INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT AND SAFETY

INTRODUCTION:-

              Accidents are mishappening which result in loss of life and property. In our day to day life accidents are very common. Air, railway, road accidents are some times very severe. Accidents can be reduced but can not be eliminated. Accident effects the individual and his family life. Different job situations have different accident rates. A bus driver who drives through busy streets is more likely to have accidents than a driver driving crowd free roads. The accidents more occurs in mines shop floor than clerical work.

Industrial Accident:-

           Accidents occurring in the industries are called industrial accidents. These are generally due to faulty equipment and machinery or negligence on the part of the workers. Proper precautions can reduce the accidents. There are always some causes for the occurring of the accidents.

    There are always some chances of accidents while working on the machinery and equipment. All industrial operations increase the chances of accidents. Proper training and knowledge should be given about the dangers of accidents. Accident occurs in industries due to faults of the workers. They can be negligent dis-interested in jobs and under the influence of of intoxicants resulting in a higher number of accidents.

DEFINITION OF ACCIDENTS

        An event or mishappening that occurs unexpectedly is called an accident.

Characteristics of Accidents:-

1. Accidents are unfortunate sudden happenings about which nothing is    

    known in advance.

2. Life and property are affected by accidents.

3. Due to accidents work is stopped for a certain length of time.

CLASSIFICATION OF ACCIDENTS:-

There are several methods of classifying the accidents. some of the methods are as follows:-

1. According to length of recovery from injury.                                                    

2. According to cause of events.

3. According to nature of events.

4. According to damage caused.

5. According to nature of injury.

6. Accidents caused on construction work.

1.) ACCORDING TO LENGTH OF RECOVERY:-

This is an important method of classifying the industrial accidents. This is further divided into three categories.

      First Aid Cases:-

               The injuries due minor accidents are not serious. The workers are given first aid at the factory hospital. After getting the medical treatment at factory hospital, the worker can again start the work. In this type of accidents no time is lost except when the worker is receiving first aid treatment. No compensation is paid to the injured worker.

     Home case accidents:-

            The injured worker is given preliminary treatment at the factory hospital and is allowed to go home. The worker recovers in this period and is ready to resume his duties. So, the worker loses the day, shift or turn of work in which the accident has taken place. This type of accidents do not involve any compensation to the workers as the workers do not fall under the preview of workmen's compensation act.

         Lost Time Accidents: -

                For these accidents, the factory has to pay compensation. The worker has to leave the work on account of accidents for more days in addition to the day, shift or turn in which the mishappening has taken place. The worker is generally admitted to the hospital. In this case temporary type permanent type of disablement may result. The accident may lead to enquiry and investigation if difference of option is found regarding the causes of the accidents. For example, the hand, arm, leg or any other part of the body is injured seriously or cut by the machine.

2.    ACCORDING TO CAUSE OF EVENTS:-

      a) Machine accidents:

    Some example of machine accidents are given below:-

1. Catching of fingers, arms, clothing etc. in machine.

2. Catching of tool, guides etc. in machine.

3. Catching of fly objects or particles.

     b) Non- machine accidents:

    These are common but generally less serious type accidents. Some examples are given below:-

1. Falling objects.

2. Objects on floor.

3. Pushes, bumps etc. by other persons objects.

3. ACCORDING TO NATURE OF EVENTS:-

    a) Traffic accidents:

      1. Collisions with pedestrians.

      2. Collisions with cars or buses.

      3. Collision with motor vehicles.

    b) Passenger accidents:

       1. Boarding moving car or bus.

       2. Caught or struck by doors.

       3. Trips , slips, stumbles , falls etc.

4. ACCORDING TO DAMAGE CAUSED:-

This classification is based on damage caused. Damage can be that of property, material or building. Some examples are given below:

1. Damage to the store material.

2. Partial or complete loss of container or contents.

3. Damage to hand trucks.

4. Damage to trolleys.

5. Damage to belt conveyors, cranes or machines.

5. ACCORDING TO NATURE OF INJURY:-

This classification is as follows:-

a. Fatal Accidents:-

In such a accident, one or more persons are killed.

b. Permanent Disablement:-

Due to accident the worker loses earning capacity. The worker is not capable of earning that much money which he was capable to earn before accident. Compensation is paid to the injured worker and the amount depends upon the disablement. For example this may cut his finger, arm or hand etc. So, permanent disablement is of two types.

