ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN A GAS

REFILLING COMPANY IN CALAMBA CITY, LAGUNA

A Research Paper

Presented to the Faculty of College of Engineering and Architecture

University of Batangas – Lipa City

Lipa City, Batangas

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Course Requirements for the

Degree in Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

by

BOONGALING, BREEZE DAE A.

TOLENTINO, KIM PAOLO D.

OLAN, RHON CARLO T.

May 2020
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Safety describes a condition where adverse events and hazards are avoided,

and barriers are erected to prevent future occurrences or interactions with such events.

In the work place, safety can describe the act of avoiding being the victim of or the

cause of accidents. Using the term “accidents” however is thought by some to be

inappropriate when describing failures in safety. Such a term places the responsibility of

safety, risk, and loss on someone or something other than those employees and other

persons directly involve in unsafe behavior (Van Fleet 2009). Emphasis is placed on

how accidents in a project can be reduced by effective safety management.

Safety management refers to the appropriate accident prevention and control

measures that have been adopted in the production and business activities in order to

avoid personal injury and property, and the purpose is to ensure the safety of

employees and ensure smooth production and business activities could be carried out.

It involves effective process accommodating tiny or enormous adjustments made to site

operations in order for workers to work properly without facing unpredictable disruptions

to a project.

Human errors are one of the major underlying causes of accidents in the

production and perhaps the core of various safety problems in high risk facilities.

According to Salmon (2010) human error has consistently been implicated as the major

casual factor in a high proportion of accidents and incidents. When a person is

performing a task the mere presence of others creates a conflict between concentrating

on the task and concentrating on the other people. This conflict increases arousal,

which leads to social facilitation. Hinze’s Distraction Theory concludes that the workers

who are distracted by physical hazards or mental diversions are at increased risk of

accidents. Atempts have been made to develop a prediction theory of accident

causation which pinpoints the importance of error identification in accident prevention.

Mitropoulos and Cupido (2009) also suggested that the production practices can be

prevents production errors. Therefore, it is believed that the workers perceive the safety

practices can prevent human errors.

Island Air Products Corporation (IAPC) was born out of a shared vision of

brothers, Carlito and Cesar P. Monastrial. Its beginnings can be traced back to a small-

time trading business selling scraps and junk in the early 1960s.

LPG was to be their frontier. Taking a risk in this competitive industry meant not

selling a single one of the thousand cylinders they invested in for the first two months.

Island Air Trading was registered as a single proprietorship business. After several

years of operation, it made its final iteration as the company we know today Island Air

Products Corporation now in its 40 th year. It continues to meet its consumers’ demand

for safety, quality, and plans to move forward by engaging customers better which

ensures that they get the excellent service they deserve.

According to the company’s history, there are only few isolated cases of injuries

and accidents happened in the production area of the company. Each case was

investigated adequately. Countermeasures were made to prevent the same accidents

from occurring again. The company ensures that all workers are aware about the safety

practices in the working environment. The company employs 20 personnel. 8 people

are designated in the refilling and scaling areas while 4 people are in the blasting and

painting areas. Still, the company attains absolute outcome in implementing their Safety

Management system considering that their workers have different length and were

formerly employed in different types of company.

The company is considered a major player in the industry. The iconic yellow steel

cylinder with its red logo is a mainstay in many households and establishments all over

Metro Manila and Luzon and is primed for further expansion in the Visayas and beyond.

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the processes involved in the refilling area of the tanks in Island Gas

Calamba?

2. What are the most common incidents that happened at the refilling area of Island

Gas Calamba?

3. What are the causes of the accidents in the refilling area of Island Gas Calamba?

4. What are the ways to improve safety management implementation in the refilling

station of Island Gas Calamba?

Theoretical Framework

MAN MACHINE MATERIAL METHOD ENVIRONMENT

Uneasiness in Defective Scale. Improper use of Poor allocation Poor lighting.

lifting bigger weighing scale. of gas tanks.
tank gas.

Improper Tanks that have Lack of It hinders the Small space on

equipment for wrong weighing scale. workers on the the production
the workers. pressures. production area area.

Rusted hose in Lack of Lost in Excessive noise

the machines. materials for concentration. and vibration.
lifting big tanks.

Freely accidents Animals freely

of the workers. walking in the
area.

Figure 1: Streamline Diagram

In the streamline diagram, problems that may cause accidents to the workers are

identified. Streamline Diagram determined the problems that occur in different area of a

workplace. Listing the actions that provide hazards is also a must do when doing a

streamline diagram.

After determining all the actionable incidents in the workplace, streamline

diagram ranging them in order. Each action should trigger the subsequent step in the

process.
 The last phase is the determining of the effect in all causes of the accidents. The

highlighted part in the streamline diagram which placed in the left corner of the last

listed cause of the problem is the effect of all the causes of the accidents.

Conceptual Framework

INPUT
Interview from the Observed in the plant. Questionnaires
Island Gas supervisor.

PROCESS
Streamline Diagram Process Flow Chart Survey

OUTPUT
Extent of Implementation of Safety Practices at Gas Refilling Company in Laguna.

