Risk Assessment of Reheating Furnace by Failure Modes and Effect Analysis Method in Steel Complexes

Workers of the steel industry are exposed to many hazardous risks of nonfatal injuries and diseases considering the structure of their working environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate and identify the risks associated with the furnace in one of the north of Isfahan (Iran) Steel Complexes.

The data were gathered through meeting sessions, observation, and documents surveys and were documented in failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) worksheets. In this way, the weight of each failure was considered of risk priority number. Data surveys were documented in FMEA worksheets.

The results showed that explosion hazards and gas leaks were among the most dangerous hazards with the highest number of risks, respectively. After identifying the control measures and applying them, the percentage of identified risks is 77% at the acceptable level, 22.2% at the acceptable level under the condition of control, and 0% at the unacceptable level. Hazards found in workplaces were greater in the steel industries and iron industries.

It can be concluded that education and training regarding related risk factors, providing personal protective equipment, and development of programs that can ensure safety in industries may lessen and prevent hazards associated with working place.