Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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(201) 850-0167

IE 673-851
Professor Paul Ranky
NJIT Fall 2015

Human Error: Detection & Prevention Cases

1) Potholes on Roads
a. Human Error = Every driver, especially in the urban/metro areas, now
and then experience these destructing patches of unpaved holes in the
roads the drive on.
b. Detection = Ive come across many in the area I live in and they never
seem to cease. Water (from any source) seeps through the pavement
and as time flies by eventually causes the destruction of the road
forming holes in the ground. These are inevitable and can cause
unleveled driving paths and if deep enough can cause flat tires or
cracked undercarriages, or even worse can cause accidents.

c. Prevention = Formation of potholes can be avoided, although costly.

This is the reason why cuts are made in the process of paving roads.
Shortcuts are taken so that there can be cost and time savings. If more
time and money were to be invested prior to any new paving road
work, it can save the headache of applying temporary patches to preexisting potholes that are short lived and overtime costs more money.
Also, using better materials and ensuring the asphalt mixture used in
paving are at the correct temperature so that when settled would
prevent more ground water from seeping in and compromising the
integrity of the pavement.
2) Forklifts in Manufacturing Industries
a. Human Error = Forklift usage is key in many companies, but they pose
safety concerns as drivers are not careful when maneuvering.
b. Detection = I came across the use of forklifts in my professional career
both in the past and the present. The usage is very prominent in
shifting inventory of a companys product to storage or shipping. But
with usage comes a lot of risk, the maneuvering of such heavy and
dangerous machines can cause accidents in the workplace. First off,
drivers sometimes cant see past sharp corners and turns, or are
1

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

IE 673-851
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Professor Paul Ranky
(201) 850-0167
NJIT Fall 2015
driving too fast to slow down for pedestrian walking by. The result of
such causes forklifts and their operators to crash into structures and/or
other workers.

c. Prevention = If there was adequate training provided on a semi-annual

or quarterly basis, educating operators of the dangers of forklift and
driving them, many quality & safety issues would be decreased.
Conducting internal audits and performing risk assessments of such
hazards on a weekly or monthly basis can also help prevent accidents
from happening. Another way to prevent accidents and damages could
be to install horns and flashing lights on forklifts so that they can be
heard or seen around the facility and in blind spots.
3) Forklift usage other than moving
a. Human Error = Forklifts are being used as lifts to reach higher
platforms in warehouses. The reason they are used is they are a quick
and efficient method of raising workers to higher levels to access
inventory on shelves or cleaning of ceiling fans and/or lights.
b. Detection = There comes a need in the busy environment of the
warehouse to get things done faster and quicker, with these shortcuts
come safety hazards. First hand I got to see the dangers that come
with these shortcuts. While walking through a warehouse, one operator
had lifted a platform that was being occupied by a fellow coworker. The
forklift rose the platform to about 20-25 feet in the air. At this point
many hazards can occur: 1) the forklift can tip over from the weight of
the platform at the high level, 2) the operator can lose balance and
hang off the platform with the harness or 3) the platform itself can
slide off the metal forks.

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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Professor Paul Ranky
NJIT Fall 2015

c. Prevention = This potential safety hazard can be avoided by utilizing

other equipment that is available for purchase. It can be a huge
expense, for example there is a machine called the Genie Boom Lift
which is specifically designed to elevate warehouse workers to
different heights, this can cost around $20,000 to own. Overall this
would reduce the
risk of any hazards from being created.
4) Overheating Electronic Devices
a. Human Error = Overheating during charging electronic devices cause
explosions and fires. Other causes of destruction from overheating can
stem from using phones aggressively, perhaps under the hot beaming
sun on a summers day.
b. Detection = Some phone manufacturers have received complaints of
phones overheating after keeping them on charge for a period of time.
Electrically charging the battery of electronic device causes the
hardware in phones to combust (as seen in the pictures below).