1. Total disablement.

2.  Partial disablement.

c. Temporary Disablement:-

These accidents are less serious than of previous category. The worker is unfit temporarily and he loses his earning capacity for short time compensation is to be paid according to the workmen's compensation act. Fracture of an arm is an example of temporary disablement.

6.  ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION WORK :

  Some examples are given below -

1. Falling of person

2. Slipping results inner strains of the body.

3. Accident because of flying objects

4. Accident due to traffic

5. Burning and fire accidents

6. Electric shocks

7. Explosions

CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS:

      Accidents do not just happen but there are always some causes. If we want to decrease the accidents, then the causes of accidents must be studied in details. The various causes can be divided as follows:-

1. Physical causes based upon unsafe conditions of work.

2. Physiological causes based upon defects of physical body of the

    worker.  

3. Psychological causes based upon mental disturbances of the worker.

1. PHYSICAL CAUSES:

 These are linked with the machinery and surroundings. These are beyond the control of the worker. The conditions are likely to cause accidents. This is further classified as follows:-

a) Physical causes related to machinery and plant:

Following can cause accidents:

1. Unguarded and unfenced moving machine parts.

2. Unbalance, noisy and improper adjusted machine parts.

3. Space between the machines is less.

4. Old and worn out machines.

5. Improper insulation of electric circuit and machinery.

6. Unlubricated moving parts get heated.

7. Improper plant layout.

b. Causes Related To Tools And Materials:

The following will more number of accidents:

1. Dull or damaged tools.

2. Tools without handles.

3. Very sharp edged tools.

4. Inflammable and hot materials.

5. Poisonous and toxic materials.

6. Breakable materials.

c. Causes Related to Dress:

1. Loose or improper dress.

2. Slippery foot wears.

3. Not wearing personal protective equipment e.g. goggles, gloves, screen required during welding.

d. Causes related to working conditions:

1. Lighting is not proper.

2. Improper ventilation for the exit of dust and gases.

3. Slippery floors and stairs cases.

4. Severity of work. For example mines, constructions of tunnels,

    building of sky scrapers is quite risky.

5. Working hours are too long resulting in tiredness.

6. Bad discipline.

7. Defective buildings and projected objects.

2. PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS:

  The causes of accidents are related to physical body of the worker e.g. a weak man cannot lift a heavy load. Weak eye sighted person cannot do the work on machine. An old man cannot do heavy work. Some of causes of accidents are due to following physiological defects:

1. Weak eye-sight.

2. Poor listening power.

3. Weak health.

4. Any part of the body may be defective.

5. Fatness and high blood pressure.

6. Fatigue and exertion of work.

7. Older employees.

3. PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS:

 These are linked with the mental disturbance of individual worker. This is not some external environment but the internal characteristics of the employee that the accident occurs to him. The worker is regarded as careless and is victim of an accident. He does not give proper attention to safety rules and regulations. The worker may involve himself in the accident on account of following:

1. His habit of ignoring the things that is carelessness.

2. Frustration, worry or depression.

3. Emotional unequilibrium due to mental tension.

4. Improper co-ordination between body and mental faculities.

5. Nervousness and impulsiveness.

6. Over confidence.

4. MISCELLENOUS CAUSE:

1. Lack of training and experience.

2. intoxication- use of wine, opium etc.

EFFECTS OF ACCIDENTS

The accidents are always undesirable. They result in loss of life and property. They produce evil effects on workers, families, employers and on the society. The bad effects f accidents are as follows:

Effect to the industry:

a) Direct cost of an accident

1. Compensation has to paid to the worker for temporary or permanent

    disability.

2. Cost of medical care and hospitalization.

3. Cost of damage to equipment, materials (improcess inventory) and

     plant.

b. Indirect cost of accident:

1. Loss of well trained and efficient employee and cost to replace the

    worker by providing training to the new one .