Figure 2: The conceptual framework of the study

In the figure above, the first phase which is the input phase consists interviewing

plant management and their workers, observing the plant area specially the refilling

station and doing a questionnaire that is subject of the study.

Interviewing plant manager were very brief and only consisted of questions that

were not answered during the observation in the plant. All input was from the
observation of the workers to the actual production and storage areas. Observation of

the plant area especially the refilling station conducted once due to the limited time and

visit allowed by the plant supervisors. A streamline diagram was also mapped by the

researchers in order to observe the problems inside the refilling station to identify

possible accidents.

In the process phase, the data gathered were processed through streamline

diagram. Streamline Diagram is done in order to establish company problem standards

or procedure. On the other hand, streamline diagram, identified the effect of the problem

arises in the company.

As the output of the study, is the Extent of Implementation of Safety Practices at

Gas Refilling Company in Laguna. This will determine whether the extent of

implementation of safety practices in the company specifically in the refilling station has

an effect to the implemented safety practices system of the company.

Recommendations on the improvement of the safety practices system will also be

possible. By identifying the cause of the accidents in the company, it would be easier to

the refilling station of Island Gas Calamba to identify and eliminate possible incidents

happened in the workplace.

Scope, Delimitations and Limitations of the Study

The study entitled “Assessment and Improvement of Safety Management in a

Gas Refilling Company in Calamba, Laguna” only focused on the importance and

improvement of safety management in refilling station at Island Gas Calamba.

 . From the information gathered, the researchers found out that there are 8

dedicated employees whose abilities and efficiency are continuously improved. The

study only covered the safety practices in the refilling station of the company and not on

the other area in Island Gas Calamba and would not tackle other aspects that are not

related to the topic.

The study also delved on possible cause of work hazards in the respondents.

This research will objectively focus on the factors and not deal with any problems

concerning the workers of the company.

Significance of the Study

The researchers inspected, studied and observe the factors that are included in

the overall safety management system and evaluated the current systems through

identification of the value stream to identify value added and non-value-added work.

This study aims to suggest and to aid the decision-making process of LPG tank owners

on what processes are beneficial and which processes are most common in accidents.

Specifically, the findings of this study would benefit the following:

To Island Gas Calamba, the study will provide awareness to the company

owners of the said plant. The assessment of the safety management system they are

using would give light on whether what processing system should be more improved

specially in safety management.

 To other LPG tank owner, this study will enlighten other LPG tank owners that

applies the same safety management system. The assessment and improvement of the

safety management system will guide them in decision making and provide awareness

on the impact of safety management to the performance and profitability of the workers.

To future LPG tank owners, this research study is also beneficial to potential

entrepreneurs and investors on the LPG tank industry, for them to have a background

knowledge on how safety management system is important for the safety of their

workers and that would give them the best results and return of income.

To the researchers, who are aspiring engineers, they would be informed of the

appropriate safety management. They would also be acquainted with the techniques to

have a small rate of accidents.

Finally, to the future researchers, this study can be a great help to those who will

explore similar or related topic. It can serve as a valuable reference which can provide

steadfast facts and information.

Definitions of Terms >> PLEASE add 1-2 statements regarding operational

definition

The following terms were defined for better understanding of the study.

Accidents – The term refers to unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and

unintentionally, typically resulting in damage of injury.

https://www.google.com/search?

sxsrf=ACYBGNS4mOfKRUjXoeSoGsIlCPFpjg1Tsg:1574081675015&q=Dictionary&stic

k=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONQesSoyi3w8sc9YSmZSWtOXmMU4-

LzL0jNc8lMLsnMz0ssqrRiUWJKzeNZxMqFEAMA7_QXqzcAAAA&zx=1574081700517#

dobs=accident

Health Standards - The term refers to something established as a measure or model to

which other similar things should conform.

http://cohsasa.co.za/healthcare-standards/

Safety Management System (SMS) – A systematic and explicit approach defining the

activities by which safety management is undertaken by an organization in order to

achieve acceptable or tolerable safety. (EUROCONTROL Safety Regulatory

Requirements (ESARRs))

https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Safety_Management_System

Safety Rules – The term refers to the condition of being safe from undergoing or

causing hurt, injury, or loss.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety

Occupational Safety – The term refers to the health and well-being of people

employed in a work environment.

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/occupational-safety.html

Safety – the term refers to the condition of being protected from harm or other non-

desirable outcomes. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order

to achieve an acceptable level of risk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety

Safety Management – the term refers to organisational function, which ensures that all

safety risks have been identified, assessed and satisfactorily mitigated.

https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Safety_Management

Human Error – the term refers to failure of a planned action to achieve a desired

outcome.

https://www.nopsema.gov.au/resources/human-factors/human-error/

Risk Assessment – the term refers to the overall process of hazard identification, risk

analysis, and risk evaluation.

