The ever increasing mechanization, electrification, chemicalization and sophistication have made

industrial jobs more and more complex and intricate. This has led to increased dangers to human life in
industries through accidents and injuries. In fact, the same underlines the need for and importance of
industrial safety. Let us first understand what industrial accident actually means.

Industrial Accident:
An accident (industrial) is a sudden and unexpected occurrence in the industry which interrupts the
orderly progress of the work. According to the Factories Act, 1948: “It is an occurrence in an industrial
establishment causing bodily injury to a person who makes him unfit to resume his duties in the next 48
hours”.
Another definition Danger originating from technological or industrial accidents, dangerous procedures,
infrastructure failures or certain human activities, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property
damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.
In other words, accident is an unexpected event in the course of employment which is neither anticipated
nor designed to occur. Thus, an accident is an unplanned and uncontrolled event in which an action or
reaction of an object, a substance, a person, or a radiation results in personal injury. It is important to note
that self-inflicted injuries cannot be regarded as accidents.
An industrial injury is defined as “a personal injury to an employee which has been caused by an accident
or an occupational disease and which arises out of or in the course of employment and which could entitle
such employee to compensation under Workers’ Compensation Act, 1923”.

Types of Accidents:
Accidents may be of different types depending upon the severity, durability and degree of the injury. An
accident causing death or permanent or prolonged disability to the injured employee is called ‘major
accident. A cut that does not render the employee disabled is termed as ‘minor’ accident. When an
employee gets injury with external signs of it, it is external injury.
Injury without showing external signs such as a fractured bone is called an internal one. When an injury
renders an injured employee disabled for a short period, say, a day or a week, it is a temporary accident.
On the contrary, making injured employee disabled forever is called permanent accident. Disability
caused by accident may be partial or total, fatal or non-fatal.

The various types of accidents are shown in Figure.

No accident occurs automatically. Instead, certain factors cause accidents. It has been noticed that an
accident does not have a single cause but a multiplicity of causes, which are often closely related. The
same is discussed subsequently.

Causes of Accidents:
The industrial safety experts have classified the various causes of accidents into three
broad categories:
1. Unsafe Conditions
2. Unsafe Acts
3. Other Causes
These are discussed, in brief.

1. Unsafe Conditions (work-related):

Unsafe working conditions are the biggest cause of accidents. These are associated with detective plants,
tools, equipment’s, machines, and materials. Such causes are known as ‘technical causes’. They arise
when there are improper guarded equipment’s, defective equipment’s, faulty layout and location of plant,
inadequate lighting arrangements and ventilation, unsafe storage, inadequate safety devices, etc.
Besides, the psychological reasons such as working overtime, monotony, fatigue, tiredness, frustration
and anxiety are also some other causes that cause accidents. Safety experts identify that there are some
high danger zones in an industry. These are, for example, hand lift trucks, wheel-barrows, gears and
pulleys, saws and hand rails, chisels and screw drivers, electric drop lights, etc., where about one-third of
industrial accidents occur.

2. Unsafe Acts:
Industrial accidents occur due to certain acts on the part of workers. These acts may be the result of lack
of knowledge or skill on the part of the worker, certain bodily defects and wrong attitude.

Examples of these acts are:

(a) Operating without authority.
(b) Failure to use safe attire or personal protective equipment’s,
(c) Careless throwing of material at the work place.
(d) Working at unsafe speed, i.e., too fast or too low.
(e) Using unsafe equipment, or using equipment’s unsafely.
(f) Removing safety devices.
(g) Taking unsafe position under suspended loads.
(h) Distracting, teasing, abusing, quarrelling, day-dreaming, horseplay
(i) One’s own accident prone personality and behavior.

3. Other Causes:
These causes arise out of unsafe situational and climatic conditions and variations. These may include
excessive noise, very high temperature, humid conditions, bad working conditions, unhealthy
environment, slippery floors, excessive glare, dust and fume, arrogant behavior of domineering
supervisors, etc.
Of late, industrial accidents have become common happening in our country.

Factors affecting industrial accidents:

There are Some factors that affect the industrial accidents and those factors are:

Shortcuts
Humans are notoriously lazy, so taking shortcuts is a rather common practice in all walks of life, not
necessarily work alone. However, when workers take shortcuts at work, especially when they are working
around dangerous machinery or lethal chemicals, they are only exposing themselves to a potential
catastrophe. Simply put, shortcuts that are taken on the job are not actually shortcuts. They are simply
increasing your risk of injury, or worse, death.

Overconfidence 
Confidence is always a great thing to have, but there is also such a thing as too much confidence. When
workers walk into work every day with the attitude that, “It will never happen to me”, they are setting an
attitude that leads to incorrect procedures, methods, and tools while working. Be confident, but remember
that you are not invincible.

Poor, or Lack of Housekeeping

Whenever someone walks through your workplace, they can get a pretty good idea of your attitude
towards workplace safety by just looking at how well you’ve kept up your area. Housekeeping is one of
the most accurate indicators of the company’s attitude towards production, quality, and worker safety. A
poorly kept up area leads to hazards and threats everywhere. Not only does good housekeeping lead to
heightened safety, but it also sets a good standard for everyone else in the workplace to follow.

Starting a Task Before Getting All Necessary Information 

The quickest way to get a job done is to do it right the first time. To do it right the first time, you need to
make sure that you have any and all pertinent information relating to the task you will be performing.
Workers who begin a job with just half the information, or half the instructions, are essentially doing the
job while blind. Remember this; it’s not stupid to ask questions, it is stupid not to.

Neglecting Safety Procedures 

This is probably the worst thing that any employee at any level in the organization can do. Deliberately
neglecting set safety procedures in the workplace doesn’t just endanger yourself, but it endangers the
workers around you as well as the company as a whole. Casually following safety procedures doesn’t
work either. You are paid to follow workplace safety procedures, not your own.

Mental Distractions 
Everyone has a life outside of the workplace, and sometimes life can take dips and turns that affect your
emotions and your mood negatively. However, as harsh as it sounds, workers cannot let mental
distractions from their personal lives affect their performance at work. Not only will they become less
aware of their surroundings and less safe, but they will also become less productive, costing the company
time and money.

Lack of Preparation 
You may have heard of something called Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). JHA’s are an effective method of
figuring out the best way to work safely and efficiently. When workers begin a task without thinking
through the process beforehand, or hastily start without any type of planning, they are setting themselves
up for failure. Make sure you plan your work, then work your plan.