2. Cost of time lost by other employees who stop work.

    a) Out of curiosity.

    b) Out of sympathy.

    c) To assist injured employee.

    d) For other reason.

3. Cost of time lost by supervisors, safety engineer or other executives in

    post-accident activities.

4. Cost of interruption and delay in production.

5. Downtime of machines, particularly in product layout.

EFFECT ON WORKER:

1. If the worker dies in the accident, the family looses the bread earner.

2. Injury compensation never equals his earnings.

3. Accident also affects the morale of employee.

4. If the worker gets injured, he looses his efficiency and the workmanship. His  

    rating gets lowered due to handicapness and therefore looses the incentives

    due to not performing at higher level.

5. After the accident, the worker is psychologically hesitant to work at the same

    place and even reluctant to exert himself in the job.

COST TO SOCIETY:

Work connected injuries also put a considerable burden on society as whole as under:

1.  Even though a victim receives compensation, he may require additional help

     from the society.

2.  Loss of production hours causes less products in market.

3. Employers necessarily include the costs of accident to the selling prices of

    their products. Therefore, the society has to pay more price for the products.

4. If the worker is involved in social activities, then his replacement is difficult

    to achieve.

ACCIDENT PRONE WORKER

 The worker who involves himself in more number of accidents than the average worker is called accident prone worker. There are two causes of accidents. First cause is the situational factor and the second cause is personal factor due to which a person is victim of an accident. Different persons have different accident rates under similar working conditions.

If the personal factors are responsible for accidents and the number of accidents does not change even under changed conditions, the concept is called accident proneness.

CAUSES OF ACCIDENT PRONENESS:

There can be many physiological and psychological causes of accidents.

Sometimes a random happening of an accident may create proneness. If a person on shop floor just happens to cut his finger with cutting tool, he loses self-confidence. Whenever he will again hold a tool, he will become nervous and will lose control of himself and repeat accident. He will become an accident prone worker.

         Accident prone workers should be given more attention and training.   Posters and safety publicity should be given importance. Efforts should be made to change an accident prone worker to accident safe worker

 METHODS TO REDUCE ACCIDENT PRONENESS:

1. Only suitable should be selected depending upon the job requirements.

2. Transfer the accident prone workers to comparatively less dangerous

     job situations.

3. Give sufficient training to new workers before putting them on the job.

4. Encourage employees and see that they do not get unnecessarily  

     disturbed and frustrated before starting the work.

 SAFETY

CONCEPT OF SAFETY

         Safety is opposite to accidents. If accidents are harmful, safety is beneficial. Man's greatest desire is security. He wants longer life. Accidents are one of the major causes of deaths. So accidents should be minimized. Safety is beneficial in all respects. Safety has become an essential feature of all walks of life. The maintenance of safety has become a major program in the industries. Specially trained persons known as safety engineers are appointed in the industries. The government has also framed rules and regulations towards safety. The factories act has special provisions on safety. Violation of these provisions is punishment. Some of the factories conduct special programmes in first aid treatment. The workers are acquainted with the preliminary treatment to be given to the injured. Programmes like extinguishing fire, removing the people from the building on fire are also carried out.

SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS

 "The awareness and carefulness of the workers to prevent the accidents is known as safety consciousness” While at work, the workers must be always conscious of accidents and must take all the precautions for enhancing the safety. A bus driver while driving is always safety conscious and avoids the accidents.

Safety consciousness should be increased by adopting the following methods:

1. Display of safety posters and boards to remind the workers about

    safety.

2. Workers should be educated to use safety devices.

3. Organizing safety competition and awarding prizes to the winners.

4. Give due respect and recognition to safe workers.

5. Send information and literature about the safety at the homes of the

    employees.

