Health & Safety Management

Topic

ACCIDENT
PREVENTION
Objectives of this Topic
To outline the difference between reactive and pro-active
means of accident prevention.

To provide a general overview of the different types of

accident prevention measures common in industry today.

To define the hierarchy of risk control.

An Accident is:
An unexpected and undesirable
event, in particular an event
resulting in human or material
damage
 Hazard
Existing or Potential Condition That
Alone or Interacting With Other
Factors Can Cause Harm

A Spill on the Floor

Broken Equipment
 Risk
A measure of the probability and severity of a hazard to harm human
health, property, or the environment
A measure of how likely harm is to occur and an indication of how
serious the harm might be

Risk  0
Risk 0 does’nt exist
 Safety
FREEDOM FROM DANGER OR HARM

Nothing is Free of

BUT - We can almost always make

something SAFER
 Safety Is Better Defined As….

A Judgement of the
Acceptability of Risk
Types of Accidents
FALL TO WITH
CONTACT
◦ chemicals
same level
◦ electricity
lower level
◦ heat/cold
CAUGHT
◦ radiation
◦ in
◦ on REACTION FROM
BODILY
◦ voluntary
between motion
◦ involuntary motion
Types of Accidents (continued)
STRUCK OR ABRADED BY
RUBBED
◦ Against
friction
◦ ◦pressure
stationary or moving object
◦ ◦vibration
protruding object
◦ sharp or jagged edge
◦ By
◦ moving or flying object
◦ falling object
Accident Causing Factors
Basic Causes
Direct Causes
◦ Slips, Trips, Falls
Management
◦ Environmental
Caught In
◦ Equipment
Run Over
◦ Human Behavior
Chemical Exposure

Indirect Causes
◦ Unsafe Acts
◦ Unsafe Conditions
Basic Causes
Management
Systems & Procedures
Environment
Natural & Man-made
Equipment

Design & Equipment

Human Behavior
 Management
Systems & Procedures
◦ Lack of systems & procedures
◦ Availability
◦ Lack of Supervision
Environment
Physical
◦ Lighting
◦ Temperature

Chemical
◦ vapors
◦ smoke
• Biological
– Bacteria
– Reptiles
Environment
Design and Equipment
•Design

◦ Workplace layout
◦ Design of tools &
equipment
◦ Maintenance
Design and Equipment
Equipment
◦ Suitability
◦ Stability

Guarding

Ergonomic

Accessibility
 Human Behavior

Common to
all accidents

Not limited to person involved in accident

Human Factors
Omissions & Commissions

Deviations from SOP

◦ Lacking Authority
◦ Short Cuts
◦ Remove guards
Human Behavior is a function of :

Activators (what needs to be done)

Competencies (how it needs to be done)

Consequences
(what happens if it is/isn’t done)
Accident Prevention

Requires the creation and maintenance of a safe working

environment, and the promotion of safe behaviour.
Originally a reactive process - waiting for accidents or ill
health to happen and then devising and implementing a
prevention control.
Accident Prevention

Accident

Investigate accident – process and outcome

steered by the pre-conceptions of the
investigators about accident causation.

Attribute primary cause to Attribute primary cause to

shortcomings in the behaviour of the shortcomings in the physical working
injured person (unsafe acts) environment (unsafe conditions)

Devise a RULE forbidding the Devise a TECHNICAL solution (e.g.

behaviour identified to prevent a re- guards, PPE) to make the conditions
occurrence of the unsafe act. safe to protect people from the
hazard.
Unsafe Acts & Conditions in Quarries
Unsafe Acts Unsafe Conditions
Operating equipment at improper speeds Inadequate guards
Using equipment improperly Defective tools or equipment
Using defective equipment Congestion of working area
Failure to wear PPE Poor housekeeping
Taking and improper working position Excessive noise
Servicing equipment in motion Poor illumination
Defeating safety devices Poor ventilation
Operating Procedures
Most common form of control measure
In some cases the only practical way of managing a particular risk.
Should allow for methodical execution of tasks.
Should address the hazards that have been identified in the risk
assessment.
A Safe System of Work
Eliminates identified hazards and controls others.
Plans to achieve the controlled completion of the work with
minimum risk.
Fundamental to accident prevention.
Should fully document the hazards, precautions and safe
working methods.
1. Safe design.
2. Safe installation. Framework for Safe System of
3. Safe premises and plant. Work
4. Safe tools and equipment.
5. Correct use of plant, tools and equipment.
6. Effective planned maintenance of plant and equipment.
7. Proper working environment ensuring adequate lighting, heating and
ventilation.
8. Trained and competent employees.
9. Adequate and competent supervision.
10. Enforcement of safety policy and rules.
11. Additional protection for vulnerable employees.
12. Formalised issue and proper utilisation of all necessary clothing.
13. Continued emphasis on adherence to the agreed safe method of work.
14. Regular annual reviews of all systems of work to ensure:-
 Compliance with current legislation.
 Systems are still workable in practice.
 Plant modifications are accounted for.
 Substituted materials are allowed for.
 New work methods are incorporated into the system.
 Advances in technology are exploited.
 Proper precautions in light of any accidents are taken.
 Continued involvement in and awareness of the importance of written safe systems of
work.
15. Regular feedback to all concerned.
Maintenance
Concerned with the reliability of machines or equipment.
 Permits to Work (PTW)