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/risk_assessment.html
Safety Practices/ Safety Procedures – the term refers to series of specific steps that

guide a worker through a task from start to finish in a chronological order. Safe job

procedures are designed to reduce the risk by minimizing potential exposure.

https://www.ihsa.ca/resources/safe_practices_procedures.aspx

Counter Measure – this refer to an action taken to counteract a danger or threat.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/countermeasure

Risk – involves exposure to some type of danger and the possibility of loss or injury.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/risk.asp

Working Environment – broad term and means all your surroundings when working.

https://www.aurora.umu.se/en/employment/working-environment-health-and-equal-

access/working-environment/

Risk Management – it is the process of identifying, assessing and controlling threats to

an organization's capital and earnings.

https://searchcompliance.techtarget.com/definition/risk-management

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – the term refers to equipment worn to

minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.  

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-safety/managing-risks/personal-

protective-equipment-ppe
Safety Training – it refers to the instruction of workers regarding the risks and dangers

related to industry activities.

trenchlesspedia.com/definition/3110/safety-training
 Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter shows the overview of the different studies and researches indicated

from different books and magazines that are written by other researchers and authors.

With the help of these related literatures, the researchers established the background

and formulate the concept of this study.

Related Literature

This study addressed Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). It is one of the significant

energy sources and can be produced from natural gas processing as well as crude oil

refining. It refers to a mix of gaseous hydrocarbon compounds, primarily propane and

butane. The high flammable LPG is an odorless & colorless substance. The non-toxic

gas is heavier than air. LPG is made during natural gas processing and oil refining. LPG

is separated from unprocessed natural gas using refrigeration. LPG is extracted from

heated crude oil using a distillation tower. It is also one of the hazardous substance

which are very combustible. It is approximately twice as heavy as air when in gas form.

It forms a flammable mixture with air in concentrations of between 2% and 10%.

Workers may risk Inhalation of LPG fumes which can cause irritation in nose and throat,

headache, dizziness and loss of consciousness or even death. If there is a lack of

adequate in wearing personal protective equipment, these hazards may occur.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas, the modern fuel that brings comfort to tens of millions of

consumers worldwide. However, as with any fuel, safety in operations and handling is

imperative for consumers and for the industry. The effects of safety incidents do not
necessarily stop at the factory gate but can impact people, property and the

environment outside the enterprise, sometimes at considerable distances. In addition to

the human cost and material damage, the reputation of the product can be significantly

impaired if safety is not managed appropriately. These guidelines aim to inform the

principal stakeholders in the LPGas industry of the hazards at different stages of the

distribution chain as well as recommended good safety practices to minimize the

associated risks. ‘Prevention is better than cure and effective safety promotion starts by

getting things right within the production facilities, storage depot, bottling plant or

transport system. The importance of having an effective emergency management

system, for the occasion when something does go wrong has also been recognized for

a long time. LPG can be harmful until it has been safely utilized by the end user. To

ensure the safer use of LP gas, the LPG tank installation, storage and discharge should

be carried out as per industry standard safety best practices. The Standard Operating

Procedures (SOPs) play an important role in the prevention of LPG related hazards.

The evaluation of safety procedures ensures that SOPs are designed by LPG tank

manufacturers as per the scale and specifications of the LPG storage plant. The

assessment also helps prepare safety procedure manuals and other communication

materials for workers to understand and manage risks related to the LPG storage

space. Being safe is one of the most important matters when it comes to production.

Safety certainly belongs to what most people judge to be important in life. According to

Cooper 2009, a safety engineer at Aerospace Plus, the idea of ‘‘safety is a value’’ is

based on the “fundamental philosophy that all injuries are preventable and that the goal
of zero injuries can be achieved.” Safety is defined as “the state in which the possibility

of harm to persons or of property damage is reduced to, and maintained at or below an

acceptable level through a continuing process of hazard identification and safety risk

management. For the purpose of defining the safety management, safety can be

defined as the reduction of risk to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. Safety

management system (SMS) is a term used to refer to a comprehensive business

management system designed to manage safety elements in the working area. As with

all the management system, a safety management system provides goal setting,

planning and measuring performance. Stolzer 2010 a famous author of the book entitled

“Safety Management systems in Aviation.” Safety is most important for any industry.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is used during working time for safety. In

average, the hazards can be leakage, hand and leg injury, sound pollution, firing etc.

Leakage of LPG from the cylinder can be occurred during filling in the carousel. LPG

leakage can also be occurred during unscrewing/screwing. Hand and leg can be injured

during lift up cylinder on-line chain conveyor. Sound pollution is also a problem during

bottling. Paczuski, 2016 a safety engineer at E. Fab Inc

The study of Duff Abrams, a production engineer at DORIAN LPG to prevent

hazards or getting injured during LPG cylinder filling, PPEs should be used. There are

various types of PPEs such as safety shoe, hard hat (Helmet), safety glasses and

gloves, reflective jacket, air muff, safety goggles etc. Safety shoes and gloves are

always used to prevent leg and hand injury. Sound pollution can be minimized by using
air muff. Face mask are always needed to use during the working time. Fire

extinguishers are required to keep ready always for control any types of firing.