6. Welcome all safety suggestions.

7. Cross mark and identify all accident areas.

8. Conduct safety training lecture periodically.

NECESSITY OF SAFETY

Safety helps the industries and workers in following ways:

1. Production is increased.

2. It reduces the cost of production.

3. Reduces damage to equipment and machines.

4. Prevents premature death of trained workers.

5. Prevents needless pain and sufferings to the employees

SAFETY PROCEDURE

 There are two ways of looking at this problem - one is from, the point of view of an engineer and the other from point of view of a psychologist. The engineer can remove the hazards from the work introducing the following measures:

    a. Designing and formulating of safety devices.

    b. Procedure and methods of work on the dangerous machines should

         be changed.

    c. The safety of the factory and machinery should be inspected by a

        safety engineer and change it from structural and functional point of view,

        if required. Simple improvements can be made in this regard which are

        given below:

• Moving parts should be enclosed with guards and covers-such as belts, gears, clutches etc.
• Moving and stationary parts should be distinguished adopted suitable

           colors.

• Rotating saws should be guarded properly to avoid the workers to

            come in contact with them physically.

• Safety devices should be reliable.
• Safety devices should not be easily detachable.
• Safety dress, protective glasses, gloves, shields should be suitably designed.
• To reduce chances of falling slipping from stair case, floors etc.
• Prevention against receiving electric shock. Every electric installation

            should be properly insulated.

            The psychologist also plays very important role in avoiding the accidents and increasing the safety. It has been observed that many of the accidents are due to psychological problems of the workers. The human factor in case of accidents should be analyzed and corrected.

The psychologist adopts the following procedure:-

1. Making the worker safety conscious.

2. To make men aware of hazards.

3. To train them to use safety devices.

4. Reducing the fatigue and exertion of the worker.

5. The attitude of co-operation should be developed among the workers.

6. Proper selection and placement of the worker for the particular work

    situation.

SAFETY  MEASURES       

       To ensure and enhance the safety in the factories, the various steps are to be taken. The safety Engineers and the shop incharge will take the following measures according to their experience and guide lines of the factories act:

 1. Machine guarding:

  The running parts of machines should be properly guarded. The machine guard should provide full protection, they should be of permanent nature and it may be difficult to remove them. The rotating part should not be operated at speed higher than the recommended speed.

              To reduce accidents of machines, the manufacturing processes should be modified and their operational efficiency is increased. In case of presses and shears, hazards are reduced by using, automatic feeds.

2. Personal protective equipment:

   Protective dress should be worn where ever necessary. Gloves are worn by the operator to save his hands from cuts, splinters and chemicals.  

Aprons protect the trunk of the body. Metallic foot and leg guards are also available. Where falling objects can pose a problem, one can safely use the protective helmets. The women workers use hair pin and nets so that their hairs are not caught in the gears, drills and spinning shaft.

        In welding, goggles and face shields are used. If the noise is unbearable, ear plugs should be used. Safety shoes are used where the feet are exposed to heat and pricking substances.

3. Protection Against radiation hazards:

     Two type of radiations such as heat produced in steel manufacturing and radiations of radio active particles, cause health and safety problems. The people suffer from exertion and over perspiration and skin irritation. The plant and equipment should be designed that radiations are minimized.  Air conditioning, ventilation system, protective clothing can decrease this problem.

4. Noise control:

   Excessive noise is not only uncomfortable but also harmful. The measure of noise is decibal (db). Where conversation produces only 40 db, the office work may produce 50 db. If the noise level exceeds 100 db, it becomes harmful and dangerous if not checked. The working efficiency is decreased. The forging hammer produces high noise.

FATIGUE ELIMINATION:

    Fatigue is also one of the causes of accidents. Fatigue is caused if one is doing hard work continuously or if one feels bored at the work. It has been found out that during the end of the working hours, the number of accidents tends to increase, which is due to fatigue. A driver if asked to drive the bus for long hours, he may be fatigued and fall asleep on the steering and cause the accidents. Fatigue is eliminated by providing rest pauses to the workers, reducing the working hours, and severity of the work.

PROPER LIGHTING:

Many accidents are the result of poor lighting. So every work place should have proper light. There are two sources of light- Natural light and      

artificial light from bulbs and tubes.

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERIC CONTAMINANTS:

Many industries produce gases, vapours, fumes, dusts, pungent smell etc. The atmosphere is polluted which is harmful to health and many a times accidents are caused due to dirty atmosphere.