c. Prevention = Electronic device manufacturers can reduce the use of

mass produced, poor quality batteries. Utilizing quality tested premium
batteries, there can be less of these incidents with electronic fires.
Innovation/creativity of preventing these hazards can also go as far as
developing containers or cases that can house the device during
charging by having a cooling system.
5) Chemical Hazardous Waste
a. Human Error = Some manufacturing industries, such as the
pharmaceutical industry, produce copious amounts of hazardous

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

IE 673-851
pp488@njit.edu
Professor Paul Ranky
(201) 850-0167
NJIT Fall 2015
waste. When these different classes of waste are mixed together or not
stored properly can cause environmental and physical hazards.
b. Detection = In my professional career, I once worked for a generic
pharmaceutical drug company. Here I performed various analytical
testing of generic drugs from day to day. As testing continued, so did
the buildup of normal hazardous waste. Piling up from test to test, and
from day to day, sometimes the waste would be mixed in containers or
dumped down the drain to city sewage. Mixing of chemical waste in
the containers caused the chemical breakdown of the container
overtime and caused caustic burn marks to the enclosures and
surrounding areas.

c. Prevention = There are many steps to preventing safety hazards in

hazardous waste situations. First there needs to be risk assessments
put into place for any and all types of chemicals present in a facility.
Second would be to implement safety action plans in the event any
type of hazard occurs, be it fire or spills. The last step would be to
designate an individual or team to keep track of all chemical inventory
and steps to dispose of them safely as per EPA or any other governing
authorized agencies.
6) Cell Phones & Cars
a. Human Error = In the recent years, we have been so consumed with
technology that it affects the way we perform day to day activities.
Using a cell phone while driving can cause distractions, even if they
were for a half of a second, which can cause fatal accidents.
b. Detection = Every now and then, there are cases reported of
automobile accidents occurring nationwide due to drivers being
distracted using their phones. Driving while distracted has become a
very serious problem, almost as dangerous as driving under the
influence. Distracted driving causes minor fender benders, to totaled
cars and the most feared, death.

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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Professor Paul Ranky
NJIT Fall 2015

c. Prevention = There are already many protocols put in place to prevent

drivers, or discourage drivers to eliminate the use of a handheld device
while operating the device. For example, enforcing moving violations
(that come with a fine) has been a very prevalent solution. Other steps
that can be taken to enforce no cell phone usage is to have cameras
installed at every traffic light and monitor usage of cell phones as
drivers pass by.
7) Fire Extinguishers
a. Human Error = Fire extinguishers are very key in fire safety but
improper use can make matters worse rather than good.
b. Detection = Ive come across a situation when the use of a fire
extinguisher did more harm than good. Fire extinguishers are effective
in eliminating fire hazards. Although, the problem is that there are
different kinds of fire extinguishers available (A, B, and C ratings). In
my experience, a fire occurred in the warehouse (small controlled area)
where boxes full of paper caught fire and a fire extinguisher that Was
not rated for that fire was used and was found to be ineffective.

c. Prevention = Fire safety is an important of everyday life, so it is

important for an employer to have fire safety training for their
employees. Not only does the training help prevent the spread of fires
should they occur on the companys premises, but the training can be
utilized at home as well.
8) Chipotle Restaurant
a. Human Error = Food and beverage industries are a direct source of the
spread and prevention of major illnesses and diseases. Anything that is
consumed orally can have a negative health effect on any individual.
5

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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Professor Paul Ranky
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NJIT Fall 2015
Recently the spotlight has been on the popular sit down eatery called
Chipotle.
b. Detection = Being a fairly regular consumer of the Chipotle franchise,
it is important to know what potential hazards can take place from
eating from their many different locations. Recently it has been
revealed that 43 stores were affected with the bacterium E. Coli, which
can be a deadly illness if not properly treated.

c. Prevention = As with all Food or Beverage manufacturers, companies

need to invest their time and resources into the quality of their
product. Chipotle should be conducting audits and imposing stringent
standards on the supplier of their materials.
9) Hazards on the Production Line
a. Human Error = If not careful, there can be numerous amount of
potential hazards that can take place on the production line of any
manufacturing company, especially if there is heavy machinery in the
automation process.
b. Detection = In the world of the manufacturing process, production of
certain product(s) can be useful for efficient and accurate output. For
example, in my own experience, I come across the use of machinery
that moves boxes full of products down the assembly line. If any loose
piece of clothing gets caught in the motor it can cause serious
damage. In one instance, a piece of the safety clothing an operator
was wearing got caught and pulled the individual towards the machine.