Safety performance is important aspect that is needed to be taken into

consideration. According to Phil Huges and Ed Ferett (2009) famous authors of the

book entitled “Introduction to Health and Safety at Work.” safety performance is defined

as the quality of safety related work, and its improvement in organization can increase

its resistance or robustness and lower risk of accidents. Based on the book of Charled

D. Reese (2011) Safety performance can be effect by lacking controlled working

environment and complexity, diversity of size of organizations. Good safety

performance and high productivity are companionable and should not be separately

Safety performance improvement in an organization can increase its resistance or

robustness and lower risk of accidents. Safety management practices are the

management of an organization targeting safety of their employees.

As mentioned by Paulo Victor De Calvhario in his book entitled “Human factors ing

Safety Management.” Safety management practices consist of management

commitment, safety training, worker’s involvement, safety communication and feedback,

safety rules and procedure, safety promotion and policy.

Bennet (2012) a safety expert about safety practices believes in his study that

workers’ views on occupational safety and health in the workplace are often ignored due

to various management styles and a shortage of safety regulations, allowing for little

reflection for worker contribution. Workers as subordinates often find themselves

compelled to simply comply with and submit to rules and policies already in place at the
workplace. He states that in many industries, the plight of workers is left in the hands of

health and safety professionals, industrial hygienists, academics and industrial

managers.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a convenient and clean alternative to gas, which

has many applications such as space and process heating, as a refrigerant, for cutting,

welding, powering machinery, water heating, powering industrial ovens, kilns or

furnaces, or fueling combustion engines, particularly fork-lift trucks. It is particularly

useful for cooking and heating in remote places where ordinary gas supplies are

unavailable. LPG is composed of either of the flammable but non-toxic gaseous

hydrocarbons propane and butane or a mixture of both. The gas is compressed to turn it

into liquid form to reduce its volume to facilitate handling. Because of their different

properties, the two hydrocarbons are each suited to specific uses. Propane’s lower

boiling point suits outdoor storage and is primarily used for central heating, cooking and

numerous commercial applications. Butane, which doesn’t work in colder conditions, is

best used indoors and is better for powering indoor portable heaters. Industry all over

the world has a vital role to play in accident prevention and ensuring that the

sustainable development process is not threatened by the effects of safety-related

incidents. The WLPGA is pleased to contribute to this worldwide effort by preparing and

disseminating these Safety Guidelines. They will contribute to the process of sharing

safety expertise as widely available as possible within the international LP Gas industry,

so as to encourage continuoussafety improvement throughout the world.

 The study of Barry White (2015), author of the book “Liqeufied Gas Handling

Principles” is to enhance safety in using LPG, regulations or codes of practice are

introduced to regulate the safe handling of LPG, the use of LPG vehicles, the design

and construction of LPG fuel tanks as well as to impose restrictions on LPG refueling

stations and to impose requirements for regular inspection of LPG vehicles and proper

training of personnel handling LPG. The main purpose of the regulations governing the

fuel system of LPG vehicles is to prevent leakage, minimize the possibility of accidents

and reduce damage in case of accidents. LPG is safe if used correctly. However, if

stored or used incorrectly, it can be extremely dangerous. Facilities managers need to

ensure that LPG containers and associated appliances are maintained, stored, handled

and used safely. In line with this, there is safety management to prevent such accidents.

Safety management is defined by Newman (2013) a safety engineer at Teekay Gas,

as the importance associated with safety within an organization. Thomen (2011) an

author of the famous book Leadersip in Safety Management call the ‘zero accident

vision’ the only ethically sustainable long-term goal for safety management, while the

ILO declared that the protection of health and safety at work is fundamental right,

related to the Declaration of Human Rights.

According to Clipper (2013) a production engineer at Connecticut Gas Corp safety

management is predictor of the safety information exchange between supervisors and

employees Practice of safety management is important element to improve effective

management of safety organization. According to Surienty, Hong (2011) ??? they had

mentioned that safety management are related to the original practices, parts and
purposes linked with safe, it is usually viewed as one of the structure of the total

organizational management and is carried out by the safety management system with

the assistance of numerous safety management practices

As stated by Kirwan (2011) a head engineer at Amada Co. Safety management

relates to the actual roles and functions associated with the remaining safe. It is usually

regarded as a sub-system of the total organization management and is carried out via

organization management system. In hypothesizing the constituents in safety

management, those safety practices should be included that could perceived by the

workers and those should also have a pertinent role in shaping safety environment. It is

believed that the management may adapt their behavior selectively to score well in

areas that are known to be performance indicators used by the regulatory body. That is

why people commonly use Safety Management System.

Safety Management System is a series of defined, organization-wide process that

provide for effective risk-based decision making related to your daily business. Safety

management system is a systematic approach put in place by an employer to minimize

the risk of injury and illness. It involves identifying, assessing, and controlling risks to

workers in all workplace operations. An effective Safety Management System is a key

component of any business; its scope and complexity will vary according to the type of

workplace and the nature of its operations.

A study conducted by Marchwiany (2016) a student at Harvard. The initial check of

the cylinder is needed to ensure that it is fit for filling. Cylinder valve is most important.

Normally it is used for dual purpose, to refill and supply gas to the consumer.
 Filling a large number of cylinders at a time is very risky so it is safe to fill the

cylinder automatically. In order to be safe, you need to do some safety

precautions/safety management.

