Safety Engineering 1-Accidents & Incidents
SAFETY: The condition of being protected against physical, emotional, spiritual,
financial, occupational, psychological, or other types or consequences of failure, error,
accidents, or any other event which could be considered non-desirable.
Or
SAFETY: A state in which hazards and conditions leading to physical, psychological or
material harm are controlled in order to preserve the health and well-being of
individuals and the community.
INCIDENT: an unexpected (unplanned, unwanted) event that did not cause injury or
damage this time but had the potential to do so at other times.
Ex: A 50 kg carton falls off the top shelf of a 12 feet high rack and lands near a worker.
This event is unplanned, unwanted, and has the potential for injury. Disrupts work
process, does not result in injury or damage, but should be looked as a wake up call.
ACCIDENT: An unplanned, unwanted, but sometimes controllable event caused by
unsafe or unhealthy acts and/or conditions which result in injury to persons, damage
to property, or business interruptions. An accident:
Stops the normal course of events, delays in business
Damage to property
Inflict personal injury, minor or serious, and
Occasionally results in a fatality
Types Of Accidents:
Type 1: Accident which could have been foreseen and prevented through the
application of recognised principles and methods of system hazard identification,
evaluation and control.
Type 2: Accident which could NOT have been foreseen and prevented through the
application of recognised principles and methods of system hazard identification,
evaluation and control.
Kinds of Accidents:
Falls from heights
Getting caught by machinery
Getting struck by moving vehicle
Slips, trips and falls
Accident-Incident Pyramid
/\
/ \
| Fatalities
| Major Injuries/Damage
| Minor Injuries/Damage
| Close Calls
| Hazardous Conditions
The Accident Weed
Unsafe Conditions
Unsafe Acts
-Missing Guard
-Horseplay
-Poor Housekeeping
-Ignoring Satefy Rules
-Defective Tools
-Not Following Procedures
=Equipment Failure
-Not Reporting Hazard
-No Safety Data Sheets
-Not Knowing How
Root Causes:
-Poor Work Procedures
-Purchasing Unsafe Equipment
-No follow-up/feedback
-Lack of Supervision
-Lack Of Training
-Poor Safety Management
-Not Enforcing Rules
-Poor/Lack of Safety Leadership
UNSAFE CONDITION: It is a condition in the work place that is likely to cause
property damage or injury.
Slippery Surfaces
Unguarded Machinery
Contaminated Air
Defective Environment/Workplace
UNSAFE ACT: An unsafe act is something that someone initiates, which results in, or
could result in an accident. Unsafe acts can be active or passive.
Ex:
Adopting Unsafe Position
Using Unsafe Equipment
Not reporting hazard
Failure to use PPE
Operating Errors
Unsafe actions, not unsafe conditions the root of the vast majority of accidents.
The most skilled employees might actually display some of the most dangerous
behaviours
Poor judgment or over confidence can result in injuries or accidents
HAZARD: is a situation which poses a level of threat for life, health, property or
environment.
Hazards is an unsafe condition or activity, that if left uncontrolled can contribute
to an accident.
Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm,
however, once a hazard becomes active, it can create an emergency situation.
Modes of Hazard:
(a) DORMANT: the potential to be hazardous, but no people, property or
environment is currently affected by this.
Ex: Landslides
(b) POTENTIAL: Also known as armed, that is a situation where the hazard is in
the position to affect persons, property
or environment.
Ex: Chemicals, Radiation
(c) ACTIVE: The hazard is certain to cause harm, as no intervention is possible
before the incident occurs.
Ex: Earthquakes, Cyclones
(d) MITIGATED: A potential hazard has been identified, but actions have been
taken in order to ensure it does not
become as incident. This may not be an
absolute guarantee of no risk, but it is likely to have been undertaken to
significantly reduce the danger.
Causes of Hazards:
(a) NATURAL: It includes anything which is caused by a natural process and can
include obvious hazards such as volcanoes to smaller scale hazards such as loose rock
on a hillside.
(b) MAN MADE: Hazards created by human. (Fire, chemical, biological, nuclear,
structural collapse- bridge, dam)
(c) ACTIVITY RELATED: Some hazards are created by undertaking of certain activity,
and the cessation of activity will negate the risk. This includes hazards such as flying.
