Incident Insights: Hazardous energy leads to a fan belt injury

On January 31, 2022, a UW employee was assigned to replace the motor-pulley V-belts on a supply air fan that was part of a multiple fan system. The maintenance worker turned off the electricity to the supply fan motor and removed the V-belt guard to gain better visibility of the belts. The fan stopped, but airflow from the other supply fans on the system caused the supply fan, under repair, to move in the reverse direction. The worker placed their gloved hand on the moving belts to stop the movement, and their hand was pulled into the belt and pulley system.

 

Level up your facemask

Updated 5/31/23

KN95 respirator

Take the following steps to prevent airborne particles from getting in and respiratory droplets from leaking out of your facemask.

1.  Choose a mask that offers a higher level of protection.

An N95, KN95/KF94, or surgical mask (in decreasing order of protection) all offer a higher level of protection than a cloth face covering alone.

Hazardous Material Spills

A hazardous material spill is an uncontrolled release of a substance that is potentially hazardous to humans, animals and/or the environment. University personnel and students working with hazardous materials should be prepared to respond in the event a spill occurs.