Safety management may be defined as all forms of learned behavior which add up

to a shared commitment to think safely, to behave safely and to trust in the safety

measures put in place by the organization. Top-down driven safety culture involving

attitudes, values and beliefs may be a key predictor of safety performance. Morce

(2012) the author of the famous book “Constructing Safety Management” explained that

ICAO’s definition to mean “safety management” and the ability to manage safety is

accomplished through (SMS). Safety is the central issue in many organization

especially that operates in the aviation industry. Behind any accident is a failure of the

organization in managing their safety and improving air safety is a must in any type of

aviation organization including airline, airports, ground handlers, as well as the MROs

(maintenance repair and overhaul).

The historical develoment of Safety Management System is ironically started by a

tragic consequence for the absence of system, a disaster. As stated by Hudson (2011)

a crime investigator at Los Angeles Police Department. The first requirement for

company present safety is led by ad accident in Flixborough back in 1974. In the

accident, an explosion at the Nypo Ltd Caprolactam production facility tragically blown

away a whole village. It is acknowledged, the connection between accidents rate and

Safety Management System (SMS) program is critical as this program could have a

potential system in preventing loss of life and injuries.

 LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is the term applied to those hydrocarbons, which

are vapors at room temperature and pressure but can be liquefied by compressing them

lightly. When LPG is liquefied, its volume decreases considerably so that it requires

much less storage space. The liquid is transported in relatively light pressure cylinders

and the customer converts it to gas by opening the valve on the cylinder which causes

the liquid to vaporize as a result of a drop in cylinder pressure.

This study of Poten (2015) a student at University of New Mexico Safety is most

important for any industry. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is used during working

time for safety. In average, the hazards can be leakage, hand and leg injury, sound

pollution, firing etc. Leakage of LPG from the cylinder can be occurred during filling in

the carousel. LPG leakage can also be occurred during unscrewing/screwing. Hand and

leg can be injured during lift up cylinder on-line chain conveyor. Sound pollution is also

a problem during bottling.

In one of the investigations of safety management, Nobumoto (2015) CEO at

Akebono Break Industry found that management’s commitment to safety is a major

factor affecting the success of an organization’s safety programs. There are four pillars

of Safety Management System. It is composed of policy, safety risk management,

safety assurance and safety promotions. (FAA, 2010). All of these four pillars must exist

in order to function effectively. In addition to the four pillars, a successful safety

management system must be planned thoroughly within an organization.

In order to effectively utilize Safety Management System, data must be widely

accessible and available. Data collection, sharing, and integration are important. Safety
Management system also functions to identify trends and errors that are precursors also

allows safety practitioners to accidents. Recognizing precursors also allow safety

practitioners to understand the multitude of opportunities that exist to stop accidents.

Such hazards may be viewed as improvement opportunities. Systemic occupational

health and safety management guidelines can be used to identify the benefits resulting

from the assessment of risks in the process of improving occupational health and safety

management systems.

As stated by Ian Sutton (2009) an author of the book entitled “Offshore

Safety Management: Implementing SEMS Program” safety management system (SMS)

can be defined simply as a planned, documented and verifiable method of managing

hazards and associated risks.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines in a little more detail, a

safety management system involves a systematic approach to managing safety,

including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and

procedures (ICAO, 2009).

Safety management shifted in the late 1970s from an approach that focused on

adherence to prescriptive legislation, to an approach that focused on an organization

taking responsibility for its own management of its unique risk profile. To this end, ‘self

regulation’ was defined as the requirement for an organization to ensure that they took

all reasonably practical steps to ensure the health and safety of their workforce Fred

Manuele (2011) author of the books entitled “Advance Safety Management” Safety

management is a very important element within an effective manufacturing organization.

One of the most important components of SM is to maintain the safety of work systems

in the workplace. Safety of work systems is a function of many factors which affect the

system, and these factors affect the safety of work systems simultaneously. For this

reason, measuring work system safety needs a holistic approach.

Despite the fact that people are working and spend most of their working hours at

the workplace, little attention and resources are accorded to health and safety at work

The implementation of Safety Management System practice in a work-place, according

to Bohle (2016) safety engineer at Furushima involves different forms of work-place

training mandated by state legislation. The OHS legislative framework in South Australia

outlined general requirements for Safety Management training. Training Packages

promoted by the ANTA and now in widespread use in Australian work-places have been

used to standardise training in Safety Management practice through the application of

the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF). The design of Training Packages

incorporated adult learning principles.

Kofi Annan (2009) a safety managment mentor strongly believes that Safety and

health is not just for specialists and professionals. It should become the concern of all

people at workplaces. In the name of global competition measures like cost cutting,

quick output, better profits etc. should not cause any hazard in the work place and

surroundings.

Pandhe 2016, a safety engineer at AcillorMital states that the neglect of safety

aspects results in large number of fatalities in the Steel industry. The author finds that

about 49 percent of the fatal accidents are caused in rail and road movements while the
second largest killer is the hitting of a worker by any object in the Plant. About 10

percent of accidents are caused due to falling from height. Burns, explosion, metal

spillage, suffocation, electrocution and gas poisoning have also led to loss of precious

lives of the workers.