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

pp488@njit.edu
(201) 850-0167

IE 673-851
Professor Paul Ranky
NJIT Fall 2015

c. Prevention = Although proper PPE (Personal protective equipment) was

worn, hazards still exist. Ways to prevent this particular known hazard
was to invest in safety gear that it is Velcro strapped so that in the
event any peeve of clothing that gets caught the clothes can easily rip
off and would not pull the individual towards the machine.
10)

Deer Accidents
a. Human Error = Humans have built major roads and highways all across
the nation, most of them that run through natural habitat. With these
types of structures being built in those habitats, they come with
potential hazards.
b. Detection = Weve seen at one point and time in our lives, the Deer
Crossing signs that are posted in areas with the presence of Deer.
There are many Deer related accidents that happen due to the nature
of these animals crossing the road without knowing there is a 4000
pound machine coming towards it. Deer tend to freeze up when they
see bright lights coming towards them and in this way they cause
deadly accidents that ends up with the deer being hurt (or death)
and/or the operator of the car and the car itself being hurt.

c. Prevention = Some suggestions as to prevent such collisions between

deer and cars is to have some type of warning device in areas where
most of these accidents occur. Or some type of repelling odor that can
drive away these animals from danger.
11)

Speeding Violations

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

IE 673-851
pp488@njit.edu
Professor Paul Ranky
(201) 850-0167
NJIT Fall 2015
a. Human Error = With the advancements made in automobile technology
from the birth of automobile industry to now has been very innovative
and amazing. However, with any advancements made, us humans
seem to always to utilize them in negative ways. One way is driving
these automobiles at high speeds that causes danger not only to the
driver but to other people on the road.
b. Detection = Of the thousands of accidents that occur every day, some
are bound to be related to moving violations such as speeding. Going
exceedingly past the posted speed limit makes the car a one ton killing
machine. Lots of accidents occur as a result of drivers speeding, from
fender benders to accidents that end up with multiple deaths.

c. Prevention = There is no one way to definitely prevent people from

speeding, but steps can be taken to ensure the number goes down.
The most effective is having more speed traps at known locations of
speeding, that is, having more cops on the road patrolling the streets
for any offenders. Another technique can be installing speed limit
warnings on new cars, that way if an individual is speeding past the
posted speed limit ( to a certain point, i.e. going 30 mph over) their
information would be sent to the police department for an immediate
warning or ticket.
12)

DUI/DWI Driving
a. Human Error = Not only are accidents caused by speeding drivers but
accidents can happen with drivers who are driving under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.
b. Detection = As with speeding accidents, there are numerous accidents
caused by operators who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The reason why the government has such strict laws (tolerance levels,
ABV, etc.) is because when consuming these substances, it impairs the
logic and though process of individuals, and to operate machinery
under those conditions can negatively affect the driver and the people
on the road. At times driving while drunk can result in the death of the
driver or cause and accident involving the death of others on the road.

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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c. Prevention = As with speeding, it is inevitable and human nature for

people to disregard the rules of our local and federal government when
it comes to drinking and driving. This means that people are still going
to above the ABV limit and drive cars and cause accidents. To slow
down the progression of such things, there can be a presence of more
cops on the roads checking and ensuring drivers arent or dont seem
to be under the influence. Another way to reduce the number of DUI
related accidents is to install breathalyzers in every bar, club and
lounge where you leave your keys in the beginning and you will only
get them back at the end if you can pass a breathalyzer test.

Group Discussion Members = Pavan Patel, Adewuyi B. Thompson, Matthew

Boghdady
IE 673 Social Networking Discussions:

Link 1: http://www.manufacturing.net/news/2015/08/in-reversal-colorado-mine-townto-seek-federal-cleanup-help?et_cid=4770157&et_rid=54661085&location=top

Pavans Comments: Toxic spills and management can be costly both

environmentally and financially for local towns and government. Cleanup services
for these toxic chemicals require a lot of attention and thus the help of the
government was enlisted. The toxic mine leak that occurred in Colorado can be
detrimental to the quality of land and water that is touched by the leak. It should be
priority # 1 to get any type of environmental disasters to be controlled and
eliminated.