The pollution of the atmosphere should be decreased by the safety Engineer. For this some of the suggestions are given below:-

a. Substitute a safe material instead of toxic material.

b. Personal protective equipment should be used.

c. Remote control should be used.

d. Wetting may be done to control dust.

e. Exhaust fan to be used to draw out contaminants.

SAFETY PROGRAMME

These programmes try to discover the causes of accidents and aim at reducing the accidents. This is a continuous process for enhancing the safety. These try to minimize the bad effects of accidents. Training about safety devices is given to the workers.

SAFETY COMMITTEES

The participation of employees in the safety programmes is very important. The formation of safety committees makes the workers to assume responsibility. Workers, supervisors from different sections should be selected to be the members of the committees. Safety programmes should be conducted to train the worker in handling and approaching emergency conditions. Various institutions whereas Red cross, Civil hospitals can be approached for health and the conduct of first aid classes.

        Educational films of safety and safety posters are useful steps to be taken by the committees. The main objects of safety committees are to make the workers safety conscious and to see that safety measures are adopted.

SAFETY PUBLICITY

The followings are some of the steps regarding safety publicity taken by the industries:

1. Safety posters are installed on the walls of the industry.

2. Every accident prone situation should be well marked as cautions for

    the safety of the workers.

3. Safety programmes should be conducted to educate the worker and

    make them safety conscious.

4. Safety pamphlets and magazines should be published and distributed

   free of cost.

5. Documentory films on accidents and safety should be shown to the

    workers.

6. Safety committees consisting of trade union and management should

    be set up to promote publicity.

7. Workers should be encouraged to suggest the methods to ensure safety.

8. Safety contests my have occasionally.

SAFETY QUOTATIONS

1. Make safety a habit.

2. Where cautions ends accidents begin.

3. Accidents do not happen they are caused.

4. Better late than never.

5. Safety is the pride of good workman.

6. Machines are good servants only if handled carefully.

7. Safety promotes productivity.

CASE STUDY

1. Boiler Accident:-

EVENT 

     In Ford Rouge Plant established in Michigan City had accident due to blasting of boiler established in the plant. This accident happened in the year 1999.

                     In that accidents near about ten workers were dead and about fifty others were injured. This caused the shutdown of that plant.

CAUSES

A state agency said that natural gas ignited in a giant boiler, caused the explosion. "The explosion was what is termed 'a furnace explosion,' where the firebox inside the boiler that heats up the water had a buildup of gas in the chamber," according to a statement by state officials. "This gas then ignited, causing the boiler to explode."   A former supervisor of the powerhouse said the only possible heat source that could detonate a natural gas buildup in the boiler is small embers from coal dust, another fuel source for the boiler. 

        At the time of the explosion, the boiler was being shut down for annual inspection, a process that takes several hours. worker had already stopped the boiler from operating and were in the process of completing safety procedures designed to prevent fuel leaks, especially through two large natural gas pipes leading to the firebox.

         In the morning, the men "blanked" the flow of the blast furnace gas, which means they inserted a piece of metal into the pipe, physically preventing the gas from entering the boiler. A valve is used to control the flow, and that is shut off first. But the physical metal barrier is also needed.

     After lunch, the men planned to blank the natural gas line.  Gas was building up somewhere. The fuel was building up and not being burned. The water temperature was probably about 400 degrees at the time of the explosion.

 The fire shot across the room to other boilers, and seemed to catch the coal that is delivered next to the boiler No. 1 on fire.

REMEDIES

 In earlier correspondence suggested that blanking is unwise. Double shut off valves is the proper way to secure a gas line with venting. This bit map schematic is an approximation of what would expect as a minimum arrangement for the gas piping for igniters. This schematic suggests there are safe guards of at least two levels. They are Block valves and Vents.  If either of the block valves leaked by, then gas pressure could build-up and pour into the furnace only if the vents are plugged. If the work order required the workers to replace the IHSSV (Igniter header safety shut-off valve) then the gas line header in the steam/power plant should have been shut down. This line also has a safety vent.