Related Studies

Safety Management System has conducted over twenty-five safety awareness

surveys of organizations in various locations in India and reveals that eighty to ninety

percent of accidents are triggered by unsafe acts or behaviors. Therefore, the author

emphasizes the need of Behavior Based Safety (BBS). The author observes that BBS

has shown forty positive results in terms of safe behavior and reduction in accident

rates across industries and countries.

Dan Petersen (2011) author of the book, “Safety Management, a Human Approach”

stated that different international and national safety standards provide guidance to help

organizations develop their safety management systems (SMS) with respect to varied

business needs and requirements. Some research finding concluded that pressures

from communities have led to the enactment of various safety legislations and safety

standards in different countries and 280 K. Jilcha, D. Kitawregions for different

industries.

Safety management systems (SMS) are changing from a prescriptive style to a

more ‘self-regulatory’ and ‘performance oriented’ model that is more proactive,

participative and better integrated with business activities. So far, the integration of
safety with other management systems has been addressed either at a strategic level or

a standardization level. It is important for each company to have such safety

management. An interesting observation by the author in this context is that a dubious

practice is prevailing in the steel industry is to allow a worker to remain at home and

mark him present to prevent reporting of the accident. The author is of the view that

studying of non-reportable accidents may help in increasing the safety standards in the

industry.

As mentioned by Paulo Victor De Calvhario in his book entitled “Human factors in

Safety Management.” Safety management practices consist of management

commitment, safety training, worker’s involvement, safety communication and feedback,

safety rules and procedure, safety promotion and policy.

Risk assessments allow organizations to evaluate the systemic measures taken to

improve the effectiveness of the occupational safety management system, identify the

potential hazards that may lead to non-conformities in systemic occupational safety

management, control the implementation of improvements defined in the adopted safety

programs, assess the risk of disruptions to the implementation of safety plans and,

specifically, in the achievement of the adopted safety objectives, identify priorities in

actions taken to improve the effectiveness of systemic occupational safety

management. According to the study of J. Maiti (2011) the author of the book entitled

“Industrial Safety Management” A safety management system comprises all policies,

objectives, roles, responsibilities accountabilities, codes, standards, communications,

processes, procedures, tools, data, and documents for managing safe operation of the
facility. In the context of the OPGGS(S) Regulations, the SMS comprises all these

aspects with a strong focus on the prevention, reduction, or mitigation of MAEs. The

SMS is not just documentation but is the actual implementation of processes, systems,

procedures, and practices on the facility.

Modern accident causation models are based on the assumption that the ultimate

causes for accidents and incidents are in the decisions and organizational practices.

The systematic and planned top management driven safety management. The term

safety program and safety system are sometimes used for describing same functions.

However, the latter ones usually put less emphasis on the management. The primary

aim of safety management is to intervene the causation process that leads to accidents

and incidents. This includes above all, the active recognition of both visible and latent

hazards. However, safety management is more that just a hazard identification system.

It is an overall system for ensuring that the safety activities are properly planned,

effectively implemented, and that the follow up system is arranged. Typically safety

management includes activities like risk analyses, arrangement of safety training,

accident and near-miss investigations, safety promotion and assessments of human

reliability. In an effective safety management system these activities are assigned to all

different hierarchical levels of organization.

As stated on the study of Karman (2013), a contractor and safety engineer, The

construction industry contributes to a large proportion of industrial injury and mortality. It

is of high importance to evaluate the effectiveness of the Safety Management System

(SMS). In particular, it is necessary to compare the quality and level of achievement of

SMS and safety performance of a construction project. However, a sizeable sample of

construction accidents is often not available. Therefore, possible proxies to indicate the

safety performance were established. Moreover, the motivation factors which

characterize the quality and level of achievement should be identified. In this study, a

structural model has been established to examine the relationship between the SMS

implementation and operational & safety performance of the construction projects.

Several safety management related standards, directives and regulations have

been published during 2000s. This progress has been noticeable especially in Europe.

The BS 8800 (2010) has become the first widely spread general safety management

standard. The “seveso" Directive 82/501/EEC (2012) presents the principles for the

management system of major accident hazards in the chemical and petro-chemical

industry.

Synthesis

In the light of the significant findings revealed in this study, the researchers draw

the following conclusions. Moreover, energy security is merely important in this world. In

line with this, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is one of the important energy sources,

this can be produced from natural gas processing as well as crude oil refining. In this

21st century, LPG is now available in different sizes of cylinder, this can be filled in both

automatically and manually.

 The automatic carousel machine can fill several cylinders at a time. Cylinder

checked by automatic weight checking scale to be ensured filling the stipulated value.

After this to check the valve leak of LPG filled cylinder for security and safety. If all the

process is positive, it is needed to put a safety cap on the cylinder valve and attach the

thermo-sleeve for more safety. Safety certainly belongs to what most people judge to be

important in life, it is the state in which the possibility of harm to persons or of property

damage is reduced to, and maintained at or below an acceptable level through a

continuing process of hazard identification and safety risk management. Safety risk

management can also be defined as the reduction of risk to a level that is as low as

reasonably practicable. In this study, safety management system (SMS) used to refer to

a comprehensive business management system designed to manage safety elements

in the working area.