Matthews Comments:

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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Adewuyis Comments: How can you not be disgusted when there is a toxic spill,
but this town is certainly in a quagmire of their own? The organization that was
designed to help maintain environment cleanup caused this disaster and now the
fight is who will pay for this clean up. At the end of the day it comes down to the
finance which is pretty disgusting that you have to fight to make this cleanup
happen when this will affect our environment not telling when this will happen but
the sooner the cleanup happens the better. It is a shame when you see the now,
but dont look to the future to see what could be and how you expect our children to
live.
Julios Comments: It is sad to know that while the government is responsible for
overseen the proper operation of mines and organizations in general, there is not a
fast response to incidents like the toxic mine leak that occurred in Colorado recently.
If companies can not control the outcome of their operations, maybe they should
not be in business. At the end, the population affected pays the price for improper
operations or costly incidents like this one. I could not agree more that the
government should first seek a solution to this problems and later deal with the
aspects of who should pay for this type of incidents.
Link 2: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1327677&_mc=NL_EET_EDT_EET_automotivedesignline_20150916&cid=NL_
EET_EDT_EET_automotivedesignline_20150916&elq=5e36cbf3770e45f584e95708d
a63d273&elqCampaignId=24798&elqaid=28134&elqat=1&elqTrackId=2d69b60ad9
9f482fb5d4c92119787a35

Pavans Comments: Mobile manufacturers are in the business of constantly

evolving their product to keep in its respective competitive marketplace. This means
that manufacturers such as Samsung need to innovate and implement technology
so that it can top their competitors. Installing the LPDDR4 upgrade into their phones
improves the quality of their product and makes their product superior to others
such as Apple or LG. Over time this upgrade on the preexisting component,
LPDDR3, would help battery life and higher data rates.

Matthews Comments: LPDDR4 upgrade from last years model seems like it will
be very beneficial to use this upgrade in certain situations. The biggest benefit will
be using this chip in phones for its low power consumption. With phones now
capable of higher quality video, the memory capability will need to increase and the
LPDDR4 chip will both be capable of more memory and will take less battery than
before. Often times, cellphone batteries are the key make it or brake it factor when
it comes to getting a new phone or a better phone.

Adewuyis Comments: This also relates to the IoT as the demand for technology
to be much better. The LPDDR4 upgrade from last years model seems will be
10

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

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Professor Paul Ranky
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NJIT Fall 2015
beneficial. Samsung is certainly not one to be on the back of the bus when it comes
to the chip sector where they have a huge hand in the smartphone wars where they
take lead in providing the global with what is needed to compete in this market. The
demand is there for more use of the main memory as compared to PCs and laptops
because that sector of the laptop and PCs is just being diminished where people
are relying just on the smartphone. Honestly this is just great because this open up
the platform for a lot more and waiting to see what developers are able to offer with
this upgrade in technology.
Julios Comments: Cell phone companies are now more than ever competing to
dominate the market. With the use of LPDDR4, Samsung is taking the lead in the
improvement of battery life while optimizing the play and creation of 4 k videos on
their cell phones. The same use of technology may be seemed on modern cars for
their advance communication system. But, not implemented on laptops that are
running fine on older technology like the LPDDR3.
Link 3: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1327709&_mc=NL_EET_EDT_EET_automotivedesignline_20150916&cid=NL_
EET_EDT_EET_automotivedesignline_20150916&elq=5e36cbf3770e45f584e95708d
a63d273&elqCampaignId=24798&elqaid=28134&elqat=1&elqTrackId=b381c06a33
7c47fe8a8375503a2fbfe5

Pavans Comments: The use of IoT has become very prevalent in the technology
based world. It helps the effective communication of data in companies across their
internal network structure. As for the company in the article, Globalfoundries, they
are trying implement what was coined as the term mystical animal into their
business, which they say is not impossible to do but just need to first define the
meaning of IoT within their system.