Formal ‘safe system of work’

Not generally used for low risk operations.
Permit to Work Systems are required
Permit to Work
The essential elements of a PTW scheme are:
Full explanation of the hazards involved to the workforce.
The work to be carried out is properly detailed and understood by both
sides.
The area in which the work to be carried out is properly detailed and
understood by both sides.
The area is which the work is to be carried out is clearly identified and made
safe, or the hazards are highlighted.
The workmen must sign the permit to say that they fully understand the
work that is to be carried out, and the hazards and potential risks to be
faced.
When the work is finished, the workmen must sign off the permit to say that
they have completed the specified work and left the operation in a suitable
state.
Training
Training helps people acquire the skills, knowledge and
attitudes to make them competent in the health and safety
aspects of their work.

There are generally two types of safety training:-

Specific safety training (or on the job training) for tasks of a specific
nature.
Planned training, such as general safety training, induction training,
management training, skill training or refresher courses, that are
planned by the organisation.
Personnel Protective Equipment
Personnel protective equipment (PPE) may be broadly divided as follows:
◦ Hearing protection.
◦ Respiratory protection.
◦ Eye and face protection.
◦ Protective clothing.

PPE does nothing to stop the hazard at source, but simply provides
protection to reduce the severity of the potential accident.
Personnel Protective Equipment
It is only an effective control if worn and so any organisation which
provides for the issue of PPE should:

◦ Carry adequate stock.

◦ Enable accessibility at appropriate times.
◦ Respond to changing demands.
◦ Have a system for exchanging equipment.
◦ Be managed to ensure its effective running.
 PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
WHERE Eye
NEEDED Where machines or
  operations present a
danger from flung objects,,
  hazardous liquids, or
injurious radiation.
TYPES OF Goggles, full face shields,
PROTECTION safety glasses, side-
  shields, welders’ lenses
  (should meet standards).
FITTING Comfortable fit (not
REQUIREMENT interfere with movement).
SUGGESTED Date issued, reissued,
RECORDS type issued, instructions
given
 
EXAMINATIONS Visual acuity, depth
NEEDED perception.
Head
Where there is danger
from impact and
penetration from falling or
flying objects or from
limited electric shock.
Safety hats full brim,
brimless, limited voltage
protection, no voltage
protection, (should meet
standards).
Comfortable, proper fit.
Date issued, type issued,
instructions given (need to
wear, maintenance,
disciplinary action).
Foot/Toe
In areas where there is a
potential for foot or toe
injuries.
Impact and compression
resistance, metatarsal
protection, puncture
resistance, electrical
hazard resistance,
conductive
Proper fit.
Date issued, amount
reimbursed, instructions
given (need to wear,
maintenance, disciplinary
action).
 PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS (2)

WHERE Hand Hearing Respiratory

NEEDED Danger of cuts, or from Noise exposure that equals In areas that present a
  handling corrosives, solvents,   exceeds 85 dBA in an 8-
or limited breathable
or other chemicals. hour time-weighted period. environment

TYPES OF Cotton/leather gloves; Full muffs, disposable Air-purifying respirators,

PROTECTION gauntlets; heat-resistant plugs, Swedish wool, non- chemical cartridge
  gloves; barrier creams; chain disposable plugs. (Should respirators, air-supplied
mail gloves; haly-gloves; meet standards). respirators, combination
rubber gloves. (Should meet respirators, self contained
standards). breathing devices. (Should
meet standards).
 
 
FITTING Proper fit. Proper fit, correct type for Significant fitting
REQUIREMENTS noise exposure. requirements.

SUGGESTED Date issued, reissued, type Audiometric exam, date Date issued, reissued, type
RECORDS issued, instructions given, issued, instructions given issued, instructions given
  (need to wear, maintenance, (need to wear, effects of (respiratory hazards
conservation, disciplinary noise, cleaning, present; functions; fit
  action.) conservation, fitting, testing; proper utilisation,
  disciplinary action.) cleaning and maintenance;
conservation, disciplinary
action).
EXAMINATIONS Audiometric Pulmonary function.
NEEDED
  (baseline and annual).
 Hierarchy of Control Measures
Eliminate risk by substituting the dangerous for the less dangerous, e.g.

Use less hazardous substances.

Substitute a type of machine which is better guarded to make the same product.
Avoid the use of certain processes.
Combat risks at source by engineering controls and giving collective
protective measures priority, e.g:

Separate the operator from the risk of exposure to a known hazardous

substance by enclosing the process.
Protect the dangerous parts of a machine by guarding.
Design process machinery and work activities to minimise the release, or
to suppress or contain airborne hazards.
Design machinery which is remotely operated and to which materials are
fed automatically, thus separating the operator from danger areas.
 Minimise risk by:

Designing suitable systems of working

Using personal protective clothing and equipment, this should
only be used as a last resort.
 
The hierarchy reflects an increased reliability in risk elimination and
control by the use of physical engineering controls and safeguards
compared to reliance on employees.