As with all the management system, a safety management system provides goal
setting, planning and measuring performance. Therefore, safety is most important for
any industry.
 Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design and the methods to be used in the

study. Moreover, this chapter presents the data gathering instruments and procedures

followed by the researchers to come up with the conclusion that would lead to the vital

recommendations of the researchers for this study.

Research Design

Research design can be defined as “a logical plan for getting from here to there,

where here may be designed as the initial set of questions to be answered, and there is

some set of conclusions (answers) about these questions” (Yin, 2009). The purpose of

using research design is to avoid a situation where the evidences do not address the

initial research questions.

In this thesis we have studied a real-life situation, and an appropriate research

methodology for this is action research. Action research is an integration of research

and action in several cycles of data collection, analysis and interpretation, planning and

introduction of action strategies, and evaluation of these strategies through further data

collection.

The main purpose of the study is to determine the significant difference of the

implemented safety practices in the company and the extend of implementation of the

safety practices in refilling station of Island Gas Calamba.

 The test for statistical significance is a method designed to determine if two or

more variables have significant difference with each other. This method of research was

utilized in gathering the data on the extent of implementation of safety practices in

refilling station of Island Gas Calamba.

While collecting data by observation, the researcher may use various techniques.

The method that the researcher used was taking pictures and video recordings of the

LPG tank company in their natural environment.

Research Instrument

To obtain essential data for the completion of this study, the researchers

gathered information from books and web articles about safety management system to

aid them in the development of the study. To arrive at a conceptual framework, the

same materials were also used. The researchers used undergraduate theses and case

studies published in the internet as a guide for research construction.

Observational type of research was done by the researchers to be able to map

the stream of problems in the company. Streamline diagram is an essential tool to be

able to identify the problems in the company. Process mapping was also done to be

able to identify the processes involved in the refilling station of Island Gas Calamba.

The observation was conducted at Brgy. Makiling, Calamba, Laguna, Island Air

Products Corporation, Island Gas Calamba. The company manager was assured that

the information gathered would be kept confidential. The researchers conducted the

survey for two days starting on the 8 th of February 2019. Eventually, the data were
tabulated, interpreted and analyzed. The findings and recommendations of the study

were then formulated.

The primary data collection in this research study has been done in several

ways. First the researchers started with an observation. This observation was fairly

unstructured to get a better understanding of the company.

Further primary data were collected through interviews with company manager.

Information was also gathered by asking the supervisors whenever we had questions.

Qualitative secondary data included relevant information from the company’s

supervisors such as structure and development of Island Gas Calamba.

Data Gathering Procedures

The researchers had a lot of trial and error prior to settling to the company as a

subject of the study. The researchers filed a request and conducted visits to the Island

Gas Calamba.

In coming up with LPG tank company as a subject, one of the researcher’s uncle

was a supervisor at the main branch of the company, by knowing how the company

works and the incident that may occur in the company. Due to the researcher’s uncle

having access to the Island Gas Calamba, information was readily available to the

researchers.

The researchers had their visit to the first LPG tank company in subject which is

the Island Gas Calamba managed by Mr. Crisencio Matias and supervised by Engr.

Jaynel Pasia. The researchers had a chance to observe the actual refilling station of the
company. There were 8 workers in the refilling area. 4 persons are assigned to do the

refilling of the tanks, 1 is assigned at weighting the tanks, 1 was assigned to check the

quality of the tanks, the other 1 were assigned to transport the tanks to the delivery

trucks. After refilling the tanks, the tanks were transported to the different stores in

Laguna. This was a lot of work and movement to do in the part of the workers due to

lack of equipment in the working area. The classifications were shine gas, butterfly,

small, medium and big respectively.

The researchers found out that the business was built 38 years ago and is

considered as a successful LPG tank company in the province of Laguna. The

researchers conducted an observation during the refilling of the tanks. This was done

for 1 day. The owner requested us to leave a questionnaire regarding our additional

questions instead of just an interview for her to be able to gather the required data with

accuracy.

A few weeks after, the researchers returned at Island Gas Company and

gathered the questionnaire at the same time requesting Engr. Jaynel Pasia to help us

find the most common hazard that occur in the area. Luckily, Engr. Jaynel Pasia has

helps us determine the accident that occur in the workplace.

Primary data were collected for the streamline diagram, questionnaires and

survey for the evaluation.

A good research instrument must be validated. Validity refers to the degree in

which the test or other measuring device is truly measuring what it intends to measure.
For the validity of the instrument used, the researchers used content validity type in

which the test shows the essence, topics and areas that the test is designed to

measure. Steps done by the researchers under the content validity included

documentary analysis. Hence, pilot study was undertaken to test if the questionnaire

would be valid enough to come up with the desired result. Ten testing samples were

chosen to serve as the preliminary respondents for this validity test.