Matthews Comments: IoT is the next big innovation to come out in recent years.
IoT benefits technology by simplifying the interface of the user. It meshes multiple
devices and causes them to talk to each other and make things easier for users.
More research needs to be done in order to ensure that the technology doesnt hurt
the economy, industries, or affect peoples lives.

Adewuyis Comments: The smartphone era is still on its road to evolving as all
other technology have a question mark hanging over their heads and it is not
simply about the hardware of the phone it is about the what it can offer to improve
the life around them. It is interesting to see how the smartphone war is taking over
our lives and 20 years ago the answer was always in our pockets. The IoT is
certainly a mystical animal that we have to get grasp as this is a new beginning of a
technology era that we need to understand that human era is aware of their
surroundings.

11

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

IE 673-851
pp488@njit.edu
Professor Paul Ranky
(201) 850-0167
NJIT Fall 2015
Julios Comments: Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. This is why
companies like Globalfoundries seek to provide answers in the use of Internet of
Things (IoT). This company expresses that while the growth of cell phones market
may be getting smaller the use of IoT is not. The company believes that cell phone
manufacturer should focus on the communication of their devices across different
platforms.

References for Images:

Case # 1:
1) http://patch.com/pennsylvania/horsham/avoid-pothole-damage-spring-thesetips
2) http://fox17online.com/2014/02/14/here-are-the-rules-to-filing-a-potholedamage-claim-with-mdot/
Case # 2:
3) http://speconthejob.com/extra-training-on-forklifts-for-warehouses/

12

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

IE 673-851
pp488@njit.edu
Professor Paul Ranky
(201) 850-0167
NJIT Fall 2015
4) http://premierhandling.com/top-10-warehouse-safety-hazards-avoid/
Case # 3:
5) http://www.techmechgroup.com/used-forklift-platform-india.html
6) http://www.sjf.com/blog/guide-lift-platforms
Case # 4:
7) http://img.wonderhowto.com/img/03/71/63537055386687/0/8-ways-cooldown-prevent-your-samsung-galaxy-s5-from-overheating.w654.jpg
8) http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/explosions-electrocution-fatal-phoneaccidents-are-rarer-than-you-think/
Case # 5:
9) http://brickleyenv.com/hazardous-waste-is-a-danger-to-water-and-well-being/
10)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/drug-&-laboratory-disposal-incCase # 6:
11)
https://blog.agentinsure.com/tag/phone/
12)
http://www.resortinjurylawyerblog.com/2010/11/dwd---cell-phonedistraction-c.html
Case # 7:
13)
http://www.stockphotosforfree.com/photos/slow-motion/slow-motionfire-effects.html
14)
http://www.lakeworthtx.virtual.vpshost.net/our_city/fire/fire_extinguishers.html
Case # 8:
15)
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chipotle-stores-may-reopen-as-e-colioutbreak-remains-unsolved/
16)
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/at-least-37-now-sickin-chipotle-e-coli-outbreak-officials-say/
Case # 9:
17)
http://safetydepot.com/orange-safety-vests/
18)
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photographyproduction-line-boxes-image3854327
Case # 10:
19)
20)

https://www.ricesigns.com/warning/symbol-warning-signs/w11-3.htm
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5398291

Case # 11:
21)
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/speedingdriver-on-us-19-causes-series-of-crashes-in-pinellas-park/2145150
22)
http://salagraphics.com/collections/all/safety-signs?page=14

13

Pavan Patel Take Home Midterm Exam

pp488@njit.edu
(201) 850-0167

IE 673-851
Professor Paul Ranky
NJIT Fall 2015

Case # 12:
23)
http://savemolives.com/campaigns/details/drive-sober-or-get-pulledover-enforcement-campaign
24)
https://www.google.com/search?
q=drunk+driving+accident&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS580US580&espv=2&biw=13
66&bih=599&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIx6
SLs_-TyQIVjKMeCh0IuAP7#imgrc=sol94eGnEdw-EM%3A

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