points, and escalation to external emergency services.
• Provide spill kits, fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, safety showers, first aid kits, and rescue equipment at appropriate locations based on the hazards present in each area.
• Establish immediate shutdown and isolation procedures for critical utilities and process equipment, including emergency stop use, gas isolation, electrical isolation, and pressure release control.
• Train designated responders in fire fighting, spill containment, first aid, CPR, and safe rescue principles, with special emphasis on not entering confined or energized spaces without authorization and controls.
• Conduct periodic emergency drills covering night shift, contractor presence, and simultaneous operations so that evacuation, communication, and accountability can be verified under realistic conditions.

7. Training Requirements

• Machine Safety and Lockout/Tagout Training: All operators, maintenance staff, and supervisors must be trained on machine guarding, safe start-up and shutdown, jam clearing, and lockout/tagout principles before working on IBM, IMM, BIM, agglomerators, recycling systems, and related equipment.
  • Authorized personnel only for maintenance and repair.
  • Annual refresher training and task-specific retraining after incidents or equipment changes.
  • Verification of zero energy before access to hazardous zones.
• Chemical Safety and Hazard Communication Training: Workers handling glycerin, white oil, laboratory reagents, cleaning chemicals, lubricants, and process additives must understand SDS information, labeling, storage compatibility, exposure routes, spill response, and PPE selection.
  • Read SDS before use.
  • Know eyewash and shower locations.
  • Report leaks, splashes, and symptoms immediately.
• Fire, Explosion, and LPG Safety Training: Personnel in LPG, boiler, utility, and hot-process areas must be trained in ignition source control, gas leak recognition, cylinder handling, emergency isolation, and evacuation procedures.
  • No smoking or open flames in controlled zones.
  • Use only trained and authorized LPG handlers.
  • Understand gas detection and alarm response.
• Warehouse, Forklift, and Traffic Management Training: Warehouse staff, drivers, and loaders must be trained in pedestrian segregation, reversing controls, load stability, speed limits, and safe loading bay practices.
  • Use designated walkways.
  • Maintain visibility and communication.
  • Follow spotter instructions where required.
• PPE Selection, Use, and Limitations Training: Employees must be trained to select, wear, inspect, clean, and store PPE correctly, and to understand that PPE is the last line of defense after engineering and administrative controls.
  • Eye, face, hand, foot, hearing, respiratory, and body protection as task demands.
  • Replace damaged PPE immediately.
  • Use task-specific PPE for chemical, noise, splash, and impact hazards.

8. Monitoring and Review

Review Frequency: Annually, and immediately after any serious incident, process change, equipment modification, regulatory change, or significant near miss.

Monitoring Type	Frequency	Responsible Party	Description
Regular Inspection	Daily and weekly, depending on area criticality	Area supervisors and maintenance leads	Inspect machine guards, emergency stops, housekeeping, leaks, storage conditions, traffic routes, and PPE compliance. Record defects and ensure immediate corrective action for critical findings.
Preventive Maintenance Verification	Monthly and per manufacturer schedule	Maintenance manager and utility supervisors	Verify condition and function of boilers, compressors, chillers, cooling towers, pressure relief devices, electrical systems, ventilation, and safety interlocks.
Occupational Hygiene Monitoring	Quarterly or after process change	HSE manager with competent hygiene support	Monitor noise, chemical exposure, ventilation effectiveness, and any process emissions where workers may be exposed above acceptable levels.
Safety Audit and Compliance Review	Quarterly and after major incidents	HSE manager and senior management	Audit permit-to-work, LOTO, contractor control, warehouse traffic management, emergency preparedness, incident reporting, and corrective action closure.
Incident and Near-Miss Trend Review	Monthly	HSE committee and department heads	Review incidents, near misses, unsafe conditions, and repeated equipment failures to identify trends and implement preventive actions.

9. Special Circumstances

• Night work increases the likelihood of visibility-related incidents, fatigue, delayed emergency response, and reduced supervision. Additional lighting, communication checks, and supervision are required.
• Lone work in utilities, laboratories, warehouses, or maintenance areas increases rescue difficulty and should be restricted for high-risk tasks. A check-in system and emergency communication method are required.
• Wet weather can increase slip, trip, electrical, and traffic risks, especially in loading bays, outdoor storage, and around cooling towers and drainage routes. Housekeeping and drainage control must be intensified.
• Hot weather can increase heat stress, dehydration, and fatigue, particularly for boiler, LPG, warehouse, and outdoor maintenance work. Work-rest cycles and hydration controls are required.
• Contractor work, shutdowns, and simultaneous operations increase interface risk and require enhanced coordination, permits, isolation control, and supervision.

Approval and Sign-off

This risk assessment has been reviewed and approved by:

Assessor: _________________________ Date: __________

Manager/Supervisor: _________________________ Date: __________

Safety Representative: _________________________ Date: __________

This risk assessment must be reviewed annually, and immediately after any serious incident, process change, equipment modification, regulatory change, or significant near miss. or when significant changes occur.

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