In content analysis, each item of the questionnaire had options 3, retain; 2, needs

improvement; and 1, delete. Based on the responses of the experts in pilot study, the

weighted mean ranged from 2.5 to 3.0. The following shows the interpretation of the

values obtained in the test. (Calmorin and Calmorin, 1997)

Range Interpretation
2.5 - 3 Retain
1.5 - 2.49 Needs Improvement
1 - 1.49 Delete
The researchers also used items analysis in determining the validity of the

instrument. It is a procedure by which the difficulty index (DI) and the validity index (VI)

of each item in the test is determined. After the item analysis, a decision would be

formulated as to which items or questions have to be retained, modified, or discarded

and replaced.

The Difficulty Index formula is:

Psa  Psd
DI 
2
 Nomenclature:

Psa = Percentage of Strongly Agree

Psd = Percentage of Strongly Disagree

The Validity Index formula is:

VI  Psa  Psd
Nomenclature:

Psa = Percentage of Strongly Agree

Psd = Percentage of Strongly Disagree

In order to interpret the results obtained in the difficulty index test, the following

ranges were used:

Difficulty Index Interpretation

DI >= 0.75 Easy
0.25 < DI < 0.75 Moderately Difficult
DI <= 0.25 Difficult

The following ranges of values were used in determining the Validity Index:

Validity Index Interpretation

VI >= 0.75 Highly Perceptive
0.25 < VI < 0.75 Moderately Perceptive
VI <= 0.25 Not Perceptive
 If the researchers found out that the item is easy and not perceptive, the

researchers would evaluate the item if it would be disregarded or modified. This means

that any item would be disregarded if both validity tests show the said results.

Reliability is defined as the consistency of measurement, or the degree to which

an instrument measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition

with the same subjects. In the test for reliability, the researchers chose 10 respondents

to be given another questionnaire containing the same items in the previous

questionnaire. A statistical concept called Spearman rank correlation coefficient is used

to measure reliability, the most common of which is the Spearman Rank Correlation

Coefficient, which was employed to the study. The summation of all values was

substituted for the given formula below;

N
6∑ d 2
i =1 i
r s =1− 3
N −N

Nomenclature:

rs = Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient

di2 = squared difference between ranks

N = Number of pilot respondents (10)

The interpretation of the value obtained in this reliability test is shown below:
 Value of r Interpretation
1.0 Perfect Correlation
0.91 – 0.99 Very High Correlation
0.71 – 0.90 High Correlation

If the value obtained is below the above values, the questionnaire is said to be

not reliable. (Calmorin and Calmorin, 1997).

The current layout of the safety management system was observed by the

researchers. During data collection, the primary data were collected throughout the

investigation by the researchers on Island Gas Calamba. The secondary data were

collected by reading journals, books, archives, and internet browsing.

Statistical Treatment of Data

In order to analyze, present and interpret the data the following statistical tools

were used:

5 Whys

The “5 whys” is a method for discovering the root cause of a problem or a defect,

so that one can improve the cause and keep the problem or defect from recurring.

Solving root causes is fundamental to the Lean philosophy. Solving root causes means

that the problem is solved at the root instead of at the superficial or immediately obvious

levels.
 The reason why the technique is called the “5 whys” is because the inventor,

Toyota, experienced that “why” must be asked successively five times before the root

cause is established.

According to Bicheno, many people believe that the reason why the Japanese

motor industry has great quality, reliability and productivity is because of the unrelenting

seek for root causes.

Figure 3: Why Why Diagram

 The cause-and-effect diagram does not indicate what the right cause is, but it

helps to develop educated guesses on focus measurements and finding the root causes

(Pande and Holpp, 2009). By using the “5 whys” combined with a cause-and-effect

diagram the root causes can be narrowed down easier. Also 4M can be used in the

diagram to classify the causes.

Ishikawa Diagram

An Ishikawa diagram is a diagram that shows the causes of an event and is often

used in manufacturing and product development to outline the different steps in a

process, demonstrate where quality control issues might arise and determine which

resources are required at specific times.

 Figure 4: Ishikawa Diagram

Process Mapping

A process map is a planning and management tool that visually describes the

flow of work. Using process mapping software, process maps show a series of events

that produce an end result. A process map is also called a flowchart, process flowchart,

process chart, functional process chart, functional flowchart, process model, workflow

diagram, business flow diagram or process flow diagram. It shows who and what is

involved in a process and can be used in any business or organization and can reveal

areas where a process should be improved.

 Figure 5: Process Map

source : ("Process Flow Chart Template", 2019)

Process Flowchart

A flowchart is a picture of the separate steps of a process in sequential order.

Elements that may be included are: sequence of actions, materials or services entering
or leaving the process (inputs and outputs), decisions that must be made, people who

become involved, time involved at each step and/or process measurements.

The process described can be anything: a manufacturing process, an

administrative or service process, a project plan. This is a generic tool that can be

adapted for a wide variety of purposes.

Figure 6: Process Flow Chart

source: "Process flow chart : Culture for High Performance : The University of Western

Australia", n.d.)

Hazard Contributing Factor

 A hazard is any agent that can cause harm or damage to humans, property, or

the environment. Hazard contributing factor determined the hazard that caused in a

workplace and identified the numbers of the workers being in an accident.

Fi

gure 5: Hazard Contributing Factor

Source: Engr. Jaynel Pasia (Island Gas Calamba Engineer)